20 



THE NEW GENESEE FAR M E R 



V 



OL. 



1 



M much larm Block as can be prolitnbly Bustainod on a 

 given amount of food. The truth should be con- 

 stantly enforced, that thorough farming is the most 

 profitable — that a few, fine domestic animals, produce 

 more, ultimately, than many poor ones — and that 

 farmers should no longer take it for granted that cattle 

 are to become poorer through winter than through 

 summer, but that they should be kept as fat and as 

 comfortable at one seafion%)f the year as at another. 



Vi'c think, however, that no farmer should attempt 

 to make the culture of wheal, or the raising of cattle, 

 as his exclusive business. A mixed husbandry is 

 doubtlcs fur the most profitable for an extended course. 

 By a continued practice of raising grain, landbeciinics 

 exhausted; and by a ennliimed grazing, the i)roduet 

 of grass becomes diminished. An alteration not only 

 corrects these evils, but it is absolutely csfcntial to an 

 imjiroviiig sysieni of farming. To raise large crops, 

 manure is of the first importance, and this can only 

 be manufactured by domestic animals. On the other 

 hand, to feed cattle properly, grain and root crops 

 must be cultivated for their food, and pastures are 

 reWlcred most productive by enriching the land oces- 

 Bionally with manure and tillage. Thus these two 

 departments of farming reciprocally assist each other, 

 and the most profitable farming is thai which thus 

 constantly lends to improve itself. 



The Culture of Mangel Wrtzel and Sugar 

 Beet, for Stock. 



BT VVM. GARBUTT, OF WHKATl.AND. 



It is luiown to many of our readers, that Mr. Wm. 

 Garbutl was one of the first who commenced the cul- 

 ture of the Mangel Wurtzel in this section of country. 

 And while President of the Monroe County Agricul- 

 tural Society, he did much to introduce that practice of 

 root cultivation, which is now found so advantageous 

 to farmers throughout the Genesee country. Mr. 

 Garbutl has an extensive wheat farm, and keeps a 

 good aesortmcnt of stock, He grows large quantities 

 of roots, and considers this crop of great importance 

 to the wheat farmer, as it enables him to till niorp land, 

 and keep a larger amount of stock at the same time, 

 to better advantage than he could possibly do other- 

 wise. Mr. G. has kindly furnished us with the re- 

 sults of his long experience in the culture of Mangel 

 Wurtzel, which we are happy to lay before our readers. 

 It should be kept in mind, that the culture of Sugar 

 Beets is in all respects the same rs that of Mangel 

 Wurtzel. 



The Proper Soil and Preparation. 

 I consider a rather heavy loam, with an open grav- 

 elly bottom, the best of all soils for Mangel Wurtzel, 

 or Sus^ar Beets. I had rather it would incline to 

 clay than sand. Strong wheat soil, such as is too 

 heavy for corn, if it has not a hard bottom, so as to 

 retain too much wet, will do well for this crop, if suf- 

 ficiently enriched. Some will suppose that such land 

 will be too apt to bake and become hard in summer, 

 hut that is easily prevented by proper manuring and 

 after tillage. Many persons fail in their root crops 

 from want of a proper selection of soil, or rather 

 from not adapting the crop to the soil. The Ruta 

 Bagn and Carrot will not flourish on a heavy soil, but 

 require a sandy loam; while the English Turnips dc- 

 Jighl in new land or a low mucky soilj such as is too 

 cool and wot for other roots. 

 It is very important that the groniid for Mangel Wurt- 

 zel be not only of the right kind, but in tlie best possible 

 condition — well cnricdied and fieo from weeds. The 

 previous crop, therefore, should be §omc ho^'d crop, as 

 potatoes or corn, which ehould be well manured and 

 kept free from weeds. In preparing the ground for 

 Mangel Wurtzel. 1 would recnnimend that a good 

 thick drefdiug of well rotted manure be spread on and 

 nloughod ttjjder io the fall. The quantity of manure 



should, of course, depend on the richness ol the soil, \ 

 but, I woiUd say, he sure and e^'rc enough — the crop 

 will repay, with interest. There is little danger ol 

 this crop Bnflering from over manuring. 1 prefer 

 ploughing the land in the tall, because it is desirable to 

 plant early in the spring, and by exposing it thus to the 

 frost during winter, it will be in much better condition 

 in the spring. 



