No. 1. 



AND GARDENER'S JOURNAL. 



and nil profit. SuEh n former tnkcs time by the fore- 

 top — 'cut3 his) elove wood and has it well seasoned nnd 

 ill nbiindance by next summer— cuts nest winter's 

 wood, and has that also wellseasoncd, thus saving one 

 third of weight in drawing, more than half its value 

 for burning, and prevents cold rooms, smoky fires, 

 and long laces, on cold winter mornings. He puis ev- 

 ery thing in order about his premises which can be — 

 lays up fallen rails on fences— repairs his stone walls 

 where needed — nails loose boards fast, on his board 

 Fences and gates, especially those next the public road, 

 !0 as not to be troubled by all the vagrant cattle and 

 ll-bred eolts of the neighborhood, who are ready to 

 )ilfer every thing in an eatable shape that they can lay 

 heir rascally mouths upon, without regarding the 

 ights of mciim nnd tuum. He procures seed for next 

 leason, repaire and puts tools in order, and attends to 

 (hundred other things sufficient to keep him busy. 

 Iind every farmer would find enough to occupy oil his 

 ime during the short days of winter, at full, or even 

 'oiihle pay, by constantly keeping a memo/anrfiwn of 

 vbat needs doing in his pocket, on which everything, 

 3 it occurs to him, is al the moment recorded; espe- 

 ially if he employs his long evenings in reading nnd 

 toring his mind with uecfid facts and information, 

 erived from the experience of otbers. * 



Petitions for Legislative Aid. 



The following extract is from a letter not written 

 ir publication, but we give it as a specimen of quite 

 number received by us during the past month. It 

 ill be remembered that Jlr. Parsons was President 

 the Niagara County Agricultural Society as long 

 1 it was in existence. 



"On the subject of "Legislative aid to agriculture" 

 this Slate, I am glad the subject is beginning to be 

 itated. 1 am a most decided friend to such a raea- 



If only one hundred dollars would be appropriated 

 each Member of Assembly, to be expended, to. 

 iher with an equal, or greater amount collected by 

 ; County Agricultural Society, and (for the Em- 

 •e Stoic) two or thiee commissioners appointed, nf- 

 • the plan pursued in Massachusetts, I have no 

 ubt the sum thus expended by the Slate, would soon 

 returned to her treasury, in tolls alone, with an in- 



"' Mae of fifty per cent. I hope measures will be 

 en, without delay, for bringing the subject, at an 

 ly day, before our Legislature, in a strength of 

 xe, and a fullness of expression, that will not be 

 regarded. There is, in my opinion, no question 

 1 Buch an appropriation can be obtained at the com- 

 j eession, if the voice of the farming community 

 uild be so expressed. 



iili And the farmers would, most undoubtedly, so ei- 

 themselves, if the subject were but fairly brought 

 their consideration. 



Yours, &c. very respectfully, 

 Lockport, Dec. 18, 1840. W. PARSONS. 



There seems to be but one opinion as to the propri- 

 of petitioning for Legislative aid — and not mucb 

 Terence of opinion as to how that aid can best be 

 ilied. After consulting quite a number of experi- 

 :ed individuals on this subject, we drafted the fol- 

 'ing petition with a view to meet the wishes of the 

 jority, and believe it will give general satisfaction, 

 veral hundred of them have been printed and sent 

 PcBt masters and others who it was supposed would 

 :nlate them. Any persons who desire to sign or 



W :ulate them, nnd do not find one at the post office, 

 1 write n copy. 



t is hoped thnt nil who receive the petition, will 

 ! it their prompt nnd efficient attention. Take 

 r horse and pleigh, and in half a day you can call 



> whole town or neighborhood, nnd get a score or 



> of 8ignatures,(aod alao a noraber of subscribers to 



the New Genesee Farmer. ) Try this, and we trust 

 the result will be such as will convince you that your 

 time was not mis-spent. 



The petitions should be sent to some member of the 

 Assembly, at an early day of the sitting of the Legis- 

 lature. Where several are circulnied in one neighbor- 

 hood, the names can be cut ofi", and all attached to one 

 petition. 



To tlic IJonorahlc the Legislature of the State of Kcw 

 York in Seriate and A:fsciitbli/ convened : 

 We, the subscribers, being mostly Farmers in the 



County of do liumllij present — 



That, as AcBicui/ruRE is the origin nnd foundntion 

 of all real wealth and prosperity, and the chief source 

 of human sustenance, its improvement is a subject of 

 the highest importance, and demands the particular 

 encouragement of Government. And, past experience 

 having shown that the improvement of Agriculture is 

 best promoted by County Societies, Exliihitions, and 

 Premiums ; which the same experience has shown 

 cannot long be sustained by individual contributions : 

 we do therefore pray your honorable body to encour- 

 age the formation of Agricultural Societies in each 

 County, and grant a small appropriation from the pub- 

 lic fund for their support — according to the ratio of 

 population — say one hundred dollars annually to each 

 Member of the Assembly; to he continued for the term 

 o( ienyeais, subject to such regulations and restrictions 

 as may be deemed necessary, and conditionally that an 

 equal amount be raised by the Society. 



And we further pray your honorable body to provide 

 for the appointment of three or more Agricultural 

 Commissioners, for the term of tJirce years, whose 

 duty it shall be to visit each County in the State, and 

 encourage the formation of Societies, deliver addresses 

 and write communications on the improvement of Ag- 

 ricultitre; and make an annual report to the Legisla- 

 ture. 



