181 



THE NEW GENESEE FARMER, 



Vol. 1. 



A Letter of Encouragement. 



FROM Vr». CARECTT. 



A consciousness of doi ng good, and the approba- 

 tion of those whom wc caiccm, will always be consid- 

 ered, by us, no sranll reward, — consequently the fol- 

 lowing letter afforded us much gratification. Mr. 

 Garbctt has long been well known in ibis section of 

 country, as one of the warmest friends of improve- 

 ment, and was (or a number of years President of the 

 Monroe County Agricultural Society. We hope his 

 advice and example will stimulate others to put forth 

 new efforts in the cause, especially in old Mo.nrok, 

 who is far behind what she ought to be in the march of 

 agricultural improvement. — Eds. 

 Editors Nae Genesee Farmer : 



Gentlemen — The present month will complete 

 your editorial labors lor the year; and I cannot let the 

 occasion pass, without offering you a word of encou- 

 ragement. It is not probable that you have tlnis far 

 received any pecuniary reward for your labors; but if 

 the forwarding of useful improvements, the advancing 

 of agriculture, and the elevation of the cultivators of 

 the soil, affords you any satisfaction, (as I know it 

 does,) then surely you have much reason to be grati- 

 fied with the results of the past year. But this is not 

 sufHcient, — I sincerely hope that your subscription 

 list for the coming year will be greatly increased, so 

 as not only to afford you a compensation, but so that 

 the benelicial influence of the paper will be exerted 

 upon the great mass of farmers in our land. The 

 New Genesee Farmer ought to be taken by every 

 cultivator of the soil, and every well wisher of agri- 

 culture, especially in Western New York — "Old 

 Genesee." The cost is so trifling, that no one can 

 refuse to subscribe on account of the expense; and lam 

 confident that nothing is wanting but a little prompt 

 effort on the part of the friends of the cause, to double 

 your subscription in this section of country within 

 two months. I obtained some subscribers for you 

 last year, and I intend to double the number for the 

 coming year. Let every friend and reader of the pa- 

 per do the same, and the work will be done, and well 

 done. I intend to have the Farmer sent to a number 

 of my friends who are not subscribers. I think I can- 

 not make them a better " New Year's present." 



Sincerely Yours, W. GARBUTT. 

 Wheatland, Nov. 25, 1840. 



For the JVeto Genc3ee Farmer. 

 Iiegislative aid to Agricnlture. 



Really it is too bad that the wants of the farming 

 portion of community, should be so much neglected 

 by those who profess to represent us at Albany. The 

 scheming politician and speculating tradesman, may 

 have every desire gratified; but the farmer, boasting 

 of being the originator of most of the substantial com- 

 forts, and the real wealth of the country, must plod 

 on without any assistance. Railroads and canals 

 must traverse every section of the country; colleges 

 and high schools receive their share of the Literature 

 Fund; and the claims of the merchant receive special 

 attention — and this is well — but when has a single 

 dollar been applied to advance the particular interests 

 of that class of community, without which railroads 

 would be but splendid theories, schools would lan- 

 guish for want of sujiporl, and the merchant soon be 

 compelled to substitute the spade for the ledger? 

 Why is iteo 7 Not surely because aid is not needed, 

 or would not be highly beneficial. That man must 

 be an ignorant ramus, as Sargent says, who does not 

 see at a glance that a profuse liberality in this particu- 

 lar would be rigid economy ; that one dollar taken 

 from the treasury and judiciously expended for this 

 object, would soon return to it in company with ten 

 «lUere. 



It is much to be feared that this slate of things is 

 chiefly owing to the apathy of the farmers them- 

 selves. I was assured lately, by a gentleman, 

 who, when in the Legislature, was deeply engaged 

 for the promotion of Agriculture, that he found no dif- 

 ficulty in bringing the professional members, the me- 

 chanics and tradesmen, to his views, but the/armers 

 always " smelt a rat ;" tJiey " would never drain the 

 treasury in support of such visionary projecta." This 

 is certainly humiliating, and should arouse every in- 

 telligent mind to a serious eonsidcration of the evils 

 which necessarily result from sending those to repre- 

 sent U8 who are chiefly recommended by their strong 

 devotion to the interests of party. 



I was much gratified in reading this evening an ac- 

 count of the proceedings of the Philadelphia Agricul- 

 tural Society, the usefulness of which has been mate- 

 rially increosed by liberal donations from the State. 



Why is it that hard and rocky Massachusetts is de- 

 cidedly taking the lead in whatever relates to the pro- 

 ductions of the earth 7 A few years ago, it was thought 

 that her wet and sterile hill sides could produce little 

 besides a scanty crop of rye or corn; now the culture 

 of wheat is rapidly increasing. Their agricultural 

 implements are far superior to ours, particularly 

 their ploughs, their experiments on which, if pub- 

 lished in the " New Genesee Farmer," will afford us 

 unpleasant proof that half our strength in this impor- 

 tant operation has been thrown away. This state of 

 things has doubtless been produced chiefly by the ex- 

 ertions of the State and county agricultural Societies, 

 which, under the patronage of the government, are 

 able to offer the most liberal premiums. 



