74 



THE NEW GENESEE FA R M E R, 



Vol. 1 



referred to as the Woburn resnlla, or experiments, 

 have thrown the most light upon the subject. They 

 are not indeed perfectly satisfaciory, ae the laboratory 

 of the Btomach may find better and more useful coin- 

 binatione of matter in a vegetable, than can be J'uund 

 in the laboratory of the clicmist. Still, they may be 

 of great service now, and lead to other and more de- 

 terminate results. The farmer who is intelligetU aiid 

 nice in his obsercations, will be led to very certain and 

 definite conclusions on the relative value of the difler- 

 ent grasses, by watching, for sufficient periods of time, 

 the condition if his animals, as they are supported up- 

 on difTerent kinds of food. If attention is paid to the 

 season and soils, to ihe relative ages and vigor of the 

 animals, and to the quantity of labor performed by 

 the working animals, and of butter, cheese, beef, &c.. 

 by those that are not workers, and accurate records 

 are kept of all those for comparison, it will scarcely be 

 possible that fifty of the best farmers in a county, pur- 

 suing a similar course, can come to diilerent conclu- 

 sions. Soon, at least, other observations will make 

 the necessary corrections; and the relative value of 

 the graeacs will be ascertained. It was shown by Sir 

 Humphrey Davy, in his important work on Agricul- 

 tural Cbemi.stry, that vegetables contain five substan- 

 ces, on which their power of nutrition titaij depend, 

 viz : saccharine, muciUiginovs, bitter extract, allu- 

 minous, and saline, matter. The first of these is well 

 known to be highly nutritious, and the second and 

 fourth are probably little less valuable. It is probable, 

 indeed, that more or less of the vegetable fibre itself 

 is converted into nutriment in the process of digestion. 

 To aid the farmer in coming to the moat valuable 

 conclusions, and to guide him in experiments for im 

 provement in ngriculture, it may bo advantageous to 

 contemplate the properties and history of the more im- 

 pnrtant grasses, with reference to their relative value 

 already ascertained. 



1. Tiinotlnj Grass, or Herd's Grass, as it is often 

 called, Phleum pratense of botanists, and Cats-tail 

 grass of the Knglieh, is too well known to need des- 

 cription. It is said to be common over the fields of 

 Europe. It took one of its names from Timothy 

 Hanson, who carried the seed from New- York to Car- 

 olina in 1780, and another from its value bs food for 

 herds of animals, and another name from the fona of 

 its spike or long head of flowers. The botanists gave 



to it the Greeh name of an unknown ancient plant. 



According to the Woburn experiments, it is a very val- 

 uable grass, containing more nutriment when the 

 seeds are mature, than any other grass in that state, 

 •nd being in the proportion of 23 to 10, or more than 

 *wice as much. If it stands too long, however, it be- 

 comes too dry and hard to be relished by animals 

 •nd forms poorer hay. If the season is not a wet one, 

 it should bo cut earlier for hay. The high relish of its 

 hay by horses, if it is cut in the time of flowering is 

 well known. In England it is considered an early 

 grass for feeding, and yields much herbage, and will, 

 after being fed iiiion, send up its cidms and flower 

 abundantly upon rich soils. If it is cut for hay too 

 late, animals select only the finer end more delicate 

 parte.and leave the rest, .^s a general fact, there is no 

 doubt that it is cut too late in the season to make the 

 beat hay. The farmer has a deep interest in having 

 his hay of the best quality. In the market it will give 

 him a higher reward for his labor. When it can be 

 depended on, the better quality ever brings the higher 

 price. Waving over the fields, this grass presents a 

 beautiful appearance. 



There is one defect in this grass; it springs vp very 

 slowly after it is mown, and therefore the second crop 

 is liable to be small. This is specially the case, if it is 

 cut much after the time of flowering, and gives an 

 •iditionsl rensot fcr an early mowi,i^. This fact, and 



90 me others, appear to have given Timothy grass 

 much less estimation in England than in our country, 

 though it is said tobcrisingin value there. Our climate 

 may be more favorable to its growth; besides, a smal- 

 ler variety seems generally to have been cultivated in 

 England, which yields much less bay, and is inferior 

 to the larger in the proportion of twcnty-Jice to eight ; 

 a circumstance which shows the advantage of know- 

 ledge, and the necessity of care in the selection of 

 seeds. 



2. Meadow Fox-tail Grass. This is the true Fox- 

 tail, Alopecurus pratcnsis, of botanists, and named, 

 both, by the common people and the botanists, from 

 the resemblance of its huaJ or spike of flowers to the 

 shape of the tail of the Fox. It is more loose and 

 bushy than that of Timothy grass. This is a favorite 

 grass in England, and cultivated both for pasturage 

 and hay, and is indigenous to Britain and other parts 

 of Europe, from which it seems to have found its way 

 into our country. 1 have not known it cultivated; hut 

 small patches of it are fouiid' frequently in the mead- 

 ows of New-England and this State. It is said by 

 the English to possess the '-three great rerpdsiles of 

 quantity, quality, and etirliness, in a superior degree 

 to any other. It is often fit for the scythe by the mid- 

 dle of May, (in England;) it flowers twice a year, 

 and gives more bulk and weight of hay than any oth- 

 er grass." — London. 



These properties commend it to the attention of the 

 agriculturist. The second mowing is said to give n 

 greater yield than the first. The soil, in which the 

 meadow Fox-tail lu.xuriates, is that of a rich clizyty 

 loam, which is so common in our section of country. 

 The quantity and quality of this grass, on a sandy soil, 

 is found each to be only two-thirds of that on the loam 

 just mentioned. 



