10 



THE NEW GENESEE FARIVIER, 



Vol. 2 



\o 



Tlie following very juM rcinnrke should be well 

 Tindersloud by every experimentalist in agriculture. — 

 Altliougb applied only to manures l)y the writer, tbcy 

 are not less applicable to every thing else connected 

 ■with the cultivation of the soil. Experiments often 

 produce quite different results, from the difference of 

 eoil, climate, season, or other circumstances connected 

 with them, which may be all essential, but which are 

 entirely omitted or indefmitely mentioned in the state- 

 ments of those experiments. * 

 i-yum the liritisk Farmers' Magazine. 



Keporting Experimeuts with Artificial Ma- 

 nures. 



In all our agricultural publications now issuing from 

 the press, we see many accounts of experiments made 

 for oscerlainiiig the value of certain substances re- 

 commended as manured, either for lop-dressing or 

 ploughing in. Some of these accounts are elaborate- 

 ly, and, no doubt, faithfully written; and sonietimee 

 favorable, or, as it may happen, unfavorable. Some- 

 times, too, wc are told of the same material having 

 contrary eifucta 0:1 land of precisely the same choi'ac- 

 ter, especially if situate in different parts of the king- 

 dom. Ndw these discrepancies mny often arise from 

 ignorance or want of consideration of the peculiar ef- 

 fect or action of the material employed. 



Besides the various substances which have been 

 used as manures from time immemorial, there are oth- 

 ers, chiefly minernU, which are brought into use witii 

 various success. The reports of such trial? are not al- 

 ways uniform; and defective in so far as the character 

 of the weather or season following the application is 

 omitted to be stated. In my own practice I have used 

 soot extensively for top dressing wheat, and hare bar- 

 rowed and rolled it in; but if a dry spring and sum- 

 mer followed, the soot was of no service. I have 

 nsed eholk and lime as dressings for light grovelly 

 land; but if a wet season succeeded, little or no im- 

 mediate effect was observable. The same result fol- 

 lowed the application of salt, on the same description 

 of land, under the same circtimstances of season. And 

 the reason for the non-clliciency of these three last 

 named substances was perfectly obvious: all three are 

 ready absorbents of water ii-om the air, and in dry 

 seasons are eminently useful to growing crops ; 

 whereas, in a showery time, the crops need no such 

 assistance. 



Saltpetre and nitrate of soda are at present fashion- 

 able top-dressings; and those best acquainted with 

 these substances alfirm that they are often injudicious- 

 ly used. On wet tenacious land they con never be so 

 efficacious as on dry sandy or gravelly soils; nor in 

 wot S'^asons so much as they ecnainly must be in 

 dry. If I be not mistaken in attributing to them such 

 effects, they will always be considered as doubtful fer- 

 tilizers; because they must be used before it can be as- 

 certained, except by conjecture, what sort of season is 

 to follow, 



Mr. Cuthbert Johnson observes, that the "agricultu- 

 ral uses of saltpetre have not been examined so care- 

 fully or generally as they ought to have been;" and 

 G. Knnlicrley, Es p, of Trotsworth, " regrets that it 

 has been hastily adopted, without rei'erence, in many 

 cises, to season, soil, climate or quantity; and as a 

 few fortunate experiments have started into a fashion 

 tlie use of these articled, so one or two unseasonable 

 or improper opi)lication8bavc at once cy/i(Zc7H/iC(Z them 

 to jieglect and oblivion." 



Such rcp^^rts show decidedly how necessary it is to 

 know ^ rrccily the effi'cta of those artificial manures; 

 M'Licther as the i'ond of plants, or improvers of the sta- 

 ple; whether as cxciti;rs of vegetation or solvents of 

 the nutritive matters already in the soil; and also un- 

 der what circumstance of weather or season they are 

 most active, or altogether neutral. 1 bese are qucs- 

 lioiiB for the agricultural chemist to prosecute; so that 

 no farmer need work in the twilight, or be in doubt 

 concerning the direct etleels o( any mamire which 

 comes recommended from competent authorities. 



And in all future reports of experiments made with 

 any of those unc'ommon articles of manure, the re- 

 porter should not omit to state what kind of weather 

 iias prcvnilerl during tlie experiments; for the effects, 

 especially of saline substances, are very much deter- 

 mined by the state of the weather. 



J. MAIN. 

 [Our respected correspondent is right. Much of 

 thg success or otherwise, of these, and many other 

 manures we could name, must depend on peculiar cir- 

 cumstances of soil and season. VVe have heard salt- 

 petre abused one year, and highly extolleil in another; 

 although tried on the sam ■ sjil, the same description 

 ef wopi and b; the tame person. — £i>. J 



Wlieat and Hay-stacks protected from Light- 

 ning. 



