THE NEW GENESEE FARMER, 



Vol. 



My Slimmer Crops. 

 Messrs. Editors — According to my promise, I 

 now Bend you an account of some of my cvops of the 

 post season. My object in thus exhibiting my farm- 

 ing operations to the public, is not that I think them 

 extraordinary, but that I consider it the duty of each 

 member of society lo do that, as an example, which 

 he would have others also do. Knowledge, by com- 

 munication, becomes common property. The plan of 

 comparing thoughts and notes, leads to coirection ol 

 errors and adoption of truth; and also enables us, by 

 tailing advantage of the experience of others, to avoid 

 many things which it would otherwise require onr own 

 experience to convince us as bein'" Qillacious; by 

 which we also avoid not only loss fron. failure, but al- 

 io that vexation of mind, which is the attendant of 

 loss. And for this reason, we should tell " the tnitli, 

 thewhole lnilh,and nolhing hut the truth." All im- 

 portant truths, whether of failure or of success, in the 

 operations of the farm, should be given to the public, 

 that they may become known to all. 



ROHAH rOTATOES. 



These T planted on the 2d r.f May, on a clover sod, 

 without manure. The amount of seed was about 

 three quarts short of three bushels of whole potatoes, 

 cut into pieces of one or two eyes, and 8i)rcad over 

 three-fourths of an acre of land. The rows were four 

 feet apart, and the cuttings were placed sixteen inches 

 distance in the rows. The manner of planting, was to 

 make the holes from two to three inches deep with the 

 corner of a hoe, which can be done about as fast as a 

 man can walk, with one stroke of the hoe; a child to 

 follow and drop the cuttings, one in a place; and a boy 

 to cover up, level, with loose earth. I planted thus 

 •hallow, in consequence of having about lost a crop of 

 potatoea last vear, on rich land, by having planted 

 deep, as 1 had been advised by a brother farmer. When 

 the potatoes were about six inches high, they were 

 wed with cultivator and hoe; then plastered, and on 

 the I8th of June they were capaciously hilled, as the 

 distance between the rows allowed. No more labor 

 was bestowed upon them till they were dug in the last 

 of October, when they yielded me two hundred and 

 twenty-eight bushels; equal lo an increase of seventy- 

 eight fold. 



I have used these potatoes in my family, and pro- 

 nounce them equal to the best for the table: they are 

 dry, mealy, and well flavored. 



With regard to the value of these potatoes, they are 

 euperiot to other varieties, inasmuch as far less seed is 

 required; there are fewer small potatoes; they can be 

 planted with about half the labor; owing to their size 

 and to their growing in a cluster close to the foot of 

 the stalk, they can be dug with much less labor; and 

 in no respect do they yield to any others in point of in- 

 trinsic excellence. 



IXDlAIf C0R!f. 



I had two pieces of corn:— the first, two acres and 

 seven-eighths, was clover sod, on which I drew eighty 

 loads of long manure, and ploughed under. The 

 Eeed, the red blaze variety, after soaking twenty- 

 four hours m soap suds, and being rolled in plaster, 

 was put into the ground on the 20th of May. The 

 rows were three and a half feet apart each way. Du- 

 ring the season, plastered once, and went through 

 with the cultivator twice each way, followed each 

 time with the hoe. About the middle of September, 

 cut up the corn at the roots, carted it off the field, and 

 etookod it for ripening, end at the husking got four 

 hundred and sixteen bushels of ears, which yielded 

 on shelling, thirty-five quarts of corn from two bush- 

 els of ears; making two hundred and twenty-seven 

 uid a half bushels of corn; equal to scvcnty-nine 

 bushels and six quarts per acre. The other piece, two 



and B <j)isn« aaw) wg* of tiw sum cfa(u;a«(»ri equal- 



ly good, clover sod, as the other, but was not manured. 

