24 



THE NEWGENESEE FARMER, 



Vol. 1. 



NEW GEXESEE FARMER. 



FEBRUARY, 1840. 



OirR ENCOlTtAGEMEXT. 



Since issuing tlie first number of the New Genesee 

 Farmer, we have received a large number of able com- 

 raunicationa, on the oubject of our undertaliing, from 

 the friends of the cause in this section; all expressing 

 the warmest approbation of the course we have pursu- 

 ed, and promising us their aid and influence. We 

 cannot but feel highly gratified by these communica- 

 tions, even though we may not deem it advisable to 

 publish them. We regret the necessity ot occupying 

 anij portion of OUT columns with matters which may 

 appear to relate to ourselves more than to our readers: 

 but the circumstances \mder which^ we arc placed, 

 render it necessary that some of these communicalioiie 

 be given to our readers, in order that they may rightly 

 understand the subject. We therefore commend to 

 them the articles signed ' Genesee,' and 'Monroe,' 

 and the following one from C*"*'. They contain 

 interesting facts, and considerations of great impor- 

 tance to every farmer in this section of countrj-. 



We commenced the publication of this paper, at a 

 time of the most severe pecuniary embarrassment, and 

 when we had little time or opportunity for making our 

 intentions known to the public. At the same time, 

 those whose interests were opposed to the enterprise, 

 were using all their influence against ue, and doing 

 all in their power to excite univeral suspicion and 

 prejudice against any attempt which might be made 

 to establish such a paper. We ore sorry, that we, or 

 our correspondents, should be obliged to say any thing 

 which may appear to censure those, for whom we al- 

 ways did, and still wish to, cherish the most friendly 

 disposition. We do not intend to feel ill-will ourselves, 

 or ejteitc it in others; and for this reason, we have 

 omitted, entirely, several communications on this sub- 

 ject, and taken the liberty to strike out a part of others. 

 We hope our correspondents will forgive^ the liberties 

 we have taken, and let us hear from them again soon, 

 on more practical subjects. 



7b the Editors of the New Genesee Farmer: 



Gentlemen, — When Mr. Tucker announced that he 

 had not only bargained himself away, but, that he ex- 

 pected to transfer the patrons of the "Genesee Farm- 

 er" away from their "Genesee Country," and the 

 " Holland Purchase," even unto the tide waters of the 

 Atlantic ; I told my neighbors I did not believe that 

 he would sticceed ; his patrons were too proud of their 

 locality and their name, to be willing to make the sac- 

 rifice, merely for the sake of increasing his profits. I 

 told them, there would be a new paper started imme- 

 diately ; that the subscribers to the old paper, gener- 

 ally, would enrol their names as its patrons; and that, 

 in fact, we should see no material change, except per- 

 haps an alteration in the name, Vol., No., &c., of our 

 paper. 



Hence you will conclude I was more gratified than 

 Biirprleed by the appearance of your first number. — 

 My object in taking up my pen, is to congratulate you, 

 and bid you a hearty "God speed," in an undertaking 

 which, I doubt not, will result in a mutual benefit to 

 yourselves and the agriculturists generally of Western 

 New York ; and, indeed, I may say of the Western 

 World. 



Don't be discouraged, if your subscription list, for 

 the first few months, should fall short of your expecta- 

 tions. Consider that the acquisition of 18,000 sub- 

 ■cribers to any periodical must necessarily be a work 

 of time : the great majority of the farmers will not, 

 in some months, even hear of your pai)er ; and in the 

 mean time come of them will have subscribed for a 

 ■ aper, which, while it will cost them double price, 

 iviU be iv.ortb lew jooney- Thees must "'bide their 



imic," and of course you will not get many of their 

 names on your list till next winter. Again, money 

 is so eitrcmdij scarce, that, to my knowledge, many 

 substantial farmers are reluctantly forced to adopt the 

 rule to "pay no money except to cancel their debts, 

 and procure the indispensable necessaries of life." — 

 But this exigence, we hope, by dint of industry, econ- 

 omy, and frugality, will soon be overcome; and that 

 you will (performing your duty on your part) ulti- 

 mately attain an extensive patronage, I believe, for the 

 following reasons: . 



Ist. We want, in Western New York, a periodical 

 through ^\■hich we can conveniently, (without unne- 

 cessary loss of time and postage,) exchange our views 

 and sentiments upon, and the results of our changes 

 and experiments in, the btisiness of our profession ; 

 a paper, which, in conection with the Rochester Seed 

 Store and its proposed Museum, will form a valuable 

 repository of agricultural knowledge and improvement. 

 This repository in all its depatments should be chiefly 

 made up from oirr soil and climate ; for farming in 

 the Genesee Valley, and farming in Albany county, 

 are very diflcrent things. 



2d. The difference in price is an important item in 

 favor of your paper. Does Mr. Tucker, after having 

 been nine years constantly engaged in teaching us 

 economy and frugality, — and that too in small matters, 

 — think we are so stupid as to be induced to pay a dol- 

 lar for an article which will but indifferently answer 

 our purpose, whilst we are offered exactly the thing 

 we want for half a dnilar 1 



3d. Your Price Current is a decided improvement 

 upon the old paper. Let this be carefully and correct- 

 ly made up, accompanied with such editorial remarks, 

 illustrations, and advice, as circumstances may require, 

 and, to farmers generally living from 20 to ,50 miles 

 from Rochester, this alone will be worth more than 

 the whole cost of the paper. q«*#« 



Ontario Co., Jan., 1840. 