The following ridiculous method, from an English 

 paper, is going the rounds in this countrj', but we 

 trust no intelligent farmer will be deluded by it. It 

 consists merely in placing a broken glass bottle on the 

 highest point of the stack, glass being a non-conduc- 

 tor. It must be evident to any one, acquainted with 

 electricity, that this can afford no protection whatever, 

 and would no more prevent the downward descent of 

 a thunderbolt upon the stack, than a spade-fidl of turf 

 would stop the cataract of Niagara. A non-conductor 

 is ncgiuirein its jiroperties; and a comliictor can only 

 carry the electric discharge safely to the ground. 



Ice Houses on the Ground. 



J. S. Skixnkr, Esii. — IJr.AR Sir — In your paper of 

 the l*2lli, you ask for information relative to the con- 

 structiim of ice houses above ground. The informa- 

 tion below is not from a', tual experience but from ac- 

 tual observation. In New Orleans and Mubile, they 

 are all above ground — in the former place, from the 

 same cauee, to a greater extent than what you com- 

 plain of. Their having succeeded so well there, is 

 the cause of their being used in the latter place, where, 

 in 1838, there were two — one built for the purpose, a 

 common frame building, the other an old brick ware- 

 house. I have examined both, being desirous to know 

 bow ice houses could be fitted above ground to keep 

 ice from rapid evaporation. I found there was an in- 

 ner partition made of boards, space, I think, four feet; 

 this divided into two parts, the one next the outside 

 tilled with rice chaff, the other with charcoal; notliing 

 on the floor but straw and chaff. On the garret Hoor 

 there were eeverol scuttles, or trop-doors. The ice 

 was hoisted up through them, and then taken down 

 a pair of steps fixed on the outside the building. 



The keeper also slept in the garret part. He in- 

 formed me the evaporation was very small, much less 

 than he could have expected. Even in that warm 

 climate, I do not think it necessary to have them 

 earthed outside; but a shade of trees I think would be 

 of service. 



Perhaps in this climate, a space of two feet, filled 

 with ehall'and charcoal, would be sufficient. I think 

 wheat and oat chaff would be a sufiieient substitute 

 for rice. Respectfully, 



D. GRIFFITH. 



Since the preceding very obliging communication 

 wns received, we have conversed with R. Peters, 

 Esq., of Philadelphia, to whom the subject is practi- 

 cally and philosophically familiar. He satisfied us 

 that in all situations it is better to build above ground, 

 with a view to more perfect preservation. When the 

 house is built below the surface, the earth is of a tem- 

 perature and consistence to make it a conductor, in- 

 stead of a 7io!i-conductor of beat. The great, if not 

 the sole object, in a work, is to get your ice enclosed 

 in a space which is surrounded by the most perfect 

 iion-roitiliirlor of hcttl ! end that is most easy and 

 practii able, by building one house within another, not 

 permitting them to touch at any point, leaving between 

 the two a space of say 15 or 18 inches, to be filled in 

 compactly as the houses progress from the bottom, 

 with cbarcool or tan. We intend to have a founda- 

 tion or fl^or of sand, rising say 12 or IS inches above 

 the ground, on the outside of the building, and on the 

 sand place a covering of tan bark. The melting of 

 the ice may be expected to be absorbed by the sand, 

 vny surplus passing off, under the sills. The bouse 

 we think will be best covered with very thick cover- 

 ing of fi>ddcr or marsh gross that will turn the rain — 

 being ventilated at each end — Who sees any objection 

 to this plan 7 As for shade wo shall choose to build 

 in a sitnatioii exposed to the sun, where evaporation 

 will be most active, and moisture least liable to accu- 

 mulate. — Amr. Far. 



National Gallery of American Manufactures. 



The new Patent Office, lately erected at Washing- 

 ton, is a very large and splendid building, and one 

 which will long reflect credit on the nation. Besides 

 containing ample room for the numerous models and 

 specimens of patented inventions, provisions have 

 been made ir for a national gallery of American 

 manufactures, agricultural productions, Ac. For 

 this noble prnjcet, the nation is mainly indebted to that 

 well known friend of improvement, the Hon. H. Ij. 

