t28 



THE NEW GENESEE FARMER 



Vol.1. 



For the -Veir Genesee Farmer. 



Reply to Annette, on Female Edacationt 



Mr. Editor — I noticed in your last, some remarks 

 from Annette, on the " Mie-education of Farmers' 

 Danghiere," and having been myself a farmer's 

 daughter, and a member of one of the oldest Inatitn- 

 tions in the State three years, I feel unwilling to have 

 all the ignorance of a vain and indolent school-girl at- 

 tributed eituer to the " system of education," or the 

 •' mode of teaching;" and I believe, could the record 

 be given for the last ten years of tho female semina- 

 ries in Canandaigua, Geneva, Albany, and Troy, 

 (which are among the oldest inslitiitione in the State, 

 and commonly have the appellation of " Fashionable 

 Boarding School" attached to them,") it would inva- 

 riably be, that, "like mother, like child." Young 

 ladies do not go to these institutions to receive their 

 first impressions; they seldom enter until their habits 

 and dispositions are formed; and instead of affirming 

 that the " whole system of popular female education 

 is conducted with reference to display rather than util- 

 ity, and is exactly calculated to create a taste for the 

 emptly show and false pleasures of a city," she would 

 be surprised to see those teachers weary themselves, 

 early and late, to counteract the influence of the last 

 injunction of an injudicious, uneducated, but wealthy 

 mother. " Madam, pay particular attention to her 

 manners" is never forgotten, while it is seldom sug- 

 gested that her mind may be neglected; and one would 

 suppose that the adage "Knowledge is power," had 

 been changed in her cradle, for " wealth is power;" 

 and her Cameo's, Mosaic's, Watch, Gold Pencil, 

 and Finger Rings, arc to her sufficient recommen- 

 dations, and she considers herself the "true no- 

 bility" of the school; and if informed it is against the 

 rules to wear ornaments every day, the reply is at 

 once offered, " Ma' wished me to wear them every 

 day." If reproved for her idleness, "Ma' never 

 wished me to study History, she always said I could 

 read that at home with her — and mathematics will nev- 

 er do me any good, — I am not going to teach." There 

 is no school but what has more or less of this class of 

 young ladies in it; but they seljora remain more than 

 six months, or a year, in which time they have receiv- 

 ed their "liberal and fashionable education," while, 

 in truth, they have not learned the alphabet of llieir 

 own ignorance. Who would apply the term " .ibe- 

 rally educated" to a gentleman who had been six 

 months or a year in college 7 and no one would have 

 tho vanity to think that a lady could accomplish more 

 t'uan a gentleman. 



To say of these institutions " xhey pretend to teach 

 many of the natural sciences, but they are taught in 

 «uch a superficial, uninteresting manner, that thc^y fail 

 of producing their proper influence on the mind, and 

 that a mere smattering of these sciences is deemed 

 sufficient," is as untrue as it is unkind, and however 

 superficial I may be in Mathematics, Metaphysics, or 

 the Natural Sciences, it is no fault of any teacher, or 

 " system of teaching;" and no young lady, with suf- 

 ficient time, a tolerable ambition, and a proper stimu- 

 lua from home, can come from any one of the above 

 institutions with those false notions of education. It 

 isotmntter whether they are Merchants', Lawyers', 

 or Farmers' daughters; if they go to improve, they 

 will improve; and just what they aim to be, they will 

 be. If they go " to get the polish," they return home 

 with a borrowed gnrmont of politeness; but return 

 they went, "unlitted fur any station in life," and of 

 course, "discontented and unhappy," while the hap 

 piness of the truly educated lady consists in makin" 

 herself Ksc/'«;, and that too in her own home, whether 

 in the city or in the country. It is also incongruous 

 to suppose that the " liberally educated lady should 

 get tiled of iheoonntry," aird th? sweets of rural life, 



or reject the addresses of real merit, " for some heart- 

 less city fop;" it shows the want of education, not the 

 effect of it; and if Annette wishes a reformation in 

 the present system of education, she could not do it 

 more effectually than to reform the motliers at home. 



FANNY. 



