ICO 



THE xNEW GENESEE FARMER, 



Vol. 2. 



Excrescentes on Piiim Trees. 



We {jfai observed ibe new excrescences on plum 

 tree? nbuul tbe 12ih of Inst tnoiuU; but ns vcgeiniitin 

 bns bifen unusually bnckwnrd, il is probnblc that in 

 other years, they will appenr iniicli earlier. Tbe 

 worms ill some of these bunches ore more advnnce'.l 

 llinri in others. 



The more we see of the works of this insect, tbe 

 imre we arc sntisficd it mny be cisily kept in check, 

 or en'.lrely destroyed. Kxccpiing the few thnt mi- 

 grf.e, il srcuis not much inclined to wander from its 

 native tree, unless others ore very near. Where it at- 

 tacks plum trees with thick branches, the proprietor 

 may find an advantage in cutting out « port with oil 

 ibeir Unves and I'riiit on, — because he can find the 

 bunches 60 much more readily, and bccauee tbe fruit 

 that remains will be liner and more vahinble. Sum- 

 mer pruning is much approved by soms horticulturisiB. 



Possibly some of our renders may think »e arebe- 

 s; jv.ing an undue share ol attention on this subject. 

 Wcton't think so. Wc expect tbe most indolent 

 w.U be the first to cumplninj and it is this class that 

 we more espocially want to stimulate into action. 

 fiei up half an hour before the usual time — steal 

 away from a noon spell to nltcnd to it — take the neigh- 

 bor thnt conies to spend an idle hour along to see the 

 operation and to assist — it will do him good — and the 

 plum trees will be saved from ruin. 



Kven Hs lilts ns when our jiaper mnkcs it appenr- 

 d:ico in these nortUerii purls, it is probable that mnny 

 worms will still remain in their nests. Cut open the 

 bunches, and sec if it is so. If any arc found, destroy 

 them. If half of ihcm are slopped on their way to 

 initdiiff, it v.ill be soineiliing of great vr.lue, not only 

 OS it gets a man's band into tbe business, and prepares 

 him for doing his duly next year, but ho will have 

 much less to do. t 



Rust on Wheat. 



A well written paper on tbe cause of Mildew, 

 Blight, or Rust, was lately read before the Philadel- 

 phia Society for Promoting Agriculture, by Kender- 

 ton Suiilh, in which he endeavors to thow that this 

 mal.idy is occasioned by sniciiig grass seed amongst 

 ilie icltrat. We have no doubt however, that in diOl-r- 

 enl Beasonn, and diifdreni circumstances, the presence 

 of rust may be owing to more ibnn one cause; yet, if 

 sowing grats seed with wheat, often, or generally pro- 

 diico3 it, it is a most important discovery. 



From this paper, (published in the Farmers' Cabi- 

 net,) we make the fjllowing extracts: 



" The wheat of several fields which came under 

 mv observation [in ISoS] and whic'i had not been 

 »3'.vn with giiiss seed, was good, the straw bright, and 

 tiio drain ot (r.wcllent quality. I also remarkril, that 

 other field.^ which wera sown with grass seed, and in- 

 deed tbe cop gciieivdly ihroughoiu tbe country was 

 greatly injured, and in most instances, utterly des- 

 troyed by m.ldew or rust. What n|;pcnred very re- 

 markable was, that we heard of excflleiit crops which 

 had 'oecn ra;scd in the very midst of this ruin and des- 

 olation. 



" In the summ'T of 1^38, I was appointed by lbs 

 BiclGly, one of a comtTiittee in examine a reaping ma- 

 chine, then ipconily inveniod. We visited tbe farm 

 of Mr. J-ihn Fox, of Oxiord township, Philadelplua 

 (i.innty, for the purpose, whera the machine was put 

 in operation upon a field of eight acres. This grain 

 was remarkably line in .all respects: il was tall, and 

 much of il was lodged, yet the berry was perfectly fil- 

 led, and licfi Btniw was in no respect touched with 

 iiKideW. There ttas no grass smcn ir'tk this grain; 

 n;id I have since learned thnt Mr. Fox and his brother 

 have for mnny years, always sown their wheat without 

 grass, and that their crops have been unit'ormly good. 