Your petitioners humbly conceive that such appro- 

 priations would tend greatly to promote the prosperity 

 and honor of the Empire State — increase its wealth 

 and productions — augment its canal tolls and revenues, 

 and enhance the value of iis lands. We do therefore 

 confidently hope that your honorable body will grant 

 our request: and that a law for that purpose will be 

 passed during the present winter. And, as in duty 

 bound, tee will ever pruy, Sfc. 



Scraps, 



CONDENSED FROM EXCHANGE PAPERS. 



Lmports and Exports. — During the lost ten 

 years, imports have been $41,000,000 of wines, 

 .$118,000,iX)0 of silks, and $84,000,000 of iron; to- 

 tal $243,000,000. 



In 18o9, exports of domestic productions were but 

 .$97,000,000; imports v\'ere over $170,000,000. 



Why not raise our own silk, manufacture our own 

 iron, and so forth, and save our hard money ? 



Thrashing clean. — Henry Colman says, that in 

 passing wheat that was considered iccU thrashed by 

 tbe flail, afterwards through a good machine, he has 

 obtained at the rate of two full quarts to the bushel, 

 or one sixteenth of the whole: reminding him of the 

 Irishman's straw, who on being asked the cause of 

 the fine condition of hie horse replied, "He has 

 nothing to ate but whale straw, nnd that not half 

 thrashed." 



A nobleman ploughing. — At the late exhibition of 

 the English Agricultural Society,an American plough, 

 (the kind or name not mentioned,) sent there on 

 purpose, was tried. Itwos "handled in a masterly 

 manner" by the Duke of Richmond, but was com- 

 mended for its simplicity only, but not for its effi- 

 ciency. 



CosTLt and Profitable. — Wm. P. Curd, Esq., 

 of Fayette County, Ky., has 14 Berkshire, and 3 Irish 



Grazier breeding sows; nnd 4 Berkshire, and 2 Irish 

 Grazier bonrs; which cost him three thousand dollars^ 

 Was he n fool for poying ihis enormous sum 7 Let us 

 see — during two yeurs31 silver cups have been nward- 

 ed at difierent fairs to these hogs. From them be has 

 already sold 110 pairs of pigs at $40 a pair — equal to 

 $4,400. 2.")4 sows, some of » bich have been sent 

 ■iOO miles, have been bred to his boars at $10 each — 

 making $2,540. So much for having the very best 

 animals. And bis customers will find it quite as profi- 

 table before they are done with farming. 



Crops in Ohio. — A. B. Allen, in n late number of 

 the Cult vator, writing from ihe valley of the Sciota, 

 says the crops are so abundant, that corn commands 

 only, 12J to 15 cents, and wheat 45 to 50 cents per 

 bushel ; and that hay in the country is $2 to $3 

 a ton. 



Large crop of Pumpki.ns. — E Hereey Derby of 

 Boston, planted 70 square rods of ground, in well-ma- 

 nured hills 9 feet apart. A heavy crop was the re- 

 sult. Some of the pumpkins weighed 112 lbs. The 

 weight of the whole crop was no less than 22,220 

 pounds, or at the rote of more than 50,000 lbs. to 

 the ocre — nbout 50 wagon loads of ordinary size. 



Importance OF Rotation. — M. S. Kirkbride gives, 

 in the Farmers' Cabinet, the produce of a lot of 

 ground, cultivated for the last three years with sugar 

 beet, as follows : — Ist year, 42 tons per acre; 2d year, 

 25 tons; 3d year, 211 tons. 



Rats and Mice. — A correspondent of the Farmers* 

 Cabinet, estimates, at a very moderate calculation, 

 the amount of depredations caused by rats nnd mice, 

 in the State of Pennsylvania, at $600,000, annually. 

 He recommends terriers and ferrets as the best means 

 of destroying them. 



Monet changing pockets. — Henry Colnian says 

 that in consequence of the English having blockaded 

 Canton and tbe rise in tbe price of teas, that tbe profits 

 of a single Canton ship are stated at 300,000 dollars I 

 and that three commercial houses in Salem have rea- 

 lized by this advance of price the vast amount of 

 1,500,000, — "if any farmer can enumerate such s 

 sum." * 



For the Neu Genesee Farmer, 

 " Agricultural Commissioner," 



The importance ot having a Slate officer of this kind 

 can scarcely be overrated. Most farmers are so much 

 occupied with their needful labor ns to leave them but 

 little opportunity fornscertaining the nature or volue of 

 the improvements in their profession, which are con- 

 stantly taking place. 



If a qualified individual could give bis entire atten- 

 tion to vhatever pertained to the interests of ihis im- 

 portant subject, a great amount of valuable informa- 

 tion would soon be placed within reach of all. New 

 implements, or those already in use, would be subject- 

 ed to rigid examination, and their comparative merits 

 ascertained. The purchaser then, instead of relying 

 upon the interested manufactuier, would receive a 

 valuable article without paying double its worth — 

 Thousands of dollars are annually expended in our 

 country for labor-saving machines which prove to be 

 inferior or worthless. 



The Commissioner, by.freqnently visiting the sev- 

 eral counties, would become familiar with the methods 

 of farming adopted in each, and piepared to recom 

 mend whatever experience might justify. He woidd 

 examine the different varieties of seed, nnd establist 

 their relative value; nnd the monthly reports would 

 convey n definite idea of the condition of some por- 

 tion of the Stnle. 



He would hold frequent meetings for the purpose of 

 imparling information and encouragement, assist at 

 the formnlion of societies, circulate agricultural pa- 

 pers, and, in short, by every means in his power en- 

 deavor to make the knoi\'ledgeof each individual a 

 part of the common stoclfc W. R. S. 