EXTRACTS FROM CORRESPOJVDEXCE. 



Red Root, in Clover Seed. 



Messrs. Editors — As the time for buying and sow- 

 ing clover and grass seed is at hand, permit me to raise 

 a warning voice, for farmers to beware of sowing foul 

 seeds on their lands, especially that of Red Root. — 

 I consider this weed a nmch worse enemy to the 

 wheat grower than even the Canada thistle. It has 

 already obtainednlastingfoothold on some good wheat 

 farms in this section, to the great detrinieat of the 

 crop, and, in my estimation, reduced the value of the 

 land about one half. For, when the ground once be- 

 comes seeded with it, it is next to impossible ever to 

 get rid of it; as the seed is produced very abundantly, 

 and is of such an imperishable nature,'that it will lie 

 dormant in the ground for years till a fovorable oppor- 

 tunity presents, when it will spring up and seed again 

 most plentifully. The seed is rather larger tbnn that 

 of clover, of a brown color, nearly round, rough and 

 very hard. Any person acquainted with it will rea- 

 dily detect it in clover or gniss seed; but those who 

 have never seen it would not be apt to ol>3erve it. 



Monroe. 



January Q?th, 1840. 



Note. — Wc wish Monroe, or some other person, 

 would leave a few seeds of the Red Root at the Roch- 

 ester Seed Store for exhibition. Wc had a sample, 

 but it has been mislaid. — Eds. N. G. Far. 



Preventive of the Hoof Ail in <!attlc, 



A correspondent adds the t"llowing P. S. to a let- 

 ter: — 



" Much complaint has been made, for several years 

 past, of the prevalence of "Hoof Ail," among the 

 cattle of my brother farmers. My cattle have entire- 

 ly escaped this disorder, and I attribute their exemp- 

 I tion to a practice which I have adopted for Bsverol years 



past, of feeding them late in the evening during se- 

 vere weather, with plenty of good hay; so as to keep 

 them stirring during as much of the night as possible." 

 I have fed all kinds of hay, from that of newly stock- 

 ed Timothy and Clover, to that of June grass from 

 meadows which have been mown twenty years in suc- 

 cession. I truly believe my practice is a sure preven- 

 tive, and if you think it worth mentioning in your 

 " New Genesee Farmer," it is at your service." 



A Farmer. 

 Amber, January 2oth, 1840. 



Mangel Wurtzel"First Attempt. 



Mr. a. Rappalje, of Ontario county, informs us 

 that he planted a small patch of Mangel Wurtzel last 

 spring, for the first time. The soil was a heavy loam, 

 inclining to clay. The ground planted was little more 

 than one eighth of an acre, and the produce was one 

 hundred and fifty bushels. Some of the roots weigh- 

 ed 15 to 18 pounds. Mr. R. feeds them to his milch 

 cows, and thinks them highly beneficial. He intends 

 to plant a much larger quantity next season. 

 Carrots as Food for Horses. 



Mr. Geo. Sueffer, of Wheatland, called at the 

 Seed Store, a few days since, and gave us some ac- 

 coimt of his success in the culture and use of roots, 

 for stock; particularly in feeding horses on carrots.— 

 He raised last season, beside other roots, about 300 

 bushels of carrots, which he feeds mostly to three 

 working horses, giving them one bushel each per day, 

 together with hay. He has fed them in this monner 

 nearly three months steady, and kept' them at work 

 most of the time. He formerly fed his horses half a 

 bushel of oats each per day, with hay; and from the re- 

 sults of his experience, he is fully convinced that one 

 bushel of carrots is v\'orih as much for horses as half a 

 bushel of oats. His horses eot much less hay thaa 

 when fed on grain, and keep in as good order, and 

 appear as well able to work. He thinks that horses 

 fed on carrots, with a small quantity of oats and hay, 

 will do better than when fed on oats and hay only. 



j,*i,We should be happy to hear from Mr. S. when- 

 ever he can make it convenient. 



Ei\<llTIRIES, &C. 



We are pleased to find that many of our readers 

 rightly understand the use of an agricultural paper. — 

 We like to see them not only free to communicate to 

 others any information which they may possess, but 

 also free to ask from others in return, any informs. 

 tion which they may desire. A question asked thro' 

 this paper will meet the eye of thousands of farmers 

 and be most likely to receive a proper answer. Infor- 

 mation may thus be obtained of great benefit to the 

 community, and which otherwise would have been 

 lost, or known only to a few. 



We hoii" all of our readers who possess the requi- 

 site inforniniion, will feel called upon to answer any 

 questions which may appear in our columns. An- 

 swers to the following are desired in our next number: 

 The Tiiste of Turnips in Milk. 



Mi-sRs. Ki iiiiKs — I raised a small quantity of Ru- 

 ta Buga and Sugar Beet the past season, for feeding 

 milch cows in winter. I fed with Ruta Baga a short 

 time, but the milk aiul butter partook so much of the 

 flavor of turnipp, that I had to abandon them and feed 

 my Sugar Jieets. The milk has since been sweet 

 and good; but if you can inform me how to feed my 

 Ruta Bagas and prevent their affecting the taste of the 

 milk, you will perhaps oblige many other subscribers 

 besides A. K. 



Orleans County, .January, 1840. 



Lime as Manure for Wheat. 



Messrs. Eoitors — I received with pleasure the 

 first number of tlie New Farmer, and for one, will ac- 

 knowledge the truth of the assertion made, that we 

 do not fully understand the culture of wheat. I be 

 lieve that this crop may be greatly improved, at least 



