60 



THE NEW GENESEE FARMER, 



Vol. 



For the yeic Genesee Farmer. 



Pleasures and Profits of" Agriculture. 



Messrs. Editors — in the lasi number of ihe Gene- 

 see Farmer the enquiry is ninde, wbelher Agriculture 

 con be made profitable? Nr. Colmitn answers ibis 

 question in the alTirmative, so far as New England is 

 concerned; but the inquiry still remains, what are the 

 profits of agriculture in western New York, or rather, 

 what may be the profits uncier a correct system of cul- 

 tivation? The wealth of the farmer consists in the 

 productive power of his soil, rather than in the extent ol 

 his territory. The farmer who possesses 100 or 1000 

 acres of unproductive land may be poor. The farmer 

 who possesses 10 acres of land with power and skill to 

 manage and cultivate it so as to supply all his wonts, 

 is rich. 



An increased fertility of the soil is n source of profit 

 too generally overlooked by the farmer. The great 

 defect in our agriculture, so far as my knowledge ex- 

 tends, is want of system. Any system which shall 

 embrace the two great principles of agriculture, name- 

 ly, a careful attention to the making and application ol 

 manure, and a judicious rotation of crops, will ensure 

 success. A general attention to these great principles 

 would raise Western New York, Willi a soil naturally 

 productive, to the very summit of agricultural pros- 

 perity, if at the same time proper attention be paid to 

 the rearing the best breeds ol animals. Of the system 

 or course ol rotation the best adapted to his soil and his 

 circumstances, the farmer must be his own judge. An 

 acre of good corn land, well manured and properly 

 cultivoted, will produce 80 bushelsof corn in a season. 

 After the corn crop is taken off. this acre will produce 

 20 bushels of wheat. If this acre shall be thoroughly 

 stocked with clover and ivell plastered, and for two 

 years pastured with cows and hogs, with what manure 

 may be made from the land, it will completely preserve 

 the fertility of t'.e foil, ond even increase it. Here we 

 have a four yeor's course, which will most assuredly 

 preserve the fertility of the soil. Eat the great ques 

 tion remains to be answered. What will be the result 

 of this system, as it respects profit and loss ? An an- 

 swer to this inquiry must determine the course of the 

 farmer. Two acres of clover on rich land will pasture 

 two cows and four hogs in the best manner, through 

 the season. The acre of corn stalks and the acre of 

 wheat straw, with 40 bushels of corn in the ear, ground 

 and fed with the stalks and the straw, will winter the 

 cows in the best possible manner. Fifteen bushelsof 

 corn ground with the cob, ond making about '22 bush- 

 els of rich provender — this fed to each of the four hogs 

 together with the slops from the cows, will make oOO 

 lbs. of pork, or more — this would give 1*200 lbs. pork 

 at $5 per cwt, would 6e $6J. The produce Iroin the 

 two cows in butter and cheese, or some of both, can- 

 not be less than $20 each, making $40 for the two. 

 The whole value of pork and dairy produce is jjilllO; the 

 Talus of wheatfroni the acre, at one dollar per bushel is 

 $20 — making the whole value of the produce of fonr 

 acres $120; $oO will give one dollar fiir each day's 

 labor, and pay all the necessary expenses, leaving $70, 

 or the interest of §1000 for the use of four acres lor 

 one season, and the soil improving at least five per 

 cent, per annum. Ten acres of good land cultivoted 

 nficr this manner, would afford a family of five persons 

 all the neecssai'ies of life. Forty acres cultivated on 

 this plan will pay the interest of $10,000 annually, 

 without any diminution of copitol. 



However visionary the results of this system may 

 appear to many, it is founded on facts and principles 

 which every intelligent farmer knows to be correct, 

 and can most assuredly be reollzcd by careful and per- 

 scfering attention. I do not pretend that this system 

 is the best which can be devised; theie is such a va- 

 iotyofsoil, climate and circumstances, as renders it 

 B'poaeiblo to devise any system which shall suit them 



all. If any of your numerous correspondents will 

 point out the defects of this system, or devise and re- 

 commend any other which shall be more profitable, or 

 which shall do more to simplify the subject of agricul- 

 ture and bring it within the means of all our common 

 fanners, he will deserve well of his country, and be 

 entitled to the character of a public benefactor. 



Thus far I have written upon the profits of agricul- 

 ture. So far as respects the pleasures of agriculture 

 I would just observe, that the man who has a mind to 

 adopt a system of husbandry embracing all its great 

 principles, will find an employment more conducive ti 

 the health of his body and the peace of his mind, than 

 any other; and, while he stands upon his own soil, and 

 sees a variety of veg|table productions springing up 

 and coming to maturity around him, cultivated by his 

 own hand,' if his heart is susceptible of grateful emo- 

 tions, he will " look through nature up to nature's 

 God," and adore that power that scatters blessings 

 around him in such pleasing variety ond in such pro- 

 fuse abundance, JESSE IVES. 



Homer, March nth, 1841. 



For the ^'eiD Genesee Farmer. 

 On Cattle. 



Messrs. Editors — Having spent some time this 

 spring in Genesee county for the purpose of purchosing 

 cattle for the Eastern Market, and seeing an ardent 

 desire prevailing among a considerable portion of your 

 intelligent and enterprising farmers of improving their 

 present stocks of cattle, I propose giving some gener- 

 eral hints upon that subject — more especially to those 

 however, who breed for the Eastern Market. For 

 steers and working oxen, I prefer the Devon's to any 

 other breed; as their fine horns and beautiful red color 

 united with their quick, graceful motions, give those 

 of the same weight, over other breeds, a price varying 

 from §10 to ^40 per pair more. 