 Ell3wokth, Commissioner of the Fatenl 0£c«. ^Vo 



IIIL" 



i:cua 

 ffliir 



rejoice that the business of executing the liberal plan ,,, 

 of the government, in the formation of this institu ]e 

 tion, has devolved upon one so eminently qualified fa '" 

 the task. And there can be no doubt that, under tb ''' , 

 supervision of this able and patriotic gentleman, aco! ,;; 

 lection will in a few years be formed, that will proTi s 

 highly useful, as well as honorable, to the nation. "' 

 We take particular pleasure in publishing the fo ;. 

 lowing notice, forwarded to us by Mr. Ellsworti ;,; 

 on account of the prominence which he gives to agt. v 

 culture. This art of all arts has long been too mue '" 

 neglected by our Congress and Stale Legislaturei ' 

 and it is pleasing to see, of late, so many indicatioi 

 of a disposition to give the subject something of th 

 consideration which its importance demands. ' 



Patent Offick, Nov. 20, 1840. | 



Notice is given that the Hall in the new Potent Q^ 

 ficcj for the exhibition of manufactures, is now coii, 

 pitted. The Hall is spacious, being 273 feet long, (1 

 ieetwide, 30 feet high, anijire proof . 



Agents whose names are annexed, will receive ni 

 forward, free of expense, articles which may be dcpt^^ 

 ited with them. These articles will be classified (i 

 arranged for exhibition, and the names and addresr 

 the monufacturer (with the prices when desired) W| 

 be carefully affixed. Few, it is presumed, will ne 

 leet to improve the opportunity now presented, of c« 

 tributing their choicest specimens to the Natiim 

 Gullcry of American MuniifdUvres, vchere thousan 

 who visit the Seat of Government, will witness wi 

 pleasure the progress of the arts in these United Stati 



If fairsin limited sections of our country, have ex 

 ted interest, what must be the attractions of n natioi 

 exhibition, enriched by daily additions. 



The ogriculiurist may be gratified to learn, tl 

 commodious rooms are provided for the exhibition ^Jns 

 agricultural implements, and also for the receptiai 

 seeds lor exhibition or distribution. 



The Commissioner of Patents, being authorized 

 collect agricultural statistics, avails himself of thiat 

 portunity to solicit information of the condition f 

 character of the crojis in the several, sections of 

 country. These data will aid him in presenting w 

 his annual rcjiort, the aggregate amount of prod tict , 

 the soil, ond it is hoped that the public may be guo 

 od in some measure from the evils of monopoly, 

 showing how the scarcity in one portion of the li 

 nioy be supplied from the surplus in another. 



Names of agents who will receive and forward pa 

 ages for the Patent Office. Collectors of the Custc 

 at Portsmouth, N. H., Portland, Me., Burlingl 

 Vt., Providence, R. 1., Philodelphia, Baltimore, Ri 

 moiid, Charleston, Savannah, N. Orleans, Detr 

 Bufialo, Cleveland. Surveyors of the Custom 

 Hartford, Ct., St. Louis, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, L | 

 isville; R. H. Eddy, Boston, Mass.; David GardiiJ 

 (CuBtom House,) New York. \\ 



HENRY L. ELLSWORTH, j 

 Commissioner of Patent! , 



Editors are very respectfully requested to give |r 

 above an insertion in their papers. m,,j 



— ■ llm 



Education for Farmers. 



The following just remarks are taken from an 



dress delivered before an agricultural society in Oh 



" I well know the fondness of a parent's heart, 

 am a parent and can appreciate a parent's f'celii 

 and there seem? to me nothing unnatural in the 

 sire of a parent that his children should occupy It 

 orable and useful stations in the world. But still tl 

 farmers greatly err who suflcr their sons and t 

 daughters to be brought up with a feeling of conf 

 for the toils of the husbandmon — who suffer tl 

 feel that because their parents have been able to 

 upon them, it may be a college education', that hi 

 forth the nxe and the hoe are imiilements unworl 

 their touch. The fostering of such feelings of 

 in the bosoms of your children, is fraught wil 

 most dangerous consequences to them. Show to tli 

 by your efforts to apply the benefits of science to 

 culture of the soil, by the interest which you moniu..,, 

 in extending improvements, and by conferring Jiiis 

 benefits of your experience upon others, that you ler'gj 

 gardyour calling as useful, importont, honorable, ilof,, 

 respectable, and instead of crowding your chlldl ^j,,' 

 as too many misguided parents do, into the leor litjj;^ 

 professions, or into the commercial ranks, let them ip,„j 

 that you are not ashamed of your occupation, that tfjuj 

 feel that it ought not to be despised, and that yon !ti,.^^ 

 gar tl it ne honor enough for ihem to be well quali *iJ|,j 



r.„ 