" Adjoining this field wns another in wheat, the 

 straw of which was tall, and the growth of whii-h had 

 1'eei. np,)arcnl'y as vigorous, but the grain was shrunk 

 and of little value. This field was sown with 

 li'ootiiy the previous fall, and with clover in the 

 Oiriiij;, and the ground wns covered with n thick and 



henlihy coat of these gratses. The soil, situation, and 

 ndvnntngcB of these lou, for tbe growth of wheat, 

 were to all appearance the same. There wns anoiii- 

 er field of wheat on the opposite side of Mr. Fox's 

 field, and only separated from it by a road, which wns 

 also utterly worthless from mildew. This lot bad al- 

 so been sown with grass, and there wns a strong 

 growth upon it. Here then was a field of very supe- 

 rior wheat, situate between two other fields which 

 weretcarcely worth cutting. 



" Within the last two years I have heard of many 

 instnncpsof good grain, and but one instance of mil- 

 dewed wheat having been produced on lands not 

 sown with grass, or on which there was not n .'•trong 

 growth of grass or weeds. In every case of mildew 

 during that time, I have ascertained upon inquiry, 

 ibat grass had been sown with the giain, or prevailed 

 to considerable extent naturally. 



" I do not wish to he understood as stating that the 

 presence of grass ahcatjs produces mildew or rust, 

 for I know that good crops of wheat have grown 

 with it in dry seasons; but I do contend that the pre- 

 sence of a thick growth of grass or weeds upon tbe 

 surface of thclnnd, predisposes the crop to disense or 

 mildew, and that in wet se.nsons it is nlinoot invariably 

 noxious and liunful to the wheal plant. 



"P. S. lam informed by Mr. Isaac Newton, an 

 active and zealous member of tbe Society, nnd one of 

 our most enterprising farmers, that he had last year, a 

 field of about eight acres of wheat, which he sowed in 

 the lall with timothy nnd herd-grass, except one land, 

 ntarly in the middle of the field, which by accident 

 wns omitted. The wheat upon this land wns not af- 

 fected by mildew, nnd the grain wns of superior qiinli- 

 ty, while the rest of the field was rendered worihless 

 by mildew." 



Tbe foregoing statements are very interesting: but 

 we would refer our readers to an able article on this 

 subject, published in our current volume, at pages 

 33 — 50, which is worthy of a careful perusal. Now 

 is ihd season for_ farmers to make observations in re- 

 gard to this matter. Let them take notice, in addi- 

 tion tJ the above suggestions, whether stable manure 

 is favorable or unfavorable? AVbethcr compost, in- 

 cluding a portion of lime, has a bad effect ? Whether 

 head-lands in fine tilth, but trodden bird after tbe 

 wheat was sown, are more free from rust? Whether 

 this fungus often spreads from low wet places into the 

 drier parts of the field 1 and wbetber it rarely occflirs 

 under the shade of trees? The sntitfactory determi- 

 nntion of these points may lead to vciy important re- 

 sults; and we should be pleased to hear from corres- 

 pondents OB the subject. \ 



"8. W." and the torn Laws. 



To the Editors oftiie New Grncsce Fanner: 



Your correspondent, " S. W." appears to have paid 

 much attention to the subject on which he treats; but, 

 on the whole, his speculations are much better adapted 

 to the stnte of information and feeling which existed 

 lii'ty years ago, than to the present time. 



While every laborer must, ns he ought, acquiie by 

 his daily wages sufficient to clothe and educate res- 

 pectably his family and provide something lor fu- 

 ture use, il will be difficult to convince our farmers 

 that the'r profits will be increased by tbe " low prices 

 of agricultural products." Il may he replied that this 

 will regulate itself — that the cost of labor will be pro- 

 portioned to tbe prices of the articles produced; but 

 this is not true, except in part; nnd can only bcthe re- 

 sult of great uniformity in the cosf of the articles con- 

 sumed, according to their value For instance, if tbe 

 bulk of our importntions are purchased at high prices, 

 the wages of the working man would doubtless exceed 

 the means ol the farmer to pay, if wheal was at a low 

 price. 