(Valnut Grore, July 18, 1840. 



Remarks. — We give Fanny a cordial welcome to a 

 place in our columns. She wields an able pen, and 

 we hope to hear from her again. While Annette per- 

 ceived the existence of a great and spreading evil in 

 society, and partly discovered its source; Fanny has 

 traced it to the fountain, and we hope she will not 

 leave it, till more has been done to check its bitter wa- 

 ters. — Eds. 



The Horse Thistle. 



The common horse thistle, like other large weeds, 

 chokes and excludes better things, or robs them of 

 their nourishment; and in meadows and wheat fields, 

 sometimes increases the damage by detaining the hay- 

 maker and the binder, who have to stop and throw it 

 out. A very little care however, is sufficient to keep 

 it within moderate limits. About the time it is com- 

 ing into flower, a side strolie from the common hoe, 

 will break the stalk from the root, and it never sprouts 

 afterwards. Pastures may thus be kept in order by 

 an annual visit; and if none go to seed on the ground, 

 the stock will soon run out. Perhaps indeed, a few 

 visitors may come floating on the wind from the fields 

 of a careless neighbor; but these, in most cases, will 

 be so few in number, that a breakfast spell would give 

 a good account of them in any pasture of moderate 

 size. 



We are the more earnest on this subject, because 

 these intruders, making no noise, come in almost with- 

 out observation; but let such as gabble or squeal ven- 

 ture there without any right, though probably doing 

 less injury, and they are ejected without delay. This 

 is right; but farmers should be consistent, and drive 

 out the destroyers of their crops, whether they stand 

 on four lege, on two legs, or on no legs at all. t 



For the iVctr Genesee Farmer. 

 Breaking Steers. 



Messrs. Editors. — I agree with the remarks of 

 your correspondent C***», in your last paper, that 

 Steers should be treated with " gentleness and kind- 

 ness;" but, with all due deference to his opinion, I 

 must say I do not think that swinging a yoke around 

 the neck of a steer, and letting him run frightened and 

 bellowing about the yard till he is "somewhat sub- 

 dued," is very " discreet managemem" or kind and 

 gentle treatment. 



I will therefore briefly state what I consider " the 

 more excellent way." I,et the steers be confined 

 singly in a strong ond convenient yard — then with a 

 suitable whip (say C feet in length, with a short lash 

 attached) teach the steer to be drove. None but gen- 

 tle means are requisite. A skilful and patient use of 

 the whip and voice will overcome all obstacles, and in 

 ordinary cases, a few hours is sufficient to teach him 

 to be driven at pleasure about the yard. His mate 

 may then be taught in the same manner. This will 

 probably be sufficient for once, and the business may 

 be resumed at intervals until they can be driven singly 

 or side by side, and turned either way with perfect 

 ease. This treatment will render the steers more 

 kind and gentle, until they will seem as well pleased 

 with the exorcise as their owner is with their improve- 

 ment. Then, and not till then, the yoke may be put 

 on, and after a little more practice light loads should 

 he attached, to teach them to draw, and the work is 

 done. This is my method of breaking steers by kind- 

 ness. Tliey arc notol'ten s-ulh/ if treated in this man- 

 ner — much more frequently rrjractory. In such ca- 

 eca nolhing is wanting but a little more time and more 



patience on the part of the driver. If the cattle ar« 

 kept gentle, as they always should be by kind treat- 

 ment, two pairs are usually broke in three days, and 

 in this manner will stay broke. R. 



Madison Co., July loth, 1840. 



EaliATi.— P. 97, 2dcol., line 20 from bottom, for "rusty 

 from tiitease," read '^musttf fromdisu£e.'\ 



P. 104, 1st col., line 6 from top, for "absurd to suppose, 

 rc.td, abgurd as to suppose. 



The tliird paragraph Oh " lightning rods," p. 104 should not 

 be quoted. 



Seed Buckwheat for sale at the Seed Store by 



M. B. BATKH-\!M. 



NEW BOOKS. 



