18 



THE x\ E W GENESEE FAR M E R 



\'0L. 1 



SE.VSOXABLE IIIXT*. 



It is of great importnnce now, na during the whole 

 of wiiucr, to he vigilor.t in keeping fami siotk in 

 good condition. Cniilc ehould be kept ns well fed, 

 as comfortable, and as fat as in summer. Young cat- 

 tle often loso aa much in their growth by imperfect 

 care in winter, as ten times the cost of good keeping 

 over bad. 



Cattle ehould be watered regularly — should have sail 

 frequently — and if kept in stable, should btkipt clean 

 and well litiered, — if plenty of straw is used, it will 

 make plenty of manure. 



When cattle are fed together, see that the strong do 

 not oppress the weak — if any get into a bad con<li- 

 tion, put them apart from the rest and give them e.\tra 

 food until they recover. 



Hay or straw, of inferior quality, used aa cattle 

 fodder, should be sprinkled with brine to make it pal- 

 atable. 



Calves, which at this season should be fatted fur kil- 

 ling, should be kept very clean, and well and regular- 

 ly fed. 



Great pains ehould be taken to keep pigs in the best 

 condition — otherwise their growth will be greatly im- 

 peded, and they will continue poor through half the 

 summer, and their ultimate value much lessened. — 

 Proper keeping costs butlittis and saves much. i 



Care should be taken that cows are milked c'ean, 

 the more sobs the operation is more tedious in winter 

 than at other times. Want of attention in this res- 

 pect will sjon causa them to become dry, which in 

 young cows is a lasting detriment to their value, as 

 when dried loo sjon before calving, they rarely recov- 

 er from the habit in subsequent 5-eaia. 



Apple trees may be pruned to advantage during the 

 comparative leisure months of winter. By thinning 

 the top — cutting out crooked and stinted limbe — the 

 fruit is greatly improved in quality. The work is 

 best done with a saw, and large wounds prevented 

 from cracking and decaying, byapplyiny n coat of a 

 mi.xiure of hot tar and brick dust. It is also a very 

 proper lime for pruning hardy grape vines, if not alrea- 

 dy done, observing to cut oft" the less thrifty branches 

 and leaving a few of the moat vigorous buds for 

 growing. If done now, the wounds become dry be- 

 fore the bleeding season commences in spring, and all 

 danger from that causa enectnally prevented. There 

 are many cultivators of hardy grapes, who lose much 

 of the value of the crop, and obtain fruit cf compara- 

 tively very inferior quality, by suffering their vines to 

 become thick and stmted in their growih, thua greatly 

 diminishing the size, quantity, and excellence of the 

 crop. 



There are many other things which should not be 

 forgotten — such as repairing tools and farming imple- 

 ments — cleaning end oiling harness — drowing and 

 cutting fuel to last through the summer — drawing 

 materials for fences, lic. A doy's work in winter will 

 often save ten dollars in summer. 



Preiiavlns; Manures for Hot Beds. 



Gardeners who intend to grow early vegetables by 

 means of hot-beds, should commence making prepa- 

 rations for that purpose during the present month. — 

 The manure should be got together two or three 

 weeks before it U intended to form the hot-bed, and 

 thrown into a heap, mi.ting it np in such a manner, 

 that il will ferment thoroughly. Fresh stable manure, 

 containing a good proportion of litler or straw:, is iho 

 proper kind for this purpose. 'I'bc quantity required 

 for a frame, say 10 feet long, and 4 feet wide, i,? about 

 six good wagon loads, supposing the bed is made 

 early in March. If the bed is not made so early, u 

 less quantity will suiricc. 



Directions for making and managing bot-bc-d>< will 

 be given ne.xt montli. 



Procuring Seeds, Tools, Ac. 