It is highly recommended for pasturage, and in lay- 

 ing down pasturnge, it is said, by Sinclair, that one- 

 eighth of the seed should he of this Fox-tail grata. It 

 is slow in coming to full perfection, so that a field of 

 it should stand and be mowed or pastnied for several 

 years. Its permanence, nutriment, amount of pro- 

 duce, and early growth, give it, in the language of 

 Sinclair, a decided prefercnee. 



Who has known of any adequate trial of this grass 

 in our country, to lest its excellence or adaptation to 

 our soil and climate 7 



There is another Fox-tnil grass, the Alopecurus 

 gcniculatus, of botanists, which is rather more com- 

 mon in the meadows than the preceding. It is bent 

 at the joints, so that the stem continually changes its 

 direction, and has a distinct sea-green color, even more 

 so than that of Timothy grass. It likea a moist soil. 

 In England it is considered a valuable grass for the 

 produce of hay, as well as foi pasturing. Because oui 

 well known Timothy grass is so excellent, the farmer 

 should not be preventen from giving those grasses an 

 experiment which shall decide on their importance in 

 agriculture. Both should be cut for hay in early flow- 

 ering. They seem to give the promise of more ten- 

 der stalks, and more delicious hay. Certainly the 

 English agricultuviets give few grasses a superior com- 

 mendation. 



3. Orchard Grass, Cock's foot Grass, the Dacty- 

 lis ghmerata of botanists. It is often found in the 

 ehady memlows "f orchards ond about bams. The 

 botanists have named it from the growth of its heads 

 of flowers somewhat like the fngers and Ommh, and 

 the English from the resemblance to the foot of the 

 barn-fowl. It is a tall, large, and pretty coarse gmss, 

 with its flowers growing rather one sided. It yields 

 a large amount of herbage towarde the roots, and is re- 

 ported to be very valuable in England for pasturage, 

 and has indeed received the highest commendations 

 Its seed might be easily gathered. In Eng'.ind it is 



led upon immediately after the eeasJB for turnips has 

 passed, as it is an early gtass, and grows with much 

 rapidity To get the full benefit of the grass, it should 

 be raised on a light soil, and should be kept fed d»wn, 

 as it is too hard and coarse for hay. It is self-sown 

 in our meadows, but may be deserving of higher con- 

 sideration as a grass for pasturage. It is certainly one 

 of great bounty, as it waves its heads in the wind 

 above the ordinary grasses of the meadow. It is found 

 over nmch of Europe. From the Woburn experi- 

 ments, the produce at flowering is about o%t-twenticth 

 more than when in seed, end great at both times. But 

 even for the early cropping of spring, it waa ibund to 

 be some inferior to that of Timothy grass. Still, it 

 grows so rapidly, and is so readily eaten by sheep, 

 hor6e's,and cattle,that it is superior for cropping to most 

 of the grasses, cultivated in England. The seed i» 

 now for sale over our country, and the grass is in the 

 course of trial It is hoped that the experiments will 

 be made on a scale adequate to determine the advan- 

 tages of the grass to the agriculturist. 

 (To be Continued.) 



Mulberry Trees. 



Whatever inconvenience or disaster may result to 

 individuals from speculations in the mulberry, we ap- 

 prehend that the nation will be benefitted by that ex- 

 citement, to a much greater amount; and wherever 

 these trees withstand the winter without damage, and 

 the expenditures have not been too great, we think 

 there is nmch to encourage the proprietors. We do 

 not believe that land can be appropriated to a more 

 profitable culture. 



A gentleman, near Baltimore, who has a large stock 

 of the multicauliB, says, in a note to us, "I expect to 

 make two hundred pounds of silk next summer," and 

 another, near Philadelphia, informs us that he intends 

 to feed ae many eilk worms as he can find food for. — 

 He has many thousands of the multicaulis standing 

 out in the open field, uninjured by the late severe win- 

 ter. "Indeed," he adds, "they look better than 

 some which were put into the cellar last fall." 



The climate of the Genesee country, however is not 

 so well adapted to this tree, though we think it will do 

 better here than many persons apprehend. Eager to 

 increase it, we have planted it in the richest soils which 

 have stimulated its growth till the frost struck it. — 

 This was most strictly the case with a few which wo 

 raised from cuttings; while some which sprung from 

 old roots in a thinner soil, were not damaged, and re- 

 main so, in the open ground. It is true that we bent 

 them down after the deep snow fell, and threw soma 

 of it over them, keeping them down, out of harm's 

 way, till the severfsl weather was past; yet it is well 

 known that the multicaulis is much hardier when bud- 

 ded or grafted on the white mulberry; and perhaps it 

 would be still more so if it stood on stocks of our na- 

 tive mulberry. 



To those who intend to prepare for the culture of 

 silk in this district, we would say, appropriate for 

 it the poorest ground on the farm. Drain it thorough- 

 ly if nature has not done so, either under ground, or 

 by ridging the surface, as the case may require. Give 

 the multicaulis a fair trial on its own roots; and also 

 on hardy stocks; but the introduction of some hardi- 

 er variety would be prudent. T 



The Silk Culture, 



Mxssns. EunoRs — In expressing your views of the 

 Silk business, in the 2d No. of your paper, you say 

 that you think it to be one of the most important sub- 

 jects which can at the preset time engage the atten- 

 tion of the Amrican people — that you think it is soon 

 to form a new era in the prosperity of this nation, and 

 that you have no doubt of its ultimate success. But, 

 at the sams lime you say, that sa not more thaft OB* 



