10 



THE NEW GENESEE FARMER, 



Vol. 2. 



The following very jutt remarks should be well 

 underetood by every experimentalist in ngricuUure. — 

 Although applied only to manures by the writer, they 

 ore not lesa applicable to every thing else connected 

 with the cultivation of the soil. Kxperiments often 

 produce quite different resulte, from the difference of 

 6oiI, climate, season, or other circumstances connected 

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

 entirely omitted or indcfmitely mentioned in the etnte- 

 menta of thoee experiments. * 



From the British Farmers' Ma^'azine. 



Beporting Experiment!) with Artilicial Ma- 

 nures* 



In all our agricultural publications now issuing from 

 the press, we see many accounts of experiments made 

 for ascertaining the value of certain ssbitances re- 

 commended as manures, either for tiip-dressing or 

 ploughing in. Some of these accounts are elaborate- 

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

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

 times, too, we are told uf the same material having 

 contrary effects on land of precisely the same charac- 

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

 doni. Now 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 minerals, which are brought into use with 

 various success. The reports of such trials are not al- 

 ways unitbrm; 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 1 have used 

 soot extensively for top dressing wheat, and have har- 

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

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

 used chalk and lime as dressings for light gravelly 

 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, uuiler the same circumstances of season. And 

 the reason for the non-efficiency of these three last 

 named substances was perfectly obvious: all three ore 

 ready absorbents of water from the air, and in dry 

 seasons are eminently useful to- growing crops ; 

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

 aS'Sistance. 



Saltpetre and nitrate of soda are ot present fuehion- 

 able top-dressings; and those best ocquainted with 

 these substances affirm that they are often injudicious- 

 ly used. On wet tenacious laud they can never be so 

 efficacious as on dry sandy or gravelly soils; nor in 

 wet seasons so much as they certainly must be in 

 dry. If I be nnt mistaken in attributing to them such 

 effectf, 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. 



IMr. 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. Kiinberley, Esq., of Trotsworth, " regrets that it 

 has been hastily adopted, without reference, in many 

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

 few fortunate experiments have started into a fashion 

 tlie use of these articles, so one or two unseasonable 

 or improper applications have at once cujirfemntii them 

 to neglect and oblivion." 



Such reports show decidedly how necessary it is to 

 kni^w , rrccily the effects of those artificial manures 

 •^vacth^r as the food of plants, or improvers of the sta^ 

 pie; whether as exciters of vegetation or solventsof 

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

 der what circumstance of weather or season they are 

 moat active, or altogether neutral. These are ques- 

 tions lor the agricultural chemist to prosecute; so that 

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

 concerning the direct effects ot any manure which 

 comes recommended from competent authorities. 



And in all future reports of experiments made with 

 any of those uncommon articles of manure, the re- 

 porter should not omit to state what kind of weather 

 has prevailed during the 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 

 the success or otherwise, of these, and many other 

 manures we could name, must depend on peculiar cir- 

 cumstonces of soil and season. We have heard salt- 

 petre abused one year, and highly extoUeJ in another; 

 although tried on the some soil, the same deicription 

 tf crop, and by the same person, — Ec] 



Wheat aud Ilay-stacks protected from Light- 

 nitig. 



Tho following ridiculous method, from an English 

 paper, is going the rounds in this country, but we 

 trust no intelligent fartner will be deluded by it. It 

 consists merely in placing a broken glass bottle on the 

 highest point of the stock, 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 slack, than a spade-full of turf 

 would stop the cataract of Niagara. A non-conductor 

 is rugalive in its properties; and a conductor can only 

 carry the electric discharge safely to the ground. 



Ice Houses on the Ground. 



J. S. Ski.nner, Esq. — Dear Sir — In your paper of 

 the I'^Lh, you ask for information relative to the con- 

 struction of ice houses above ground. The informa- 

 tion below is not from actual experience but Irom ac- 

 tual observation. In New Orleans and Mobile, they 

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

 same cause, 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 IS'AS, there were two — one built for the purpose, o 

 common frame building, the other an old brick ware- 

 houiie. I have examined both, beingdesirous to know 

 how ice houses could be fitted above ground to keep 

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

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

 this divided into two parts, the one next the outside 

 filled with rice chaff, the other with charcool; nothing 

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

 there were several scuttles, or trap-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 co-.ild 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 chaff and charcoal, woidd be sufficient. I think 

 wheat and oat chaff woidd be a sufficient substitute 

 for rice. Respectfully, 



D. GRIFFITH. 

 Since the preceding very obliging communication 

 was 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 H07i-conductor of heat. The great, if not 

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

 n a space which is surrounded by the most perfect 

 non-coniluctor of hmt ! and 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, 

 vyith charcoal or tan. We intend to have a founda- 

 tion or floor of sand, rising nay 12 or 18 inches above 

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

 sand place a covering of tan bark. The meltin.i; of 

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

 «ny surplus passing off, under the sills. The house 

 we think will be best covered with a very thick cover- 

 ing of fodder or marsh grass that will turn the rain — 

 being ventilated at each end — Who sees any objection 

 to this plan ? As for shade we shall choose to build 

 in a situation exposed to the sun, where evaporation 

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

 mulate. — Amr. Far. 



