S40 



THE GENESEE FARMER. 



each other, nature opposes no barrier to their suc- 

 cessful fidraixture; so that, in the course of time, 

 by the aid of selection and careful weeding, it is 

 practicable to establish a new breed altogether. 

 This, in fact, has been the history of our principal 

 breeds. 



The Leicester was notoriously a cross of various 

 breeds in tlie first instance, although the sources 

 which supplied the cross is a secret buried in the 

 " tomb of the Capulets." The Cotswold has been 

 crossed and improved by the Leicester ; tlie Lincoln, 

 and indeed all the long-woolled breed, have been 

 similarly treated. Most of the mountain breeds 

 have received a dash of better blood, and the short- 

 woolled sheep have been also generally so served. 

 The Hampshire and the present Wiltshii-e Downs 

 have been extensively crossed ; the friends of the 

 Shropshire cannot deny the "soft impeachment;" 

 and the old black -faced Norfolks have been pretty 

 well crossed out altogether. The Southdown is 

 perhaps one of the purest breeds we have. No one 

 asserts that the immense improvement of this breed 

 by Ellman was due to any crossing. 



PKESEEVING SWEET POTATOES. 



Eds. Gex. Farmer: — As your journal appears to 

 be thoroughly devoted to collecting and dissemin- 

 ating information upon agricultural and kindred 

 subjects, will you honor me with a corner to tell 

 sonietliiug that I know? 



Sometime last spring, you published an article 

 upon the subject of preserving sweet potatoes, 

 which was doubtless extensively read, as the subject 

 has been much experimented upon, and is one of 

 very great interest as well to consumers as pro- 

 ducers. I belong to the former class. The plan 

 suggested by your correspondent was to pack tlie 

 potatoes in layers, filling in between with dust or 

 pulverized soil, taken from the higliway. I do not 

 deny but that this method may answer (other 

 matters having been attended to), but without 

 proper previous care, I do not believe it will; and 

 with proper 2}revio us care, I Jcnow they can be kept 

 without such 2)'tcking. I forbear argument upon 

 the difficulty of procuring at all times, or whenever 

 required, the necessary supply of such "dust" for 

 packing purposes, even in the country, or upon the 

 impossibility of procuring it in the city, where the 

 article of sweet potatoes in our latitude is very 

 largely consumed. 



The character of the soil upon Avhich these 

 potatoes are cultivated may have its influence upon 

 this question. I am not competent to discuss that. 

 I b'elieve, however, it is agreed that a sandy soil is 

 best adapted to their culture, and produces the best 

 crop, so far as quality is concerned. 



After the ])otato has been produced, the first 

 care is, that it be taken out of the ground before 

 , there has been any frost ; second, tliat it be trans- 

 ferred at once to the place where it is to await 

 consumption, and third, that it be kept in a dry 

 atmosphere, at a temperature considerably above 

 the freezing point. 



In the lall of 1858, I procured a supply of six 

 barrels for the use of my own family. Of tliese, I 

 presume I lost by decay less than half a bushel, and 

 the last of them came upon my table on the Cth 

 of August, 1859, entirely sound, except that most 



of them had become somewhat pithy. In the fall 

 of '59, I procured another supply, and as yet they 

 are as good as when first housed, none having been 

 lost by decay. In both these instances, the above 

 precautions were employed, and I believe the result 

 attributable to those precautions. These are but 

 tioo tests by the same experiment, but as tbey have 

 produced the same result^ they are entitled to some 

 weight. 



That the first and third measures of precaution 

 mentioned are indispensable, seems to me self- 

 evident. As to the second, I state tliese fact.-^: 

 Tlie potatoes gathered and housed, eitlier in boxes, 

 barrels or heaps, will sweat, and in a few days the 

 whole mass will bo saturated, and in a few days 

 more it will be entirely dry again, without any 

 assistance, and without any injury; but after this 

 process has been gone through witli, a very slight 

 disturbance of the mass, especially so much as is 

 incident to their transportation to market, will 

 induce a second sweating, to the destruction of the 

 potato. My supply of 1857 undei-went this second 

 sweating, and I lost largely upon them; but those 

 of '58 and '59 were protected against it. I leave 

 the j)hilosophy of this matter to others, merely 

 stating the facts as to means and results. I believe 

 the precautions mentioned were the reasons of my 

 success. There must of course be a limit to that 

 liability to a second sweating, whicii is produced 

 by the removal or jostling spoken of, but that must 

 be hereafter ascertained, I hope this communica- 

 tion will call out the observations of otliers upon 

 this question. 



Now, Messrs. Editors, as you frequently publish 

 plans and descriptions of model farm buildings in 

 your journal, if you have, or if any of your corres- 

 pondents would suggest, a plan combining a hen 

 house with the house part of a hog pen (i)r distinct 

 plans of each), which is considered desirable, you 

 or they will confer a great favor upon j. o., jr. 



P/iUadelpMa, Pa.. Feb. 22 ISGD. 



A MODEL MACADAMIZED ROAD. 



TnE Homestead describes the construction of 

 what it terms a " Model Road," now being made in 

 the Park at Hartford, Ct. : 



This road is intended for a carriage drive and 

 foot path, both, and is constructed thus: The whole 

 road bed is dug out on an average 14 inches deep 

 about, it being 8 inches deep on the side and 18 

 inches in the middle. In the lowest part, 6 inches 

 lower, is laid a four-inch tile drain, which is cov- 

 ered with gravel. Then the road bed is laid with 

 large rough stone, as large as can be conveniently 

 loaded by hand into a cart. These are laid a foot 

 deep in the middle, and so arranged as to protect 

 the tile, and to cover the furface, which is clay, 

 and made land at that, with a substantial | averaent, 

 and also to afford the most perfect and rapid 

 drainage under the centre of tlie road. These 

 stones, we may remark, cost less than half as much 

 as the common trap broken up for macadamizing. 

 Now over this bed of large stones go four to five 

 inches of stone of the size of one's fist, such as is 

 used in our common streets to macadamize, as it is 

 called, though poor MoAdam would blush to hear 

 his name so misapplied. 