It is gratifying to observe, notwithstanding the les- 

 sons of patience read to ns by " S. W.," and bis con- 

 clusion " that we have no right to complain of the 

 English Corn Laws, which save her agricultural in- 

 terests from utter prostration and ruin,' ' thnt the spirit 

 of free trade is sjireadlng in Fngland as well as this 



country. He has doubtless observed, that though 

 generally opposed by the landed interest, which seeks 

 but its owif selfish ends, regardless of tbe claims and 

 sufl'eringsof community, a mighty movement has ta- 

 ken plnce, which mustresultin the repeal of thoselnws, 

 at no distant period When this lakes place, it must be 

 obvious that the market for our wheat will he much 

 better than at the present. 



If " S. W." will take into consideration the nn- 

 limited capabilities we possess of producing this great 

 staple and the certainty that in a few years at farthest, 

 our market will not be adequate to the supply, he wiU 

 agree with Gur. Davis, of Massachusetts, in saying, 

 " thai the policy of our n;ition in sustaining the cot- 

 ton growing interest to the negl«ct of wheal, is un- 

 wise and unjust." 



It has often seemed passing strange to me that so 

 Utile has been done to promote the prosperity of mil- 

 lions at the North, in this important particular, when 

 a few hundred thousand men at the South have on ac- 

 credited representative at the Court ol St. James, 

 watching every movement which may affect in the 

 slightest degree their favorite exports. 



But there is another aspect to this question, to 

 which I would direct the ottentior. of your correspon- 

 dent. He thinks we hove no right to complain when 

 ihe landed interests seek iheirown protection; but did 

 he ever reflect that this protection was the cause of 

 want and misery incnculable ? It is not the only re- 

 sult of this system, that the English laborer is obso- 

 luielr precluded from any higher expectation than 

 providing a scanty support for bis family; thus extin- 

 guishing those noble incentives to exertion, which lie 

 in the path of the humblest individual among us; but 

 let him bear in mind, that no small share of the peo- 

 ple of that country, from the operation of those lows, 

 inhabit damp and noisome cellars, crowd lo an incred- 

 ible extent every garret and hovel, and drngout a moel 

 miserable existence, that " the agricultural intercsla' 

 may ride in splendid coaches and feast upon the dain 

 tics of the earth. Surely the dictates of philantbrsp; 

 should outweigh those of cold selfishness. It is how 

 ever, by no means certain that English proprietor 

 would be the losers by an act of justice and mercy 

 for, says Lord John Russell in his motion for the re 

 duclion of duly on foreign grain, " the salety of frc 

 trade has alwnys been considered as an axiom by wri 

 lera on poliiicnl economy, nnd 1 see no good rensol' 

 why it should not bo reduced to prnciiee." 



S. R. W. 



I 





/■(«• the AVif (icnesee Farm«r, 

 Rotation of Crops--Root Culture. 



Messrs. Epitobs — I am often asked by brother fsi 

 mers how they can change from their old impoverisl 

 ing mode of larming, and adopt an improved systen 

 I say to such, fix on a proper rotation of crops — bcgi 

 on a small scale till ' sure you are right, then 

 ahead.' My rotation for a five or six years' course i 

 Ist. Peas, on green swnrd; 2d. Cum or roots, wil 

 mnnure; 3d. Spring wheat; 4ih. Oats, and seed wi 

 clover, or clover and timothy; 5ih. Hny or pastur 

 I find winter wheat a rather uncertain crop, on (i 

 count of Its winter killing, nnd therefore prefer spril 

 wheat. The Italian I have found the most product!' 

 variety. I have raised more than thirty bushels 

 '.his kind 10 the acre for the last four years, since 

 have adopted tbe nhovo rotation; and last year I CI 

 from one acre, 1010 sheaves, which yield, d fifty-l 

 bushels; and I believe I can do it again. 



My ruta baga crop last year was 1836 bushels, fro 

 three acres. I kept twenty pigs entirely on them, a 

 four working horses in good condition, wiihout groi 

 1 also feed sheep, calves, and cattle on them, r 

 some farmers say, *' my pigs will not rnl them:" vi 



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