CHILD'S work on Beet Su^.if, Buel's Farmers' Com- 

 pruiion ; the American Swine Breeder's Companion ; 

 Bridgeman's Gardener, new edition; and a fresh supply of 

 sundry other valuable books, for sale at the Seed .*tore. 



I\I. B. BATEHAM. 

 June Ist, 1840. 



OLD GENESEE FARMER, 



BOUND Vols., 1st. and4lh, may he had at SI per vol. 

 Swine Breeder, or a treatise on fattening swine. 



For sale by D. HOYT. 



May IIS. 6, Stale-sl. Rochester. 



VOLUMES WANTED. 



A high price will be paid for several copies of vols. 3, 5, 

 and of the Weekly Genesse Farmer. 

 Julg \sl, IMO. M. B. BATEHAM. 



PORTABLE THRASHING MACHINES. 



CLOVER MACHINES A.ND HORSE POWERS. 



WARRA.NTED to he thoroughly built and to work well i 

 made by Thomas D. Burrall, Geneva, Ontario Co., 

 N. Y. 



These machines have all been warranted " to he thorough- 

 ly built, and to work well;" and Ihcy hane fuliy sustained 

 that learranly. 



They have gone largely into use; more than four thousand 

 are in'opcration; many of them have thrashed from ten to 

 twenty thousand bushels each, without repairs. More than 

 eight hundred new macllines were sold during the laf^t sea- 

 son ; and on thorough trial, they have been recommem^ed by 

 Ihsse who use iheni " to he as complete, and to vork as vtU 

 as any in the icorld.'^ 



His new Combination INIachine separates the grain from 

 the straw in the process of thrashing, tcitltovt any additional 

 machidery : saves the labor of one h;md in raking away th« 

 straw — much grain which is nsiially rakc^i offwith the straw 

 — and is driven with less power than any other machine ia 

 use. 



Genera, JuveV!, If40. 



ROCHESTER PRICES CURRENT. 



CORRECTED FOR 



THE NEW GENESEE FARMER, AUGUST 2, 1840. 



WHEAT, perbushel, $ 78 a § 81 



CORN, " 37J 41 



OATS " 28 



BARLEY, " 37J 41 



RYE, " 50 



PEAS, Common, . " 50 



BEANS, White, . . " 75 



POTATOES,.... "(new) 34 37^ 



APPLES, Desert,. " 62J 75 



" Dried,... " 1,00 1,25 



CIDER, barrel, ... 1,75 2,00 



FLOUR, Superfine, " 4,00 4,25 



" Fine " 3,50 3,75 



SALT, " 1,75 1,81 



FORK,Me8s " 13,00.... 14,00 



" Prime " 10,50 11,00 



" Hog, lOOlbs 4,00 4,5C 



BEEF, " 4,00 



EGGS, per dozen, .10 ISJ 



BUTTER, Fresh, . . per pound 10 12J 



" Firkin, "... 10 



CHEESE, " ... 6 8 



LARD, " ... 7 8 



TALLOW " ... 10 



HIDES " ... 5 



SHEEP SKINS each,... 38 50 



WOOL pound, . . 38 50 



PEARL ASHES, ..100 lbs.. 5,00 



POT, " " .. 4,.50 



HAY, ton, . . 5,00 6,00 



GRASS SEED bushel,.. 1,50 2.00 



CLOVER, " " ... 10,00.... 12,00 



FLAX,.... " " ... 75 1,00 



PLASTER, (inbblB.)perton, 6,00 



" bulk, fat Wheatland) 3,00 



London, July :}. — Harvest Prospects. — The wheat is now il 

 full bloom, and nothing couhi have been belter for it than tin 

 weather for the last week or ten days. 



Flour in London '27*5. in bonfl, and in Liverpool 'its. A; 269 



General average price of wheat for the week ending Jum 

 •>0, 07s. 41. Aggregate average of last sii weeks, C7s. 9J.- 

 Outy I'^s. 8d. 



Livrai'oo;,, July 3.— Flour in bond has ,idvanccdto 203. Bit 

 1 27s. Sd. perWil.— at ivlilrh nliom 5»h;o bhls. have sold to-flay 



