78 



THE NEW GENESEE FARMER, 



Vol. 2 



Fitr the .Vei£ Geiieiee Farmer. 



Experiments with Potatoes. 



Messrs. Euitobs — Observing in your first volume, 

 various exiierimcnts suggested on the cuhurj of the 

 polnio, I have perlbrmed the following. I Gclected 

 ground in my potnto lot, the soil b mixture of clay and 

 gravel, a moderate portion of siahle manure was pui 

 upon the sod, then well ploughed and harrowed, and 

 lightly marked with a small plough, about 3 feet apart 

 and 18 or 20 inches between the hills. They were 

 planted on the 2d of Jnne, the cultivator passed 

 through them, plaster applied, and some time after 

 they were ploughed and hoed. G. S. T. 



Krie co. Pa., Miach, 1S41. 



1. Pieces one eye only, 21 hills to a roie. 



1. 5 pieces each hill. Product 95 Iba. 

 a 4 " " 96 " 

 3. 3 " " 90 " 



2. Pieces usual size, from the top half of the potato, 



I G hills to a tow. 

 1 pieces each hill. Product 81 lbs. 



2. 3 " " 83 " 



3. 2 " " 88 " 



3. Pieces tisuttl size, from tite root half of the potato, 



16 hills to a TOW. 



1. 4 pieces each hill. Product 87 lbs. 



2. 3 " " 87 " 



3. 2 " " 89 " 



4. Potatoes ordinary size, the pieces quarters, parings 



thieh, and cut in 4 pieces, 16 hills. 



1 whole potato each. Product 84 lbs. 

 4 pieces " " 89 " 

 4 parings " " 72 " 



5. Potatoes small ; 8 hills. 

 4 whole ones each. Product 44 lis. 

 3 11 11 11 11 43 II 



2 11 11 11 11 44 <' 



The above experiments were with Calico potatoes; 

 the following with Scotch Greys. 



6. 30 hills to each row. 

 i. 1 whole one each. Product 180 lbs. 



2. .-i pieces " " 127 " 



3. 4 " " " 157 " 

 Remaiiks. — Accurate experimenls are always valu- 

 able, out they require repetition and considerable varia- 

 tion, to establish any point. For instance, a very slight 

 variation in the soil of each row, may cauee a diflfer- 

 ence in the result, greater than any difTerence in the 

 mode of planting. Hence in trying one mode, seve- 

 ral rows should allcrnato with each other, and their dif- 

 ference be individually, as well as collectively, com- 

 pared. Again, in cutting poiaioes, whole ones suc- 

 ceed best in dry soasone, in dry soils, or when planted 

 shallow and perhaps cut ones when the opposite is the 

 case. These, and many other circumstances, are to be 

 taken into considciaiion. * 



feet apart, and eighteen inches in the rows, the same usually come in the first week of March. A shower 



time as the other, and in the sBme manner. As soon 

 as it was of convenient height I went through it with 

 the cultivator, followed with the hoe, ani plastered it; 

 the next time with the plough, followed with the hoe. 

 About tuc 1.5th of Se|)t. I cut up the corn at the roots. 

 After husking and sorting the small ears, I had eighty 

 bushels of cars from the half acre. 



Beik.shii'e Pigs. 



Major E. Corning brought into our neighborhood, 

 in thi' town of Hastings, a full blood Berkshii'e boar, 

 and I, like some of the rest of niy neighbors, thought 

 that our native breed was equal to them; but after 

 seeing some of his stock, I purchased a sow that had 

 seven pigs from his boar. The sow was quite small. 

 1 fatted her, she weighed only 250 lbs. The pigs 

 I wintered on one-third less feed than I could have 

 done the native breed. On the first of March, I mo- 

 ved into Cnyuga county, and drove my pigs; 1 could 

 have sold them on the way two or three times for six 

 cents per pound, whereas the native breed fetches only 

 three cents. I will give you the result of my pigs 

 whenfalted. Very respectfully yours, 



WM. K. JOHNSON. 



Cato, Aprils, 1841. 



1. 

 2, 

 3. 



1. 

 2. 

 3. 



The Cross Pear. 



In the last numberof the Magazine of Horticulture^ 

 there is an account of this new native variety of the 

 pear,with an outline and description of the fruit, by the 

 editor of that journal. It issupjjosed to have origina- 

 ted in Newburyport; and bears the name of the pro- 

 prietor of the garden where it was ditcovered about 

 fifteen years ago. Our friend R. Manning, whose 

 judgment will not be disputed, has pronounced it 

 without hesitation, " a most excellent fruit;" and the 

 editor says, " The beauty of this pear, together with 

 its abundant and constant bearing, and its melting flesh 

 and perfumed flavor, render it a desirable variety in 

 collections, and one which will rank with the Gush- 

 ing, Seckel, and others of our finest American 

 kinds." 



We copy his description of the fruit: 



" Fruit medium size, roundish, two and a half inch- 

 es in length, and two and a quarter inches in diame- 

 ter. Htulh three-quarters of an inch long and very 

 thick, inserted in a slight cavity. Eye small, and 

 consideriibly depressed. Skin smooth, dtep yellow, 

 red on the sunny side, very russety round the eye, 

 and covered all over with russety dots, and sprinkled 

 with small black spots. I'le.sk melting, juicy, and 

 swrct, with a perfumed and agreeable flavor. In eat- 

 ing in December, sometimes earlier (in November) 

 and occasionally keeping till February." t 



Indian Corn. 