 It was ploughed and planted six doys later; the seed 

 was of the same kind, prepared in the same way; but 

 owing to the ground having become quite dry, at least 

 one-third of the seed failed, which would not have 

 been the case had it not been soaked. The aftercul- 

 ture was the same as that of the first field, and the 

 yield was forty-seven bushels per acre. 



FIELD PEAS. 



The latter part of April, 1 put in two and a half 

 acres of Gold Vine Peas, (having obtained the seed 

 at Mr. Bateham's Seed Siore,) from which 1 harvest- 

 ed si.xty-three bushels; equal to twenty-five bushels 

 per acre. The land was neither good nor bad, but 

 indifferent. Adjoining, in the same field, and at the 

 same time, 1 sowed two acres to Marrowfat Peas, 

 from which I harvested thirty-two bushels, or sixteen 

 to the acre. Many of the vines of the Marrowfats 

 became mildewed, and were consequently barren; 

 whereas the Gold Vines remained perfectly bright 

 through the summer, and every vine was prolific; 

 many bearing from eight lo sixteen pods. 



Owing to the superior excellence of the Gold Vine 

 Peas, and their scarcity, I have reserved the crop for 

 seed; which 1 unhesitatingly recommend, and offer 

 lo my bretheren of the plough for six shillings per 

 bushel. 



SPRING WHEAT. 



The Italian and Siberian varieties were very badly 

 shrunk. 



HALF BLOOD DURHAM CALF, OSIRIS, 



Was dropped April 2Gth. At three and a half months 

 old he weighed 330 lbs; at five months old he weighed 

 470 lbs.; and to-day, Nov. 2i;ih, at seven months old, 

 be weighs 650 lbs. And this is a "skim milk calf;" 

 taken trom the cow at a week old; fed on new milk 

 two weeks more; from thot time till the first of Nov. 

 fed on sour skim milk and hasty-pudding, and from 

 that time to the present, on boiled potatoes and hay. 



Now, Gentlemen, I have done my duty to myself 

 and to my brother farmers; I have told them what I 

 have done, and now I wish they would reciprocate 

 the favor: and if they can tell a greater story than I 

 have, I will attempt another year to be even with 

 them. Very respectfully yours, 



EDWARD WILBUR. 



Pittsford, Nov. 26, 1840. 



Remarks. — In behalf of our numerous readers, we 

 tender Mr. Wilbur many thanks for the foregoing 

 communication. One poge of such statements, con- 

 taining the results of actual experience, is worth more, 

 in our estimation, than a whole volume of theorizing 

 speculations. We unite with Mr. W. in the desire 

 that many of our readers will reciprocate the favor, 

 and send us accounts of their farming operations, 

 whether successful or otherwise, during the past sea- 

 son. — Eds. 



Biddle's Address. 



Editors of New Genesee Farmer : 



Gentlemen — I have read with much edification, 

 the address delivered before the Philadelphia Agricultu- 

 ral Society, by Nicholas Biddle, Esq.; and I sin- 

 cerely believe you would confer a favor on many of 

 your readers by giving it a place in your columns. 

 Yours sincerely, 



A LOCKPORT FRIEND. 



Rimarks. — The address alluded to, is indeed a most 

 excellent one; and we should be glad to publish it en- 

 tire, would our space permit, and were it not for the 

 circumstance that many of our readers dislike long ar- 

 ticles. As it is, we select the most interesting and 

 important portions, and omit those of a more local 

 character. We have no doubt that most who read the 

 'eUewing^ will wist) w« U«d puhlislisd .tb« wbole. 



After congratulating the society on their cxhibiti 

 and what they had accomplished — the aid rccei 

 from Government, ond the bright prospects bel 

 them; and alluding to the numerous advantages i 

 sessed by the farmers of Pennsylvania, the eloqu 

 speaker proceeds thus: — 



" Having thus spoken of the advantages which 

 enjoy, 1 proceed to the less agreeable but more prol 

 ble inquiry, why our farms are not so productive 

 they ought to be — and I make the comparison 

 tween Pennsylvania and England, becauee I th 

 England, on the whole, the best larming countrj 

 Europe; and our English friends must undcrsta 

 that while we amuse ourselves occasionally with 8< 

 of their peculiarities, we pay them the highest ci 

 pliment we can, by proposing them as the cons 

 models of our I'aiming. Now why is it, that will' 

 the natural advantaged in our favor, the Englith fa 

 ers beat us ? I will tell you what 1 think of it. 



