108 



THE NEW GENE SEE FARMER, 



Vol. 1 



Agriculture in I'pper Canada. 



We have just returned from a tour of two weeks in 

 Upper Canada, during which we saw and heard much 

 that was interealing to \i&, and some account of which 

 would doubtless interest many of our readers; but we 

 have only lime and space for a few remarks at present. 



Appearance of the Crops and Farms. — The crops 

 generally look very promising in mrist parts, especial- 

 ly on such farms, as are properly managed. Vegeta- 

 tion is about ten days later on the north side of lake 

 Ontario than on this (the south) side. The wheat 

 crop looks fine, but is not as forward or as heavy 

 OS in Western New York. We noticed some fields 

 where the crop was very light, although in a good 

 part (if the country. On asking one farmer the rea- 

 son for his scanty crops, he replied the land had 

 been twenty years under cultivation, and had become 

 " worn out." He was one of the enrly settlers, and 

 when he first came there his land produced very good 

 wheat, corn, and potatoes; but now it would only pro- 

 duce rye, or a light crop of wlicat or grass. Every 

 thing within and around his house and on his farm, 

 bore unequivocal marks of the "skinning" system of 

 farming. Nor was this by any means an extreme or 

 solitary case. We have never, in all our travels, wit- 

 ness.Bd so great a diversity in the practice of agriculture 

 as in Upper Canada. Many of the farmers are evi- 

 dently far "behind the ago," and utterly ignorant, or 

 regardless of the great discoveries and improvements 

 in agriculture which have of late wrought so benefi- 

 cial a change in England and Scotland, and the 

 United States. The use of clover and other green 

 crops for improving the land; the use of plaster, lime, 

 ashe9, marl, &c. ; the culture and use of root crops, 

 and a juJicif;u8 system of rotation, are matters about 

 as well understood by many as is the agriculture of Chi- 

 na. At the same lime there are some farmers of great 

 intelligence and enterprise, the appnarance and profit- 

 ableness of whose farms are a conclusive proof of the 

 advantages of science; and are a standing rebuke to 

 their less enlightened neighbors. It is scarcely neces- 

 sary to remark tuat we could, in most cases, decide 

 from the appearance of the premises, whether the far- 

 . jners were readers of an agricultural paper or not. 



Agricultural Societies. — The government of Up- 

 per Canada has made liberal provisions for the encour- 

 Bge.Tient of agriculture, and provides for the formation 

 of agricultural societies in each district or county. — 

 A sum of money, eq;inl to twice the amount raised by 

 the mc:nbc:?, is given by government, to be awarded 

 as premiums and expended in purchasing improved 

 stock, seed, &c. Thus, if two hundred dollars are 

 raised by the memb"vs of the society, the goveinment 

 gives four hundred more. With such aid it might 

 well be supposed thti the sojicties would be sustained 

 with much spirit, and prove of great utility; but 

 while this is the cise with some, we were surprised to 

 learn that others were kept alive with great difficulty, 

 or had been entirely given up, for want of sufficient 

 interest being felt in the subjeol by the community. — 

 The .minds of the farmers are not awake to tho impor- 

 tance of the svihjoct; and in no ountry have we e/er 

 6oen so much need uf something to stimulate the miiid, 

 or of circulating agricultural periodicals. Let the 

 " New G-^ne^ei; Farmer," or a similnr jiopcr, be read 

 by all the memb.;rs of the a;;ricuUur«l societies, and 

 new life would soon be imparted to all their opera- 

 tions; R new interest would be e.xcited on the subject 

 of agiicullural improvement, and a new impulse would 

 be given to the prosperity of Upper Canada — notwith- 

 standing all the p.ditlcal or commercial cmbarass- 

 mentswhicli may fir n while retard its progress. 



Soma of the officera o'' the sjoieties, and other 

 friendi of the cause, with whom wc conversed, are 

 (leginning to gpp the importance of this 8ubJ!>et, and 



arc exerting themselves to ploce the paper in the hands 

 of every farmer in their towns or neighborhoods. 



We have made arrangement with several correspon. 

 dents in that province, who will send us such informa- 

 tion and communications as will more particularly in- 

 tereft the farmers in thot country. And we intend to 

 resume our rambles there in a few daj-s, so as to ob- 

 tain a more intimate knowledge of the soil and farm- 

 ing, in order to direct our efforts more successfully for 

 their improvement. We intend, in our next number, 

 to give our readers some more particular notes and ob- 

 servations on Upper Canada, made during our tour 

 in that province. 



For the I^et£ Genesee Farmer. 



Breaking Steers. 



Messrs. Editors — A correspondent in your last pa- 

 per asks to be informed " how to prevent Steers from 

 beingsulky when breaking them for the yoke." 



I answer — treat them with gentleness and Uindncss. 

 As in the human so in the brutish species, we mutt ex- 

 pect to find a great disparity of temper and disposition: 

 and so vicious and obstinate indeed are some that thoy 

 cannot, even by the wisest means, be rendered entirely 

 docile. Much, however, may be done by discreel 

 management. And here permit me, as you value a 

 good character and a good conscience, to warn you 

 against all manner of cruelty, severity, or rashness, in 

 breaking steers or any other animals. 



