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THE GENESEE FARMER. 



an accidental solecism, when tlie sense is obvious. 

 The idea, involved in his remark, that "almost any 

 American school-boy might teach John Bull," is 

 tt>o stale to be witty. His gratuitous advice to 

 Englishmen to " visit the United States and put up 

 corn and meal," may pass lor what it is worth. 

 Rocheetery jfT. T., /Wy, 1S09. JOUN BKADFIKLD. 



CTTLTIVATION OF BAHLEY. 



Fob several years, since the wheat crop became 

 so uncert-ain, much barley has been grown, with 

 varied success in difterent localities and on diversi- 

 fied soil. Inquiry is often made for the best man- 

 ner of growing the crop, land best suited for it, 

 and many other details. TTe know of no better 

 way to give answers than by extracts from the let- 

 ters of practical farmers who have favored us with 

 their experience in growing the crop. 



A good rich loam is best for barley. Land that 

 will produce twenty to thirty bushels of spring 

 wheat will generally produce from forty to fifty of 

 barley. 



The best method of cultivation is to plow the 

 land in the fall, either sward or corn ground, and, 

 as soon as the land is dry enough in the spring, 

 cultivate it thoroughly; then sow not less than 

 three bushels of clean two-rowed barley per acre. 

 Harrow it in thoroughly, then roll it down, and 

 you have no more trouble with it until most of the 

 heads are turned, when it shoi;ld be mowed and 

 raked into winrows with hand-rakes, and cocked 

 up about the size of common hay cocks. If the 

 weather is good, they will cure out in five or six 

 <lay3, r»»ady for the mow or thi'eshing machine. If 

 the weather is wet, it will be necessary to open the 

 cocks. It must be well cured and dry when put 

 into the mow, otherwise it will heat and injure the 

 grain. Save all the straw, which, if cut in season 

 and well cured, is worth more per ton than poor 

 hay. n. e. tatloe. 



Ba^ Itodinan^ Jfff. Co., K Y. 



Ix respect to the selection of seed, there are two 

 varieties, the four-rowed and the six-rowed. The 

 four-rowcd is generally preferred for the reason 

 that it is stiffer in the straw, and hence not so apt 

 to lodge or fall down with rain storms. It has also 

 another advantage: the grain is larger, rounder, 

 and more plump, and, as a matter of course, weighs 

 more to the bushel. The six-rowed barley differs 

 from the four-rowed in one very essential point, 

 viz., it is eight or ten days earlier, and that is a 

 very decided advantage, inasmuch aa the saving of 

 a week would in some cases amount to the saving 

 of the crop, by enabling it to mature before the ex- 

 cessive heat and droutli in the last weeks of July, 

 which sometimes dries up the straw and prevents 

 the grain from tilling. 



In the selection of land, it is an invariable rule 

 that dry, warm, gravelly or loamy land, is best; 

 but it is a more difficult matter to judge of what 

 l>articular condition or strength to Jiave the land. 

 If land in too high condition should be sowed to 

 barley, and a wet, warm summer, should happen 

 to follow, the result would probably be only half a 



crop, because in all likolihood it would lodge and 

 take a second growth. Land in good medium con- 

 dition — say after a crop of corn or potatoes which 

 has been manured with unfermented manure — is 

 well adapted to tlie crop. Let it be merely ridged 

 up in fifteen feet ridges in the fall, and as soon as 

 the land is dry in the spring, let a double or even 

 a single-horse cultivator be run through it. Sow 

 the barley on or as near the first of iifay as the 

 weather will permit, and harrow the ground thor- 

 oughly, and in nine cases out of ten tlie crop will 



be good. ANDREW WILSON. 



Fre.icoit, C. W. 



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LETTER FROM JOHN JOHDISTON. 



Eds. Genesee Faemee: — I am feeding five hun- 

 dred sheep this winter. They are fat now. Am 

 feeding largely of oil-cake meal, as usual. I also 

 feed eleven good cattle, with which I have been 

 experimenting a l-ittle, and have some facts put to- 

 gether, which are at your service. 



Fact First. — I bought six steers, over five years 

 old, in fair condition, that had never been fed either 

 roots or meal of any kind. I pi:t thera to hay and 

 meal November 23d, tlieir weight then being from 

 1,175 to 1,370 lbs.— averaging 1,257. Weighed at 

 the end of thirty-five days, and found an average 

 increase of seventy -four poimds, but the two largest 

 ones ninety pounds each, and the two smallest only 

 gained Jjfty and flfty-Jive pounds each, though to 

 the eye they appeared to have made most fat. A 

 gain of ninety pounds in the first thirty-five days 

 stall-feeiling, seems incredible, but such is the fact. 

 I have long been aware that the largest cattle pay 

 best for good feed, either in summfer or winter, but 

 was not prepared to find such a difterence. They 

 were all fed alike, and in stalls, so that each got 

 the same quantity of meal. 



Fact Second. — I put up two steers, rising of four 

 years old, quite fat, gi-ade Devons, Aveighing at the 

 time 1,150 and 1,220 lbs. Gain in thirty-five days 

 only twenty and thirty lbs., the smallest gaining 

 least. From this it would appear that it is unprof- 

 itable to feed cattle after they arc really fat. 



Fact Third. — I put up two steers, rising of four 

 years old, and lean, but good common stock, weigh- 

 ing when put up 1,180 and 1,300 lbs. Gain in 

 thirty-five days, 62^ and 75 lbs., the smallest gain- 

 ing least. I also put up a heifer, rising three years, 

 weight 1,025 lbs. Gain in thirty-five days, 55 lbs. 

 She is of fine bone and horn, long in the body, 

 broad on the loins, grade Durham, lays on fat very 

 fast. There was no Durham or Hereford blood in 

 any of the others. I should be pleased to know if 

 any of those aristocratic breeds put on over ninety 

 pounds increase in the first thirty-five days of stall- 

 feeding. 



Fact Fourth. — I have found that cattle fed on 

 hay and meal, and weighing from 1,230 to 1,400 

 pounds, if weighed at four o'clock P. M. and then 

 shut up from food and water until next morning at 

 eight o'clock, will shrink from 45 to 50 pounds. 

 This is much more than I cxi)ected. I find that 

 sheep weighing from 120 to 130 pounds, shut up 

 the same length of time, shrink only three pounds. 

 This is less than I expected. I intend to weigh 

 again at the end of thirty-five days, and if oficring 

 anything worthy of note, you sliall hear of it. 



Kiar Geneva, K. T,, Jan. 7, 1S59. JOHiT JOHNSTON. 