" In the first place, we do not do justice to 

 own proleesion. Farming is not liked, either am 

 the young people, because it is considered a loi 

 exercise from gaiety — or among the calculating, 

 cause it is thought unproductive. This last is, 1 thi 

 a total misapprehension; and as I regard its correc 

 essential to our success, I venture to say thot (arn 

 ought to be more profitable in Pennsylvania thai 

 Englan 1. The common notion is, that the high p 

 of l.nbor in Pennsylvania, make farming unproducl 

 and the opinion is repeated without examination, ti 

 last it is generally believed. Now the productivei 

 of farming, like the productiveness of every other 

 cupntion, depends on the e.xpense of raising an art 

 and the price you can get for it when it is raisec 

 These expenses are the rent for the land, the ta 

 the manure, the prices of laboring cuttle, of laboi 

 implements, and of laboring men. 



" The land which can be rented in America for 

 or three dollars, could not be rented in England ur 

 ten or twelve dollars an acre — so that already the 1 

 itself costs three or tour times as much. When 

 have got possession of the lnnd,ihe tax-gatherer and 

 tithe man soon make their oiijiearance, and tnke f 

 the farmer fifty three per cent, on his rent. F. 

 there are no tithes, and the tax, out of the immed 

 vicinity of the city improvements, would scarcelj 

 one-tenth of the English tax — so that while on 

 English farm of two hundred acres, the remand cl 

 ges would be about '"" 



The same rent and charges would here be 



Making at once a difference of $2, 



Next, all manures are cheaper in Pennsylvani 

 cheaper in themselvcB, and rendered more cheai 

 the facilities of transportation. 



Laboring horses are about one-fourth cbcopei 

 Pennsylvania; and, moreover, the work which 

 horses do in England, is generally done here by o 

 Cows, too, are much cheajier here. 



"Laboring implements arc cheaper and better, 

 wood being so much h)wer-priced and durable, 

 all these elements of work, there remains only la 

 ing men who are cheaper in England; they are chi 

 er by about 30 to 35 per cent. ; but even say that 

 ges are 50 percent, higher in Pennsylvania tha: 

 England. But then, although the nominal rat 

 woges is higher, yet you actually get more work d 

 for the money. The climate gives you more 1 

 working days than con be relied upon in the climat 

 England, where out door work is necessarily m 

 suspended, and the American laborer works bet 

 for the very reason that he is paid belter. And 

 proof, which seems decisive, is that although mo 

 wages are higher here, piece-work, contract- worl 

 whether to dig a canal or to reap a field, is done che- 

 est in America. And, accordingly, one of our n 

 intelligent Philadelphia county farmers, Mr. W.ill 

 always declared that his form-work was done twe 

 percent, cheaper in Pennsylvania than in England 

 But supposing it to be higher — labor is only one of 

 elements — for we hove seen that the rents are ihrei 

 four times as high — taxes ten times as high— manui 

 implements, cattle, all dearer — and far overbalanc 

 any diffeience of wages were it even real. 



"Let us now see what are the prices obtained 

 what is raised. Wheat is higher in England — fl 

 markets are higher. But wheat forms only one-fon 

 of the crop — and, on the other hand, the great staj 

 wool, is dearer here — potatoes are twice or tbrice »> 

 high here — and, therefore, the English compete w <li 

 us in our own market — turnips, cabbages, all vege p 

 bles, generally dearer; so that, after all, taking 

 averegs, form produ«» is not iiieher, or Tsrylii 



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