 Farmers and Gardeners should improve the present 

 good sleighing, and comparative leisure time, by pro- 

 curing their spring supplies of seed?, implements, 

 or any articles which may be required from o distance 

 . Frequent opportunities may now be found for send- 

 ing or going for such things without any difficulty or 

 expense ; whereas sjiring will soon be upon them 

 with all its wants, its huny, and its bad roads, when 

 "it may be extremely diificult to obtain such things, 

 however desirable. 



THE siiiK ci;ltijre~oi'k views. 



Since the first number of the Now Genesee Farm- 

 er made its appearance, we have been repeatedly a^k- 

 ed whatorc our viewson thesubject of Silk Cultivation 

 ond whether we intend to favor its advancement 

 in this section of country. Our answer is, we regard 

 the subject as one of the most important which can, at 

 the present time, engage the attention of the Ameri- 

 can people, and one which we believe is destined, at 

 rio distant period, to form a new era in the prosperity 

 of this nation. We have full confidence in the success 

 of the cause, and shoU endeavor to awaken a more 

 general interest on the subject, among our readers. — 

 At the same time, wc wish our silk growing friends 

 to bear in mind, that justice to our readers requires 

 that only a small portion of our columns should be de- 

 voted to this subject. Our duty, and our aim is, to do 

 the greatest good to the greatest number of our read- 

 ers, and so long as not more than about one in n hun- 

 dred of them is particularly interested in this depart- 

 ment of agriculture, of course we con only publish 

 such occasional articles on the subject, as will be 

 most likely to excite an interest in their minds. 



We are located in the midst of the greatest groin 

 producing country in America, if not in the world; 

 and the " Genesee Farmer" is well known as the 

 channel of communication to thousands of men whose 

 well directed labors and fertile sojl, supply millions with 

 bread. In this section and much of the Western 

 country, the production of wheat, is, ond ought to be 

 the principal aim of the farmer. At the same time, 

 however, much may, even heie, be done to advantage 

 in the production of silk, ond that too without mate- 

 rially interlcring with the production of grain. The 

 quantity of land required for this business is compara- 

 tively small, and the kind of labor is such as may 

 mojtly be performed by females and children, whose 

 labor is now of little or no avail. 



We expect soon to learn that many of our readers 

 are engaging inore or less in this business, and hope, 

 ere long, to see the fair daughters of Genesee, clad in 

 silk, produced on their own soil, by domestic indus- 

 try. 



Thereare several periodicals now published in this 

 country, which ore exclusively devoted to the subject 

 of silk culture, and one or more, of which shoidd be 

 taken by every person engaged in that business, in or- 

 der that his cflorts may be succef'sfully directed. 



"The National Silk Farmer" is the title of a pro- 

 posed new paper, to be published by John K. Sav.igk 

 at Philadelphia, under the patronage of the " Nation- 

 al Associotion for tlie promotion of the Silk Culture 

 in the United Stales." It was proposed to bo issued 

 weekly, on a sheet about half the size of the New 

 Genesee Ftcnii.'T, (S pages quarto,) price two dollars 

 per ycnr. Ilehuuld have cunmicneed Jan. Ist., 1840. 

 We received an outside impression oj' the first num- 

 ber some weeks since, hut nothing more has been 

 scan or heard of it by ns. If it goes on, we should 

 consider this the cheapest and most valuable paiior of 

 the kind for this section of count^'y. 



" The Silk Grower" is published by the Messrs. 

 Che.vev, at Burlington, N. J., in pamphlet form, 

 monthly, each nuinber contoining 32 octavo pages 

 w.ih a printed cover, Brice Ij? per vcar. 



"The Journal of the .American Silk Society" is 

 published by Gideo.s B. Smith, Baltimore. Tl c 

 last number of the first volume of this work hasju t 

 reached us. The following prospectcs for the nc-v 

 vol. contains interesting statements, and will txplo.n 

 the character o( the work: 



"This Journol was established by the Ameritr n 

 Silk Society, -for the purpose of diffusing practical in- 

 formation on the culture of silk in the United States. 

