n 



THE N E W G E N E S E E FARMER, 



Vol. 1. 



Moyorof iheciiy of New-Haven, stated in the Xew- 

 York Farmer, that the worm which infeels the apple, 

 becomes a moth or miller. We immediately repeated 

 his ctperimcnt, by putting these worms with part of 

 the apple, amongst moist earth in a tumbler, and cov- 

 ering them with a piece of window glass. In due 

 time the perfect insect came forth, very different in- 

 deed from the curculio. The result was published at 

 the time. 



"3d. It gets on the tree knf flying, tnough it may 

 crawl up the body at times." 



We believe they more generally get up by crawling. 

 Dr. Tilton says " two trees of the same kind may 

 stand in the nearest possible neighborhood, not to 

 touch each other, the one have its fruit destroyed by 

 the curculio, and the other be uninjured, merely from 

 contingent circumstances, which prevent the insects 

 from crawling up the one, while they are uninterrup- 

 ted from climbing the other." We have also been 

 told by a neighbor who had tied by the upper end, a 

 large bundle of unbroken fla,\ round the tree, three or 

 four feet from the ground, while the lower parts of 

 the stem hung loose, — that it saved his plums. Yet 

 we have seen the curculio fly away from the sheets on 

 which they had fallen. When sufRred to remain undis- 

 turbed. 



What follows, whatever may be its bearing on this 

 mooted point, should be extensively known. As this 

 little animal is easily annoyed, trees standing before a 

 store, or shop, or any frequented place, usually more 

 or less escape inj\iry. I have known trees standing 

 near a hog pen,mature their fruit year after year, while 

 others standing four rods distant, as surely failed. 



"4ih. Itstings the fruitmoslly in the night." 



This fact is new to us; but such a habit would well 

 agree with the timid nature of the insect. 

 ' We make another extract: 



"The plum tree is subject to a disease on the limbs, 

 a kind of excrescence or warty appearance, which Dr. 

 Harris says is caused by this same curculio, punctu- 

 ring the bark and depositing its eggs under it." 



We hope this is not a fair specimen of Dr. Harris's 

 labors in Entomology. The absurdity of tbe charge is 

 evident, from the fact that the curcolio infested the 

 plum trees in this part of the State more than thirty 

 years before any such excrescence disfigured their 

 branches. 



We cordially appiove, however, of what follows: 

 "Dr. Harris recommends cutting out and extirpating 

 these excrescences, and burning tJusm btfore the lust of 

 Junc.j-W t 



Hints for the Month. 



This is a most important month to tbe farmer. On 

 the proper direction of his work at this time, his suc- 

 cess for the season greatly depends. Every thing 

 should be conducted with energy, and every thing 

 well finished. All the ploughing should be thorough- 

 ly performed, and planting done in the best manner. 

 Slighting work, is the most costly operation the farmer 

 can perform. 



It is of vital importance, during this busy season, 

 that horses and cattle be well fed, and kept in good 

 condition, to accomplish properly the work assigned 

 them. Animals constantly supplied with water, work- 

 ing or otherwise; regularly fed; regularly worked; 

 and their wants always attended to, — will keep fat on 

 a far less quantity of fooil, than when they are occa- 

 sionally neglected, and suffered to pass their usual 

 lime of feeding, or overdriven, or deprived of water. 



Those who own small farms, where land is high pri- 

 ced, will find the practice of soiling for domestic oni- 

 mals, a matter of economy. Loudon says, "A field 

 "I meadow in good heart, mown ond cntcn green, 

 will, at ■> rough eslimati?, produce treble the quantity 

 of milk it would hsvo done if pastured, ond four times 



as much as it would do in the form of dry hay." The 

 value of the manvrc made this way, would overbal- 

 ance the cost of cutting the grass. 



Let no manure remain in the barn-yard after the 

 present time. If not dor.e already, direct all your 

 force to accomplish it now. The large crops of corn 

 which are sometimes raised in this country, are great- 

 ly indebted for their success to very copious manuring. 

 We have, it is true, o very fertile soil, but corn can 

 scarcely be overfed with manure; every load tells. 



Corn may be planted too early; but to one error of 

 this kind, there aiea hundred by planting it too late. 

 Tbe precise time of course must vary in different re- 

 gions. The first e.xpansion of the oak leaf, is an old 

 and very good rule. 



Straight row^s — these arc the thing. How much 

 more thoroughly and evenly the crop might le culti- 

 vated, if this were always attended to. When row^ 

 are crooked, one hill is run over, and another neglect- 

 ed, and the hoping rendered laborious. But where tbcy 

 are straight, the cultivator paeecs evenly and safely, 

 within an inch of each hill, and little is left for the hoe. 



But the crows — who has not had a fine crop greatly 

 injured by these black rogues? The remedy by tar- 

 ring, we have never known to fail, when well per- 

 formed. When slighted, it of course fails. The 

 best way, by far,^ is to pour hot water on the corn to 

 heat it, pourmg itolf again in a few seconds, and then 

 put on the tar ana stir it thoroughly. Every grain 

 thus becomes coated with a fine and even glazing o( 

 tar. Roll the corn in air slacked lime, and it is ready 

 for planting. A pint of tar will do for a peck of corn, 

 though perhaps more would be safer. 



Make large preparations for root crops — for mangel 

 wurtzel and sugar beets, ruta bagas and carrots. The 

 best variety of the eugar.bcet, the Silesia, is to be pre- 

 ferred to the mangel wurtzel. It is most admirably 

 adopted to the feeding of cows, and is good for hogs. 