About the first of May, which is usually as soon as 

 the ground will work pleasantly, when not so wet as 

 to clog, nor 60 dry as to be lumpy, I prejjare it for the 

 seed. If the gromid be manured and ploughed in 

 the fall, I only give one good ploughing in the spring, 

 with thorough harrowing (and if at all dry and lumpy, 

 rullini' ond harrowing) until fine and mellow. lithe 

 ground be not made fine and in good order, it is dilE- 

 cull sowing, and the seed will not vegetate well. 



I prefer ridging the land for Mangel Wurtzel, al- 

 though some persons contend that it exposes the roots 

 too much to the effects of drought. But if the ground 

 be frequently stirred and kept free from weeds, there is 

 little danger of the crop sufl'ering from this cause: — 

 Whereas, by ridging the ground, the roots have a 

 greater depth of warm rich earth, and with me always 

 succeed better than on a fiat surface. 1 form the ridge 

 by going through and back with a light plough. The 

 ridges should be two and a half or three feet apart, so 

 a^ W allow room lor a horse to go between the rows. — 

 If thd top of the ridges are not smooth and mellow, it 

 will be an advantage to go over them lightly, with a 

 rake, by hand, before opening the drills. 



Preparing the Seed, and Sowing. 

 The quantity of seed re(|Uired for an acre is about 

 three pounds. I had rather sow more than less, as it 

 is easy to thin them out, and the cost of seed is noth- 

 ing in comparison with the value of the crop. Much 

 complaint is sometimes made of Mangel Wurtzel and 

 Sugar Beet seed failing to grow. These seeds are not 

 quite as sure of vegetating as some kinds; still, if 

 rightly prepared, and sown when the ground is in good 

 condition, before the weather becomes too dry, they 

 will very seldom fail of growing. The seed should 

 always be soaked in soft water, standing in a warm 

 place, for three or four days before sowing. The 

 shell of the seed is very hard, and requires a long 

 time soaking for it to become softened so that the germ 

 can burst it open. I have sometimes known it fail 

 after being soaked, owing to late sowing and dry 

 weather; but I have never known it fail from excess 

 of moisture, even though soaked a number of days 

 before sowing, and followed by long rains afterwards. 

 My experience is decidedly in favor of early sowing. 

 I prefer to sow as early as the first of May, if possible, 

 andhad rather sow a week or two earlier, than later. 

 When every thing is ready for sowing, I pour off 

 the water from the seed, and roll it in white plaster, 

 (slacked lime or flour will answer,) so as to give it a 

 white appearance, in order that it moy be more easily 

 seen on the ground in sowing, 



I have never found a machine or drill harrow with 

 whifb I conld sow the seed to my liking, My meth- 

 od is as follows: — I constructed a machine for opening 

 the drills, lo be drawn by a horse. Take a piece of 

 scantling, about 4 feet long, and 3 or 4 inches thick, 

 in which place two thills or shafts for the horse, and 

 two handles to hold by, like a small horse-rake; but 

 instead of a number of teeth, only place one peg, or 

 tooth, about one foot long, on the under side, within 

 about a foot of the right hand end of the beam, to 

 that when the horee walks in the furrow between 

 the ridges, the tooth svill come on the top of the right 

 hand ridge, by passing along which it will open a drill 

 lor the seed. The machine can be easily guided, and 

 the drills may thus be all prepared in a very shcrlitime 

 If the patch to be planted be small, of course the 

 f^ljf can be made by hand, ^ith a hn< or stick, — 



They should be about two inches deep, or so that the 

 seed will be at least an inch deep when covered over 

 smoothly. I sow the seeds by band, scattering them 

 along the drills, about two inches opart. This can be 

 done verj- regularly and rapidly after a little practice. 

