THE GENESEE FAKMEK. 



23 



localities exposed to stormy northern winds, spring 

 sowing is generally adopted. Winter and spring 

 rye are ditfereut varieties, as of wheat. The 

 proper time for fall sowing, in the States referred 

 to above, is the middle or latter part of September. 

 In this section, the last week in August is con- 

 sidered best, as the young plant starts vigorously, 

 and has time to take firm hold upon the soil before 

 the cold and frosts of autumn check its growth, 

 enabling it better to withstand the thaws and frosts 

 of spring, which occasion what is commonly called 

 " winter'-kiilmg." When spring grain is sown, it 

 should be done as early as the season will admit. 



The amount of seed varies from one to one and 

 a half bushels per acre, according to time sown, it 

 requiring more for spring than for autumn sowing, 

 a-s it tillers largely if it has lime in the autumn. — 

 In localities where the winters are comparatively 

 mild, if its growth is luxuriant, it may be fed off 

 both fall and spring, without injury. It is some- 

 times sown mainly for the purpose of furnishing 

 early pasture, but is then sown much thicker. 



Eye, like wheat, yields improved grain by being 

 eai-ly harvested. It is heavier, and gives more and 

 whiter flour. A saving of grain is made by early 

 harvesting, as the waste from shelling is avoided. 

 For bread- making, it is wholesome and palatable ; 

 and when mixed with Indian meal, and baked for 

 a longtime, it makes the famous " rye and Indian" 

 or brown bread. 



The common weight of a bushel of rye is from 

 55 to 57 pounds. fkye, jr. 



Andover, Me., Dec, 1858. 



duced crops of corn that pay much better than 

 barley in these uncertain times of crops and 

 prices. 



I would not be understood as recommending 

 these early kinds upon soils that are warm and dry 

 enough to plant the large varieties early ; but the 

 barley crop must be got in early, wet or dry, if we 

 expect to reap a paying crop. And in this respect 

 corn is again the most profitable ; for nearly all 

 soils will raise corn of some variety, wh-ile there 

 are but few good barley soils. 



It may be said that we must sow winter barley. 

 But here again the same difficulty arises. We must 

 have a dry soil or it will winter-kill ; and dry soils, 

 in this section at least, are "like angels' visits, few 

 and far between." If perchance we have the pros- 

 pect of a fair crop of barley — if it escapes all the 

 casualties of wet, drouth, and Aveevi' — a wet time 

 about harvest will nearly blast all our hopes. A 

 storm of wind and rain, as we often have at that 

 season of the year, will beat it down, causing it to 

 grow and turn black, thus detracting from its value 

 and making more work to harvest it than it is worth. 

 In fact, there is no more uncertain crop raised, ia 

 the whole catalogue of grains, than barley. 



Kewfaive, Niag. Co., N. Y., 1S58. C. C. WILSON. 



IS CORN A MOEE PROFITABLE CROP THAN BARLEY 

 IN WESTERN NEW YORK. 



TitAT com is a more profitable crop than barley, 

 it appears to me no rational man can deny. Taking 

 into consideration the large amount of valuable 

 fodder produced by the corn crop, it enables the 

 farmer to keep more stock; and tlie more stock, 

 the more manure ; and the more manure, the great- 

 er crops — of corn and barley too. 



An acre of corn stalks, if well preserved, are 

 worth nearly or quite as much as an acre of clover 

 hay ; and the farmer who makes corn his principal 

 crop can nearly dispense with his hay crop, there 

 being no better fodder, either for cattle, horses, or 

 sheep, than well-cured corn stalks. 



Again, corn is a more certain crop than barley. 

 Who ever heard of the total failure of the corn 

 crop ? There being so many varieties ripening at 

 different periods from planting, it is suited to all 

 seasons and nearly all latitudes. Those who are 

 favorably situated, with a soil dry enough to plant 

 early, can plant the common, large, late varieties ; 

 and tliere is no crop that is more certain. Those 

 who are not so favorably situated, and, on account 

 of a wet soil, have to plant later, can use the King 

 Philip and other early varieties which ripen about 

 the same time, and are very sure of a good crop. 

 Again, if any must plant stiU later, (on account of 

 a bad season, like the past,) they have the small 

 yellow Canada corn, which ripens still sooner, and 

 they can secure a good crop. A large amount of 

 corn of these early varieties was not planted until 

 the last week in June, the past season, and pro- 



CORN STALKS -CUTTING, CURING, AND FEEDING. 



" On the best method of ciuling. curing and preserving, and the 

 most economical way of feeding corn stalks." 



My plan is to cut twenty-four hills to the shock. 

 T use a stay post with two arms, made from a light 

 piece of wood, two and a half inches S([uare, four 

 feet long, with a pointed socket on the end. I 

 bore two inch holes crosswise through it, near the 

 top, put a couple of good rods two and a half 

 feet long through the standard, making four arms. 

 Set the post in the ground, cut the corn, and set 

 an equal number of hills in each square. Bind the 

 tops, withdraw the arms, reach in the hand, turn 

 the post a little, and lift it out from the shock. — 

 By this operation I have no hills of green corn to 

 hinder the curing process; no hills to cut off when 

 husking and drawing in. Stocks set up in this 

 manner stand firmer than any other way I ever 

 tried. I usually cut up corn the last of September 

 and first of October, husking, as soon as dry 

 enough, in the field, putting four shocks into one, 

 until finished. I draw in on a damp day, and instead 

 of packing or laying down n the mow, I stand 

 them up, as closely packed as possible, butts down, 

 and never have a mouldy corn stalk. I cut them 

 for feeding, cutting a whole day at a time, sprink- 

 ling them occasionally with weak brine. When 

 feeding milch cows, I put on a little bran, or mix 

 in a few turnips or carrots. I have no waste, no 

 long stalks in my mauure, and my stock do full as 

 well as on hay, especially my cows. They give 

 milk of better quality than when running out on 

 late frosted feed, or fed on dry hay. Some say cut 

 stalks make their catties' mouths sore. I never 

 feed cut stalks in hard, frozen weather, but only 

 when it is warm and moderate; and never had 

 cattle troubled with sore mouth. I also feed them 

 moist, and change to hay when cold, or cattle 

 seem tired of them. I never confine cattle to one 

 kind of feed more thtui five or six days at one 

 , time, if possible to change. dayton siglee. 