 It has now been publithed one year, and may be 

 considered a work of standing character. The first 

 year's publication, comprising the first volume, con- 

 tains a mass of valuable information, ond it will be 

 the object of the editor to make the second equal in 

 all respecta, if not superior, to the first. The impor- 

 tant fact is now established beyond any question, ihat 

 the people of ihe United States can make silk cheaper 

 and better than any other nation upon earth. It has 

 been proved by unimpeachable testimony, tliat the 

 entire _cost of producing silk ready for niarkei, doce 

 not exceed iico dollars and ticcnty-ftcc cents pci 

 pound, and its lowest value is/isar rfuWars and Jifti 

 cents ; also that one acre of ground, planted in moruii 

 multicaulis, will produce, the first year the trees an i 

 lilantcd, y<j?7y-c/^/(/ pounds of silli, leaving a clca . 

 profit to the producer ol one hundred and eight dol 

 lors ! It has also been proved that the children ani 

 females of any farmer's family can, with the greates 

 possible ease, produce from fifty to a hundred pound 

 of silk every year, without so much clear gain, sa 

 from ii(l225 to $540. With these facie, we eubmii to a 

 intelligent people whether it is not a great and an in^ 

 porlanl object for them to introduce the culture of sil 

 in every i'armcr's family in the Union. To enable a 

 our farmers to make silk, the 'Journal of the Amir 

 cm tilik Society' was established; it contains ploi 

 practical directions for cidtirating the trees, fccdiv 

 and renring silk icorms, reeling the sill:, and prcpi 

 ring it for market, S^c, besides all oihe/ informoiic 

 that can be required to enable any person to enter u 

 on the business, either upon a small or large fccalc- 

 Every friend of his country, into whose hon% it 

 paper may fall, will be doing a patriot and philantl.r 

 pist's work by inducing his friends and neighbors 

 enter their names upon the list of subscribeis. 



The Journal of the American Silk Society is pv 

 lished monthly, in pamphlet form; each number co 

 tains thirty-two octavo pages, printed on new ty 1 

 and handsome paper, with a printed coloured cover, j 



Terms: — Two dollars a year, or six copies fcr t 

 dollars, always to be poid before the woik is sent. . 

 subseninions to begin with the first number of ■ 

 year, and in no case will the work be sent to any si 

 serilier longer than it shall have been poid for. 



ILrA'cw Subscribers, who take the first and secc 

 volumes, will be charged only Three Dollars for ' 

 two years. 



* ^* Suhscriplions for either of the works will ^ 

 received at the Rochester Seed Store, and New Ge • 

 see Farmer Office. " 



VALIE OF S^VEET APPIiES. 



We hove frequently had occoeion, in former yci t 

 to urge the importance of the culture of ajiples, cc ■ 

 cially sweet ones; and it has long been our deci f 

 opinion that before many years hove elapsed, the c 

 of apples will be considered as second to the wl 

 crop only. 'Wc wish to state the greunds of 

 opinion. 



In proof of the value of apples, cxpermientB- 

 been made, by which it apiiears, that hogs fed 

 them, increase much more rapidly in weight t 

 when fed upon potatoes, in eqnal quantity, 

 were cooUal in these experiments. It is Relieved 

 the advantages in fovor of apples would tc Etill grl 

 ej- when both arc fed uncooked. 



But the superior cheapness oi ap\i\es is their gretj 

 rccomnieiidation. An app'e tree will stand o 

 square rod, making one hundred and sixty to the a| 

 by selecting productive varieties, good soil, ond k 

 ing the. ground cultivated, we may safely cone 

 upon five bushels of apples peroniium from each tl 

 which would be eight hundred bushels to the acre 

 the trees aic kinds which grow large and require nle 

 room ihan one square rod, ihey will produce mj 

 and BO compensate for their fewness. The cost, 

 aero, of tl'.o Isnd and orchard, may he estimatei 



6n 

 11! 



•It, 



