THE GENESEE FAKMER. 



1T« 



ing done by that machine, and elicited the follow- 

 ing facts : — 



H. Latheop cut 75 acres of grass, averaging 3 

 tons per acre, in 80 hours, and 60 acres of grain in 

 47 hours : no expense for repairs. D. Cox cut 113 

 acres grass in 58 hours, at a cost of $1,08 for re- 

 pairs. J. G. Lelani) cut 50 acres of grass in 50 

 hours — 80 cents for repairs, and 72 acres of grain 

 in 50 hours — no repairs. 0. P. Irwin cut 60 

 acres of grass, averaging 2^ tons per acre, in 46 

 hours : no repairs. Another cut 50 acres of grass, 

 averaging 2 tons, in 43f hours, at a cost of 10 cents 

 for repairs. Another cut 1 acre in 20 minutes. 

 These all are veriiied by affidavits of the surveyors 

 and others, besides the men themselves. A man 

 who lives just east of here, told me that he cut 3 

 acres of gi-ass in 70 minutes, including stoppages 

 to oil, &c. 



I might continue, almost ad mfinitum^ but I 

 think I have given facts enough to satisfy Mr. 

 Hakkis, or even Mr. Gadgrind himself. I once 

 ti'ied the experiment of mowing five acres of 

 lodged clover by hand, and five acres with a ma- 

 chine, with the foUowiug result : — 



Two mea, C days each, and board, $1.25 per day, $15 00 



Mowing macliine, (>^ day,) 62^ cts. per acre, 3 12^ 



Difference, %\\ 87>^ 



I had no machine at that time, and had to pay 

 the above rates for mowing. The next year we 

 had a machine of our own. 



Your " iteraizer," S. W., thinks the mowing ma- 

 diine will not be profitable for small farmers. One 

 of my neighbors, who cuts about 20 acres annually, 

 has a machine, and does' all his haying himself, in 

 this way : — There are some who, like our friend 

 BuNDY, do not see the economy of buying a mow- 

 ing machine at $110, but sometimes they get 

 cramped, and hire a machine. Neighbor S. mows 

 for all such, at the rate of two acres for a day's 

 work, in return. He usually cuts five or six acres 

 in a half day, and gets 2+ or tliree days' work in 

 payment : thus doing without any other hired help. 

 I cut 36 acres of grass last summer, and 8 acres of 

 grain, and hired 19 days help, doing the rest with 

 my machLae, after the fashion of my neighbor. 



We^JUM, N. Y. D. A. A. NICHOLS, 



NOTES FROM MAINE. 



"We of this latitude are at present deep into the 

 mysteries of farming — making every line draw — 

 T;itterly regardless of wet or dry, old or new moons ; 

 for if we don't sow we can't expect to reap ; and 

 it behooves us of this land of fickle climate and 

 short seasons to be up and doing. However, we 

 can't grumble this season, for we have experienced 

 first rate weather so far, and an early spring, if tlie 

 expression be allowed. That venerable individual, 

 the oldest uihabitant, can scarcely recollect one 

 more favored. The first week of May was almost 

 equal to midsummer. All of the eai'lier trees and 

 shrubs were in leaf on the 10th inst. — some by the 

 6th. The buds of fruit trees are just bursting. 

 The fruit principally cultivated hereabouts is the 

 apple, of which fair crops are obtamed. Its great- 

 est enemy is the borer, which yearly commits great 

 havoc among the trees. The principal varieties 

 cultivated are the Baldwin and Eoxbury Rmsett^ 



winter; and Fi^e and Sops of Wine, smnmer. 

 The Frye is peculiar to this section, and is a very 

 early and desirable fruit. Of Plums, but few are 

 raised, the winter of 1856-57 having almost to- 

 tally destroyed the trees. Cherries struggle hard 

 against the black-knot ; but those who take proper 

 care of their trees, generally obtain a fair supply. 



Of the small fruits we generally have a plentiful 

 supply in their seasons. Of gooseberries, the 

 Houghton is most prized, and is beginning to be 

 extensively grown. Some English varieties are 

 cultivated to a limited extent. Strawberries, rasp- 

 berries and blackberries are quite plentiful in their 

 natural state. They are picked and sold in this 

 city, in tlieir season, at the following prices: — 

 Strawberries, from 12 to 18 cents per quart ; rasp- 

 berries, at 5 and 8 cents per quart, and blackber- 

 ries at 10 and 14 cents per quart. Blackberries are 

 becoming more scarce yearly, and some persons 

 are planting the native and the improved varieties 

 also. Of peaches and pears, particularly the for- 

 mer, the specimens are "few and far between." 

 Of currants, most every one has a hedge or row, 

 and that is about all you can say about it. 



I find that the following is the way to gi'ow nice 

 large currants, even of our common red varieties : 

 Select a good, thrifty shoot, of one or at most two 

 years growth. If you can not obtain one with 

 roots, take it without ; cut the end smoothly, near 

 a bud if convenient ; then force the shoot into the 

 earth three or four inches. After it has rooted 

 firmly, and is growing finely, rub off all buds and 

 suckers except two or three at the top, which 

 allow to grow and form a head, thus makmg a 

 miniature tree. If your ground is rich, in two 

 years you wUl raise currants worth calling fruit. 



Belfast, Mahie, May 13, 1S59. GEO. E. BEACKETT. 



TO DESTKOY POISON SUMAC. 



Messrs. Editors: — Poison sumac I used to 

 handle with impunity, but lately it sometimes pays 

 me pretty dear for my impudence. The best way 

 to destroy it, is to grub it out by the roots, as we do 

 our oak grubs here. Now don't be alarmed, for 

 this poison sumac can be tamed. Having a piece 

 of swamp on the back part of my farm, with much 

 sumac in it, which I wanted to convert into mead- 

 ow, I went to work determined to conquer it. In 

 the winter, when the ground was frozen and with- 

 out snow, I took a sharp axe and cut around the 

 root below the stool, took it out with a ball of. 

 muck with it, and piled them up the same as any 

 brush. It poisoned me some at first, but I rubbed 

 on some spirits of camphor and kept to Avork; 

 after a few days it did not afiect me at all. It does 

 not poison as easily in cold weather as in warm. I 

 have some that has been grubbed out in this way 

 two years, and not a sprout has started. 



To prevent getting poisoned last August, having 

 occasion to cut some brush with sumac amongst it, 

 I cut off the footstalk of a leaf, chewed it, and 

 swallowed the juice, then cut and piled the sumac 

 with the rest, without getting poisoned at all. To 

 cure the poisonous effects of the sumac, I take 

 some byronia in solution, once every 15 minutes: 

 in two hours time I feel quite easy. Byronia is 

 said to be almost a specific for it. 



BatOe Oreeh, Mich. J. A. KOBLNSON. 