If New York would, like Massachusetts, support 

 an " Agricultural Commissioner," it would be worth 

 more to the State than all the Bank Commissioners 

 that ever existed. I sincerely hope that our different 

 societies will toke some decisive steps in the matter. 

 Petitions should be circulated; they should express 

 definitely what we want; and if I might be permitted 

 to suggest, I would say, ask in the first place, for the 

 appointment of a Commissioner paid by the Legisla- 

 ture, whose business it shall be to traverse the State, 

 collecting information, and holding meetings; next 

 ask for a sum of money, not less than two hundred 

 dollars for each member of Assembly, to be paid to 

 each county society. With these aids alone, in my 

 opinion, the products of our State would in five years 

 be doubled. W. R. SMITH. 



Macctlon, Nov. 27, 1840. 



" The People's Colleges." 



This is the name — the appropriate name — bestowed 

 upon our Common Schools by one of our eminent 

 statesmen. The Common Schools are emphatically 

 the "People's Colleges" — the seminaries, good or 

 bad, where the vast majority of the citizens of this 

 great Republic are and ever must be educated. In 

 view of this important fact — in considering the im- 

 mense influence which the common schools must al- 

 ways exert on the people of this Republic and the 

 improvement of mankind — who is there, with the 

 heart of a Patriot or a Christian, that can refrain from 

 contributing his or her influence in extending the 

 beneficiol influences of those invaluable institutions ? 

 And yet — we confess it with deep regret — how few, 

 how very few, are there among us, who manifest, by 

 their acts, any adequate degree of interest in the all- 

 important subject — the subject of Educ.\tion — a sub- 

 ject which lies at the basis of morols, and patriotism, 

 ond happiness — a subject which concerns most sol- 

 emnly the temporal and eternal relations of mankind I 



Wc are led to these remarks by a communication 

 received from a valued friend, (E. B. Parker,) whose 

 object is to aid in orousing proper attention to our 



common schools. While we concur most cordially 

 in his philanthropic suggestions, we are happy to havo 

 it in our power to correct an error into which he has 

 fallen. There is note a paper " devoted exclusively to 

 the interests of Common Schools in Western New 

 York." The "District School Journal," recently 

 commenced at Geneva by Francis Dwight, (pub- 

 lished monthly, at only 50 cents per annum,) is estab- 

 lished, as its name indicates, to promote the great 

 cause towards which our friend Parker is endeavor- 

 ing to arouse attention in the communication above 

 mentioned, which we have taken the liberty to send 

 to Mr. Dwight for insertion in his valuable publica- 

 tion. 



While we commend this " School Journal" to the 

 energetic support of every man and woman who val- 

 ues the prosperity of our Seminaries, and hope that 

 that publication may find its way to the hands of thou- 

 sands of families throughout city and country, we 

 cannot forbear from occasionally throwing some hints 

 into the " Genesee Farmer," designed to promote the 

 same great and good cause, without wishing to en- 

 croach on the peculiar province of chat publication, or 

 to change to any extent the agricultural character of 

 our own work. It will afford us much happiness to 

 assist in arousing a proper teeling on this matter, 

 among the Agriculturists of our own highly-favored 

 land. The welfare of Agricpltore cannot be more 

 essentially aided than by the spread of knowledge 

 through the medium of Common Schools. Talk OS 

 warmly as we may about the culture of the soil, that 

 culture will be comparatively slow of progress if un- 

 accompanied by improvement of the " immortal 

 mind." [CTThe Winter, which is now commenc- 

 ing, offers leisure and opportunity for mental cultiva- 

 tion, which we fervently hope will be thoroughly im- 

 proved." XD 



We may add, in conclusion, that we design to de- 

 vote a small space in each number of the " Farmer," 

 to matters connected with the improvement of oui 

 Common Schools and Seminaries generally. O. 



i« 



Preserving Hams. 



Messrs. Editors. — There are various opinions in J" 

 the world respecting the best method of preservinfi ^' 

 hams, and although my mode may not be the best ii i- 

 the world, it is one which I have long practised will 

 very good success, and may be of service to some o i 

 your readers. 



My recipe for making brine :— 



For each 100 lbs. of hams, take 8 lbs. of salt, 4 gal 

 Ions of water, 1 quart of molasses, and 2 ounces 

 saltpetre; mix well together. 



After remaining in the brine fiom ten to twelv 

 weeks, they will be fit for smoking. Wash tlien 

 clean before hanging them in the smokehouse. Somi 

 farmeis burn maple chips, and others saw-dust, to ere 

 ate smoke, but I believe the majority agree with m 

 that com cobs are the best material for this purpose "^^^ 

 The smokehouse should not be perfectly tight, as i' " 

 will cause the hams to sweat and injure their flavor 

 After being smoked about four weeks, the hams sboul' 

 be taken out, and those intended for summer tise sew 

 ed up in cheap cotton sacks, and hung in a cool plac 

 till wanted. 



Hams preserved in this way will have a better fla 

 vor and keep longer than in any other way that 

 know of If any of the readers of the Farmer kno^ 

 of a better method, I shoidd be pleased if they woul 

 make it known. 



Respectfully yours, 



W. S. TUPPER, 



South Venice, Nor. 24, 1840. 



When n man looks learned and talks big, we inva f, 

 riably set him down as a ninny, and ninety-nine timet t^ 

 in a hundred we are right. 



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