The winter before your steers area year old, shut 

 the pair you wish to break into a yard apart from other 

 cattle: yoke them and tie their tails together as gcnily 

 as you can, and leave ihcm, to break themselves in 

 their own way. some six or eight hou.-s ; then untie 

 their tails, take off their yoke, and let them go. Re- 

 peat this process whenever convenient, during the 

 winter or spring, till they shall become gentle and trac- 

 table in yoking and unyoking, and shall have learn- 

 ed of themselves how to walk even, turnabout, &c., 

 in the yoke. You may then, if you choose, (treating 

 them tenderly,) drive them about until they have be- 

 come somewhat familiar with the words of command ; 

 but take heed you don't put them to draw a load, or 

 erniit your boys to jaJe them about, lest it should im- 

 pair their strength or ambition. Thus trained, turn 

 them out and let them run till you wish to work them; 

 at which time, (even though it should beeev< ral years,) 

 you will find them as iractable as when you last un- 

 yoked them. 



But perhaps your steers are already two or three 

 years old, and as untutored as the Buffaloes of the for- 

 est. In this case put them into a small strong yard 

 and, in the gentle.^t manner posisible, put a yoke on one 

 of them — talcing out the spare bow — ond let him go 

 with it till he shall become familiarized to wearing it. 

 If you have another yoke you may do the same by the 

 other steer at the same time : if not, give them a turn 

 about with the yoke till they become somewhat sub- 

 dued. Then yoke the pair together as civilly as possi- 

 ble, tie their tails, and treat them as directed in the 

 caao of the calves. When you commence driving 

 them, if uncommonly sturdy or wild, it would be pru- 

 d'ut to halter the near one lest they might g.'lthe ad- 

 vantage of you in a rate ; but don't rely on your hal- 

 ter in one hand end a short whip in the other lor man- 

 aging your team ; you can never drive your offox in 

 Ibis way ; take ihe old fashioned cart-whip in both 

 hands, and with this, guide, direct, and enforce your 

 commands. On putting them to work, if with a yoke 

 of oxen, put them, (nol as is commonly practised be- 

 hind, to be dragged aboiu by the horns, but,) before ; 

 where, properly managed, they will very soon become 

 quite handy and obedient. Their temper, ambition, 

 and constitution will be unimpaired ; and, ('tho last 

 not least.) vour conicien"e will be dear from the sin — 



loo common to farmers as well as others — of cruelty tc 

 the brute. C,^,,. 



Scalding Seed.s before Planting. 



Since last month we have made several experimei 

 on scalding Seeds with very different results, some 

 vorable and s'jme unfavorable. From these it w-o' 

 appear that such as germinate readily, are most im] 

 tient of heat ; and were it not so, but little advan; 

 could bo gained by this treatment. Our investigat; 

 hereafter, will therefore be confined to such as reqi 

 a longer time to come up, or grow with more unci 

 tainty. 



On melon seeds, our experiments were unsatisft 

 lory, though some bore it well. Scalded seeds of tl 

 giant rheubarb, came up three or four days sooner tl 

 the unscalded, and in greater numbers. To sweet coi 

 the scalding was destructive. On the early yell 

 corn, it was not favorable, though a part is growi 

 The most flinty grains, we suppose will bear it bei 

 and though we have often seen corn scalded to advai 

 tage in a warmer climate, we cannot recommend 

 practice in this district. 



An earthern vessel containing about two quarts, wai 

 filled with seeds of mangel wurlzel and boiling water. 

 These have come up beautifully — better than we have 

 ever seen them do before. Carrot seeds were damaged 

 by the operation. 



The seeds of leguminous plonts often germinate vei 

 slowly. Those ol the Scotch broom, and yellow Ci 

 lutea, will sometimes lie in the ground for years befc 

 they grow ; and there is reason to believe that those 

 the common locust will lie dormant for ages. Burnii 

 the surface of the soil often gives them a start, and 

 should not think of planting them without scalding. 



Some seeds that cannot bear scalding however, mi 

 be benefitted by soaking at a lower temperature — bloi 

 heat for instance : and it has been mentioned that ci 

 rots may be sprouted in this way to advantage. Bi 

 some seeds will not even bear soaking. Of ibis ki: 

 are the red and purple Clary (a species of the sai 

 which soon become enveloped in mucilage. In tl 

 condition, we have never known them to grow, t 





tiisf 



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air 



Garget—Heaves. 



Messrs. Editors — Having noticed in your last 

 number "E. F. M's." inquiry for a cure for the Gar 

 get, I send you the following two, hoping they mo) 

 be of service ; — 



Take a piece of poke weed root (Phytolacca decan- 

 dra) about the size of a goose's egg, cut it fine, mix ! : 

 well with a mesa of bran or Indian meal, and feed I" 

 the cow four or five days and longer if you can per- 

 ceive that it is beneficial. li should be given but once 

 u day, and the udder, meanwhile, should be kept 08 

 free ot milk as possible. 



I cannot attest personally to ihe efficacy of this rem- 

 edy, bu I obtained it of a neighbor of undoubted ve- 

 racity, and believe it to be both safe and effectual. 



The other remedy was given by a stranger as infalli- 

 ble. He said, take three or four green frogs and let 

 them jump down the throat of the cow. (Frogs aio 

 sometimes given to horses and are known to 'i.e harm- 

 less.) But if the disease of E. F. M's. cow is of 

 long standing, it may be incurable. If he attemps to 

 cure her, as doubtless he will, 1 trust we shall be in- 

 formed of the result through the medium of your val- 

 uable periodical. 



I would here remark that where the bag is inflamed 

 Indian meal and water is good to wash it with, and 

 strong salt and water is still better. Soft soap is good 

 in very bad cases, but if applied several times in suc- 

 cession, is apt to make the udder and teats sore. 



To the inquiry ol "South West" for a cure for the 

 Heaves, I will say that I do not think the Heaves, nf- 

 ter they have become sptlled, can be cured. But 



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