 The farmer should calculate on at least one hundred 

 bushels for every milch cow, — to be fed during win- 

 ter — the richness ond excellence of the milk and but- 

 ter thus produced, ond the greatly increased quantity, 

 will soon decide any doubt of toe advantage of this 

 root. Failure is commonly owing in the first place 

 t" poor soil, and in the second to neglect of weeds. — 

 The ground should be as rich ond mellow as a garden, 

 and the seeds will vegetate; and the weeds should be 

 kept down at the outset, and the growth of the plants 

 will not be checked. Seven or eight hundred bush- 

 els to the acre may be expected if these things are 

 strictly observed. 



Many days of labor in cutting weeds, may generally 

 be saved in the culture of all root crops, by a previous 

 fallowing for a month or two, to destroy all the wceib, 

 and rendering the soil finely pulverized for planting 

 and hoeing. By a little lobor in this way, ^-cutting 

 the weeds with a cultivator and one horse as they first 

 appear, for a few time.«, in the early part of sum- 

 mer, and thus almost superseding the necessity of hoe- 

 ing, we hove roised the white globe turnip at the rate 

 of 750 bushels to the ocrc, at a cost of about tico cents 

 a hushcl. 



Ruta bogos ore especially valuoUe tor tbe winter 

 feeding of horses, oxen, and young cottle. Let every 

 former appropriate a portion of land now, for the cul- 

 ture of a crop, — monure it well, and keep it stirred to 

 kill the weeds. Mony suppose they necessarily re- 

 quire n sandy soil; but if very rich, ond not ipet, they 

 will succeed about as well on a cloyey os on a sandy 

 loam. The onlv disodvantogc of the former is, the 

 cloddy surface is opt to offoru-a shelter fir the turnip 

 fly, hence crops on such soils are more frequently cut 

 off by this insect; but this doubtless might be prevent- 

 ed by rolling the surface after sowing. If the farmer 

 has no drilling machine, ho may sow the ruts bnga 



broadcast; this, though not so good, is succetsful. — 

 We have seen a broadcast crop of 1200 bushels to the 

 acre. Manure was the secret. ' 



Different Soils. 



Last month we spoke of tbe importance of a Jitia 

 soil, of shade, and of a regular si;pply of moisture for 

 delicate seeds; but another view of tbe subject may be 

 token. Among the myriads of plants that embellish 

 our globe, varying in form, in substance, and in color, 

 great constitutional differences exist. Some, like 

 the sea-weed, only vegetate in brine; others, like the 

 wild rice of the west, flourish most in fresh water. — 

 The truffle tflways remains under ground, while the 

 mistletoe only germinates aloft on trees, and seems to 

 feed on air. 



But between the thousands that spread their roots 

 through the earth, and their leaves to the light depen- 

 ding on timely showers for iheir nourithment, grent 

 differences exist in regard to soil. The yellow bloom 

 of the Hypoxis, is only seen on close cUitis ; the pe- 

 rennial Lupin confines itself to beds of sand: and the 

 locality of the Talinvm in Pennsylvania is on naked 

 magnesuin rocks. Ltme is essential to the chief ob- 

 jects of the farmer's culture; and a species of Veroni- 

 ca from its attachment to this mineral, is called in Vir- 

 ginia, the "Marl Indicator." 



Besides the mineral constituents, however, there 

 are vegetable principles derived from the decoy of par- 

 ticular plants, which become a part of the soil, and 

 give it a peculiar character. We may separate the 

 sand from the clatj, ond both from the lime and mag- 

 nesia or iron — weigh tbe vegetable matter, ond then 

 attempt to make a similar soil of new material in the 

 proper proportion; but unless we have the recrements 

 of similar plonts, i". cannot successfully be done. — 

 We have seen no artificial soil that would suit the rose- 

 flowering locust; and the heaths only grow in peaty 

 earth, or something analogous. The decaying leaves 

 of the sour pine, so pernicious to the cereal grasfes, is 

 a rich manure for the red sorrel. 



Among the great numbers of ornamental plants 

 which are collected from so many points of the earth's 

 surface, it is not reasotiable to expect that land of tho 

 same quality can accommodate them in the best man- 

 ner. Some will flourieh in their new abode; others 

 will vegetate for a time, while a third class will spee- 

 dily dwindle and perish. Various soils, therefore, 

 differing in both their mincrnl and regetabU composi- 

 tion, are necessar}' in extensive gardens. Small spots 

 of two or three feet diameter, in many coses will bo 

 sufficient. Some anncal flowers will doubtless re- 

 quire them as well as shrubs and heibaceous peren- 

 nials; and the greater tbe variety of soils, the greater 

 will be the chance of success. On a small bed of eond- 

 carried more than twenty miles, we have Pinvs rigi- 

 da and Magnolia glauea, growing in luxuriance; 

 though every attempt to cultivate them in our com- 

 mon soil, had failed- Many beautiful plonts require 

 peat from the marshes; ond a small cask of the right 

 soil, would impart health and vigor to theKalmias and 

 Rhododendrons. t 



The Flowers of Sprln§r. 



(is a lf.tter of the 25th. i'lt.) 

 In cool weather, the snow-drop and other early 

 flowers, continue long in bloom; but a few warm days 

 dismiss them, ond call forth others in more rapid suc- 

 cession. 



The Persian Iris, so beautiful, perfumes the garden 

 for a time, ond the Mezereon — the first shrub that 

 blossoms in spring — adds its frogroncc. Its acrid 

 fruit, however, causes some to reject it; but that 

 might speedily be stripped from its branches, and chil- 

 dren might b« taught to keep ihcir f^nKers lo ibcm- 