For cows, the Diirhams stand unrivalled for their 

 superior milking qualities; yet whi n we consider their 

 color ond coarseness of flesh and the quontityof food 

 consumed, they are not so much beyond the Holder- 

 ness, or a cross of the Duihom and i^evon and Holder- 

 nesB, which suit purchasers generally full cs well as 

 the Durham. I have frequently sold a Cherry Red 

 cow when driving, for full os much as I could a Dur- 

 ham, where the blood of the Devon was evidently to 

 be seen, from the fine color and horns taking the foncy 

 of the purchaser. But I would not by any means wish 

 to be understood to rank the Devon or Ilolderness in 

 the same class with the Durham, hut would either ad- 

 vise the ciois, or the pure Dnrboms (oy cows. I 

 would also suggest the evil which results from the too 

 Ircquent Diactice ol many of youi formers in over-feed- 

 ing their bulls of pure bloods, of either kind mentioned, 

 with grain, &.c. &-c., in order lo make a great show- 

 to their neighbois, in the size of the animol, and als.i 

 ill publishing the weight, ot 6, 12 ond 18 months old, 

 which is proof sufficient that they arc not proper ani- 

 mals for sires. iNlore especially where ihis practice 

 has been pei severed in for some two or three genera- 

 tions. It is generally known that the offspring of 

 healthy men, who live and wade in luxury, hand 

 down to their posterity o curse which will follow them 

 through life, and which cannot be eatily shaken off; 

 and most certainly where two or three geneiations 

 follow the proctice of their oncestors, their bodily pow- 

 ers sinking into numerous complaints incident to the 

 human family. So with the brute creation. And, 

 depend upon it, if you rear calves from bulls that have 

 had their digestive organs distended, the some will be 

 bonded down, and if not fed with the same bountiful 

 bond, such stock will sink into comparative insig- 

 nificance. 



It would be much better for those raismg stock to 

 sec that their bulls should b6fed»well! that is, have 



k 



as much good hay as they wish to eat, and kept (P 

 the old saying is, " heart icltolc." A few roots 

 winter, say given as often as once a week, would 

 advantageous perhaps, ond ndvisable, os in winter 

 animols like a change from dry hoy, malung the 

 most "hearty." 



I noticed a small stock of very fine Devons in Sh 

 don, in this county: also a fine Devon bull, near . 

 Roy: also a fine herd of Durhams, the property ol 

 Mr. Remsen, near Alexander, and the very fine I 

 von bull. Red Jacket, near Batovio, the property o: 

 Mr. Cone, lately from Connecticut. 



All the above named cattle I would particulo 

 recommend to the farmers of Genesee county, as tl 

 have not, 1 think, been over-fed, any of them su 

 ciently to injure their stock. Mr. Cone assured 

 he had Ict'his bull run with his other stock, none 

 >ihich had had any food but hay ond straw. Thii 

 the best way to produce fine stock. For what fart 

 is there that can feed and nurse his whole stock ? t 

 what farmer is there that wishes any stock of the kii 

 mcnuoned, but that will improve his old stock, on 

 same keeping ? Rest assured that good blood will 

 prove your stock, but great feed to particular onirr 

 shoidd be condemned. 



The Devons have proved themselves to the parti 

 lar favorable attention of the farmers genei oily, i 

 cepting, however, those who keep dairies,) for ha fj 

 constitution, standing the long winters, and ke<i{ JJ"'' 



as well as any other stock on the same feed. 

 Yours, 

 AN EASTERN DRO VEB 



Col. Sawyer's Berkshires. 

 To the Editors of the New Genesee Farmer: 



In the last No. of your paper, (page 44,) E. Coi 

 asks, if the portraits given of Col. Sawyer's Berki 

 pigs are correct lihenesses? 



In my opinion they are not correct likenesses, 

 pictures of the two boars are much hitter likeni 

 than those of the sows, bul are not exact. The 

 traits of the sows, alihongh intended, no doubt, • 

 faithful copies of the almost perfect onimals they 

 port to represent, I feel bound to soy, ore mere " 

 cy's sketches." To show the defects of the pict 

 would require more time ond space thon I can 

 command ; but the simplest observer will at one- 

 tect the wont of symmetry, and of true anatomici 

 well OS (if I may so use the expression in this vie 

 it) architectural proportions belonging to this prin 

 swine, the " Improved Berkshire" pig. 



I was in Rochester a few days since, and p 

 visit to Col. Sawyer's piggery, where I saw some 

 pel feet specimens of thorough bred, and crosies t 

 Berkthiie. His imported sow, now about two 

 old, and his boar " Young Prince," from the pij 

 of i\Ir. A. B. Allen, ore probably as perlVct speci 

 of the middle sized Bcrkfhires as can be found i 

 countryjland can only be exceeded in st:c, hut 

 haps not in sijmmctnj, by a few individuals in tb 

 tensive piggery of Mr. Allen. Col. Sawyer b 

 with great skill and judgment ; and I hesitate i 

 say, that the originals of his Berkshire pigs far J 

 in perfection of points ond general excellence, th< 

 traits thot I have seen of them in your excellent p 

 \'ery respectfully yours, 



Buffalo. L. F. 



Note. I hove no desire in these remarks to cri 

 too severely, the portraits of animals that oppe 

 and odd so much of interest to your voluablepul 

 tion. The correct drowing of aniniola, is os mu' 

 art as thot of copying faithfully, the human foce; 

 this accomplishment is more rare than that of tb' 

 er. From the absence of patronage in this coui 

 few have chosen that branch of the profjssion, 

 is from this cause alone, that so few faithful coj 

 of animals are found. 



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