IVatlonal 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 

 manufactured, agricultural productions, &c. For 

 this noble project, the nation is mainly indebted to that 

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

 Ei-LswoBTH, Commissioner of the Paient Offic*. We 



rejoice that the business of executing the liberal plans 

 ot the government, in the formation of this institu- 

 tion, has devolved upon one so eminently qualified for 

 the task. And there con be no doubt that, under the 

 supervision of this able and patriotic gentleman, a col- 

 lection will in few years be formed, that will prove 

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



We take particular pleasure in publishing the fol- 

 lowing notice, forwarded to us by Mr. Ellsworth, 

 on account of the prominence which he gives to agri- 

 culture. This art of all arts has long been too much 

 neglected by our Congress and State Legislatures, 

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

 of a disposition to give the subject something of that 

 consideration which its importance demands. 



Patent Oftice, Nov. 20, 1840. 



Notice is given that the Hall in the new Pi-icnt Of- 

 fice, for the exhibition of manufactures, is now com- 

 pleted. The Hall is spacious, being 273 feet long, 63 

 feet wide, 30 feet high, and fire proof . 



Agents whose names ore annexed, will receive and 

 forward, free of expense, articles which may be depos- 

 ited with them. These articles will be classified and 

 arranged for exhibition, and the names and address of 

 the manufacturer (with tho prices when desired) will 

 be carefully affixed. Few, it is presumed, will neg- 

 lect to improve the opportunity now presented, of con- 

 tributing their choicest specimens to the Kulinnal 

 Gallcnj of Amerieim Muniifaitures, where thousands 

 who visit the Seat of Government, will witness with 

 pleasure the progress of the arts in these United States. 



It fairs in limited sections of our country, have exci- 

 ted interest, what must be the attroctions of a national 

 exhibition, enriched by daily additions. 



The agriculturist may be gratified to leorn, that 

 commodious rooms arc provided for the exhibition of 

 agricultural implements, and also for the reception of 

 seeds for exhibition or distribution. 



The Commissioner of Patents, being authorized to 

 collect agricultural statistics, avails himself of this op- 

 portunity to solicit inlonnation of the condition and 

 character of the crops in the several sections of the 

 country. These data will aid him in presenting with 

 his annual report, the aggregate amount of products of 

 the soil, and it is hoped that the public may be guard- 

 ed in some measure from the evils of monopoly, by 

 showing how the scarcity in one portion of the land 

 may be supplied from the surplus in another. 



Names of agents who will receive and forward pack- 

 ages for the Patent Office. Collectors of the Customs 

 at Portsm'ruth, N. H., Portland, Me., Burlington, 

 Vt., Providence, R. I., Philadelphia, Boliiniore, Rich- 

 mond, Charleston, Savannah, N. Orleans, Detroit, 



Buffalo, Cleveland. Surveyors of the Customs 



Hartford, Ct., St. Louis, Pitisburgh, Cincinnati, Lou- 

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

 (Custom House,) New York. 



HENRY L. ELLSWORTH, 



Comm.ssioncr of Patents. 



Editors are very respectfully requested to give the 

 above an insertion in their papers. 



Education for Farmers. 



The following just remarks are taken from an ad- 

 dress delivered before an agricultural society in Ohio. 



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

 am a parent and can appreciate a parent's feelings, 

 and there seem^ to me nothing unnatural in the de- 

 sire of a parent that his children should occupy hon- 

 orable and useful stations in the world. But still thoee 

 farmers greafly err who suffer their sons and their 

 daughters to be brought up with a feeling of contempt 

 for the toils of the husbandman — who suffer them to 

 feel that because their parents have been able to confer 

 upon them, it may be a college education, that hence- 

 forth the axe and the hoe ore implements unworthy of 

 their touch. The fostering of such feelings of pride 

 in the bosoms of your children, is frought with the 

 most dangerous consequences to them. Show to them, 

 by your efforts to apply the benefits of science to tho 

 culture of the soil, by the interest which you manifese 

 in extending improvements, and by conferring tbt 

 benefits of your experience upon others, that you re- 

 gard your calling as useful, important, honorable, and 

 respectable, and instead of crowding your children, 

 as too many misguided parents do, into the learned 

 professions, or into the commercial ranks, let them fee 

 that you are not ashamed of your occupation, that you 

 feel that it ought not to be despised, and that you re- 

 gard it as honor enough for them to be well qualified 