Messrs. Eihtors — I had two pieces of corn; the 

 first two acres were clover sod — the send the twelve 

 and sixteen rowed, known aa the Stt'nton corn ; it 

 was put into the ground dry, on the 15th of May, the 

 rows three feet apart each way. During the season 1 

 •plastered one half, and asiicd the other once, and went 

 ihrough with the cultivalor once each way, and once 

 each way with the plough, followed with a hoe each 

 time. About the 2l)ih of September, the corn was 

 cut up at the roots, and stookcd for ripening. After 

 hunking and sorting all the small ears. 1 sold eighty- 

 eight bushels of shelled corn from the two acres. 

 Had 1 managed it as I did with the other piece, 

 I think I should have got double the crop, with one- 

 hird more labor. The other piece, one half acre, 

 was corn stubble of no richer soil than the other; 

 I drew on it fifteen loads of long manure, and spread 

 it equally over the ground ; planted it in rows three 



The Season. 



Amidst the oft-repeated remarks upon the peculiari- 

 ty of the season, let us recur to the records of past 

 rs for thi'ir evidence upon the point. 



Ist half &'2ncl half of month. 

 Mean temp, of JIar. 1833, 30,53 36,66 mean 33,59 



34,02 

 34,28 

 28,88 

 37,24 

 48,58 

 48,78 

 40,20 



and some lightning happened on the 27ih, at which 

 time the Genesee was high from the melting snow ; 

 the change to below freezing point on the 29th, 

 doubtless prevented much desolation. 



The first half of April was uncommonly cold ; in- 

 deed it was not till the 23rd that the mild south wind 

 began to blow upon us, and the flowos, which^open 

 in the woods near the beginning of the month, began 

 to appear. Till after this day the grass scarcely show- 

 ed any signs of reluming spiing. 



April 25, 1840, the temperature was 88 ° , extreme- 

 ly hot. April 24, 1841, it was 70 = . Examinaiion 

 shows the great peculiarities of this season. For the 

 raising of fruit the lateness of the season is considered 

 favorable. At the same time it increases the farmer's 

 expence for the support of his cattle, &c., in no in- 

 considerable degree. C. D. 



For Ihe P\ew Gevttte Farmer, 

 Edacation of Farmers' Cliildrcn"Jio. 4. 



O.V REFLNEMEST OF MAS.NERS. 



Messrs. Editor — It has been my endeavor to] 

 show the necessity of giving more education to our| 

 sons, thai they may have advantages equal to those of 

 our daughters, and take equal rank with them in so- 

 ciety. 1 was brought up a farmer's son, and rejoice 

 that I know by experience the necessity and virtue of 

 labor and industry. I am able to speak of what I 

 have seen ; and can give some reasons for facts which 

 I did not then understand. I saw indeed that the 

 daughters were generally in advance of the sons in 

 all those acquisitions wTiieh make an impression upon 

 others, and see the same to hold true at the present 

 day. Besides the greater degree of education in pro- 

 portion and the greater facility with which the female 

 attains that which is interesting, there is another fact 

 which has far loo wide and great an influence for ma- 

 ny years, and often ihrough the growth of ioth. — 

 There is not the same successful moulding of the man- 

 ners of the sons, nor the sa7nc attention to their dress, 

 7ior the same introduction of them into society. If 

 there is company at all, the daughters more naturally 

 fall into it, and enjf.y its advantages; the sons are in 

 the field, or at work in the garden or yard, and their 

 clothing is suited to their work, and not to visiting or 

 attending on company. The dress of the daughters ia 

 often, not of a better kind, but more altractice. The 

 sons, when in early youth, often acquire a distaste for 

 seeing company for the.=e leasons, and avoid far mors 

 than is for their good all the means of social improve- 

 ment thus thrown in their way. Often too, they are 

 ass ciated with hired help of no refinement and im- 

 provement, whose influence is pernicious upon their 

 minds in every social respect. It thus happens that 

 youth passes away before they begin to feel the im- 

 portance and desirableness of society ; and their 

 manners and course ol life have not fitted them to in.' 

 terest others or to impart to them much pleasure. I 

 know that often the son is in fault, in that he exclude* 

 himself far beyond what his parents or his sisters de- 

 sire, from seeing company and enjoying thebencfiisof 

 social intercourse. Let, however, the circumstances 

 be considered, and probably there will be found room 

 for iinprovenient on more than one side. The posses- 

 sion of good-breeding, politeness, and good manners, 

 is not made of as much consequence to the son, and 

 in the view of the son. His mind is nit impressed 

 with its value in an equal degree. And yet rusticityi 

 coarseness, vulgarity, inipolitencss, have no necessary 

 connection with a form and our agricultural j^frsuits. 

 The fine manners and gentlemanly appearance of ma- 

 ny a farmer, who have in some way become ejcep- 

 tions to the too general fact, present us with all the 

 testimony needed in the case. But manneis will be 



" 18:;.9, 32,45 35,60 



" " " 1.-40, 33,98 34,58 



" " " 1S41. 23,82 23,76 



" " April, 1838, 37,04 37,45 



" " " 1830, 4o,30 48,67 



" " " 1840, 42,86 .54,71 



" " " 1841, 3.5,24 45,15 



This comparison shows the uncommon cold of March 

 and April. The first half of March was as cold as the 

 mean of February. March 17ih, was the coldest 

 morning in the three years past, being 5° below cy- 

 pher. On the 7th day there fell 14 inches of snow, 

 and on the 13ih also 12 inches, and several inches 

 more in the following days, so that the snow was 

 nearly two feet on the level after settling several 

 inches. Tho birds appeared about the 30lh, which | rnde and coarse, and the appearance unpreposee'sing 