 The seed should be sown as soon as possible after the 

 drills are opened, and covered over immediately after 

 being sown. Cover with a hoe or rake, bo as to leav» 

 the ridges smooth, and the work is completed. 



(Directions for tJiinning, hoeing, harresting, prt- 

 serting, feeding, ^-c. rcill be giren in our next num. 

 her.) 



For the A'etr Genesee Earner. 



Profits on a Peck of Rohan Potatoes, 



Messrs. Editors — 



As you have invited the farming community to cast 

 in their mites, and promised if they came in their 

 homely dress, that you will fit them to meet the public 

 eye, I will venture to give yon a few simple facts rela- 

 ting to my success in the noble calling of larming, or 

 rather, in growing Rohan Potatoes. And, although I 

 now appear in a borrowed name, I will be faithful to 

 the truth, in order thpt when my real name shall be. 

 come known, it may not suffer from what has appear- 

 ed under the assumed. 



Among my purchases at the Rochester Seed Store 

 last Spring, was a peck of Rohan Potatoes, at $1.50. 

 I well remember thai the quantity was no more, and 

 so, no doubt, docs Mr. Bateham's clerk, who sold me 

 them: Mr. B. not being at all pleased with him for 

 selling me so large a quantity as a whole peck, as he 

 wished to accommodate all with a few, and had then 

 only about a bushel left. I had secured the potatoes, 

 however, and considered the purchase a good one, al- 

 thou"h I had no idea of making my fortune from a 

 peck of potatoes. Still, as the sequel will show, there 

 have been many, very many worse speculations enter- 

 ed into, ond many a fortune made from a meaner capi- 

 tal. 



I sent the potatoes with many other seeds lo a farm 

 in the country, in which I have an interest, but neg- 

 lecting to give particular directions about them, they 

 were planted in the same manner as common potatoes, 

 and had been in the grrund a week before I leorned the 

 fact. I immediately had them dug up, and cut into 

 pieces of a single eye each, and planted in hills, 

 three and a half feet apart, three sets in a hill. Their 

 after culture was the same as for common potatoes. — 

 They were dug the first week in October, ond yielded 

 in good round measure, thirty bushels of the largest 

 and finest potatoes I ever saw. I had a few of them 

 sent into the city, 54 of which averaged more than 2 

 lbs. each — one weighed 2 lbs. 14 oz. I had a few of 

 them baked and served up at one of the hotels, and 

 they were pronounced, as they really were, excellen I 

 for the table — dry, mealy, well flavored, and free from 

 hollow or spot, unlike overgrown pototoes of the com- 

 mon kinds. My farmer tells me he has no doubt that 

 had he planted only two sets in a hill, and followed 

 otherwise the instructions given in the Genesee Far- 

 mer the produce would have been fifty bushels, in- 

 stead of thirty. I moy well be satisfied, however, with 

 the amount I shall realize as it is. I sold a few bush- 

 els of my crop as low as $4 per bushel, but the greater 

 part of them ore sold, selling, or engaged, at $6 to $8 

 per bushel. 

 4 bushels were sold curly in fall ot $4, is 

 10 " engeged and sold since, $0, is 

 10 " packed away to send to difi'erent 

 places, at .■*■?, 



$16 00 

 60 Off 



80 00 



$156 00 



I have full five bushels left for seed, which will om- 



ply pay the iirsl cost mid cultivation — thus leoving me 



n clean little pr: fit of .$156 from mv peck of potatoes, 



or the produce ti.ercof. 



Truly Yours, 



JORN NoRTR. 



Rochester, Jtnuary 2fitb, 1840. 



