60 



THE NEW GEiNESEE FARMER, 



Vol. 2. 



For the New Genesee Farmer. 

 Pleasures and Profits of Agriculture. 



Mkssrs. Editors — in the last number of the Gene- 

 see Farmer the enquiry is made, whether Agriculture 

 can be made profitable? Mr. Colman answers this 

 question in the affirmative, bo 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 under a correct system of cul- 

 tivation? The wealth of the farmer consists in the 

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

 his|territory. The farmer who poesceses JOO or 1000 

 acres of unproductive loud 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 wants, 

 is rich. 



An increased fertility of the soil ie a source of profit 

 too generally overlooked by the iarmer. 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 of 

 manure, aud a judicious rotation of crops, will ensure 

 success. A general attention to these great principles 

 would raise Western New York, with a soil naturally 

 productive, to the very summit of agricultural pros- 

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

 the rearing the best breeds of animals. Of the system 

 or course of 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 

 cultivated, will produce 80 bushels of 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 weit plastered, and for two 

 years pastured with cows and hogs, wiih what manure 

 may be made from the land, it will completely preserve 

 the fertility of the soil, and even increase it. Here we 

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

 preserve the fertility of the soil. But 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 monncr, through 

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

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

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

 ■« in the best possible manner. Fifteen bushels of 

 ound with the cob, and making about 22bush- 

 ■'ovender — this fed to each of the four hogs 

 ,. itlt Ci'^ slops from the cows, will make 300 

 1 pork, or more — this would give 1060 lbs. pork 

 ^5 per cwt, would be $60. The produce from the 

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

 iirot be less than ,$20 each, making $40 for the two. 

 ■The whole value of pork and dairy produce is $100; the 

 value of wheat from the acre, at one dollar per bushel is 

 *20 — making the whole value of the produce of four 

 seres $120; $50 will give one dollar for each day's 

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

 or the interest of .$1000 for the use of four acres for 

 one season, and the soil improving at least five per 

 cent, per annum. Ten acres of good land cultivated 

 after this luanner, would afford a family of five persons 

 nil the necessaries of life. Forty acres cultivated on 

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

 without any diminution of capital. 



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 realized by careful and per- 

 severing attention. I do not pretend that this system 

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

 icty of soil, climate and circumstances, as renders it 

 nipoesible 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 

 farmers, 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 rcopecls 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 to 

 the heolih ofhia body and the peace of his mind, than 

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

 sees a variety of vegetable productions sjiringing 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 and in such pro- 

 fuse abundonce, JESSE IVES. 

 liomcr, March nth, 1841. 



For the A'ew Genesee Farmer. 

 On Cattle. 



Messrs. Editors — Having spent some time this 

 spring in Genesee county for the purpose of purchasing 

 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, 1 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 Durhams stand unrivalled for their 

 superior milking qualities; yet when we consider their 

 color and coarseness of flesh and the quantityof food 

 consumed, they are not so much beyond the Holder- 

 ness, or a cross of the Durham and Devon and Holder- 

 ness, which suit purchasers generally full as well as 

 the Durham. I have frequently sold a Cherry Red 

 cow when driving, for full as 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 fancy 

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

 to be understood to rank the Devon or Holderncss in 

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

 vise the croEs, or the pure Durhams for cows. I 

 would also suggest the evil which results from the too 

 frequent practice of many of youi farmers in over-feed- 

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

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

 to their neighbors, in the size of the animal, and also 

 in publishing the weight, at 6, 12 and 18 months old, 

 which is proof sufficient that they are not proper oni- 

 mals for sires. More especially where this practice 

 has been persevered in for some two or three genera- 

 tions. It is generally known that the ofl'spring of 

 healthy men, who live and wade in luxury, hand 

 down to their posterity a curse which will follow them 

 through life, and which cannot be easily shaken off; 

 and most certainly where two or three generations 

 follow the practice of their ancestors, 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 same will be 

 handed down, and if not fed with the same bountiful 

 hand, such stock will sink into comparative insig- 

 nificance. 



It would be much better for those raising stock to 

 see that their bulls should be fed well; that is, have 



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

 the old saying is, " heart whole," A few roots in 

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

 advantageous perhaps, and advisable, as in winter all 

 animals like a change from dry hay, making them 

 most " hearty," 



I noticed a small stock of very fine Devons in Shel- 

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

 Roy: also a fine herd of Durhams, the properly of a 

 Mr. Remsen, near Alexander, and the very fine De- 

 von bull. Red Jacket, near Batavin, the property of a 

 Mr. Cone, lately from Connecticut. 



All the above named cattle I would particularly 

 recommend to the farmers of Genesee county, as they 

 have not, I think, been over-fed, any of them suffi- 

 ciently to injure their stock. Mr. Cone assured me 

 he had let his bull run with his other stock, none of 

 which had had any food but hay and straw. This is 

 the best way to produce fine stock. For what farmer 

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

 what farmer is there that wishes any stock of the kinds 

 mentioned, but that will improve hie old stock, on the 

 same keeping ? Rest assured that good blood will im- 

 prove your stock, but great feed to particular animals 

 should be condemned. 



The Devons have proved themselves to the particu- 

 lar favorable attention of the farmers genei ally, (ex- 

 cepting, however, those who keep dairies,) for hardy 

 constitution, standing the long winters, and keeping 

 as well as any other stock on the same feed. 

 Yours, 

 ^ AN EASTERN DRO VER. 



Col. SawTci's Berkshires. 



To the Editors of the New Genesee Farmer: 



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

 asks, if the portraits ^venof Col. Sawyer's Berkshire 

 pigs are correct likenesses? 



In my opinion they are not correct likenesses. The 

 pictures of the two boars are much better likenesses 

 than those of the sows, but are not exact. The por- 

 traits of the sows, although intended, no doubt, to be 

 faithful copies of the almost perfect animals they pur- 

 port to represent, I feel bound to say, are mere " fan- 

 cy's sketches." To show the defects of the pictures, 

 would require more time and space than I can now 

 command ; but the simplest observer will at once de- 

 tect the want of symmetry, and of true anatomical, as 

 well as (if I may so use the expression in this view of 

 it) architectural proportions belonging to this prince of 

 swine, the " Improved Berkshire" pig. 



I was in Rochester a few days since, and paid a 

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

 peifcct specimens of thorough bred, and crosses of the 

 Berkshire. His imported sow, now about two years 

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

 of Mr. A. B. Allen, are probably as perfect specimens 

 of the middle sized Berkshires as can be found in the 

 country; and can only be exceeded in size, but per- 

 haps not in symmetry, by a few individuals in the ex- 

 tensive piggery of Mr. Allen. Col. Sawyer breeds 

 with great skill and judgment ; and I hesitate not to 

 say, that the originals of his Berkshire pigs far excel, 

 in perfection of points ond general excellence, the por- 

 traits that I have seen of them in your excellent paper. 

 Very respectfully yours, 



Buffalo. L. F. A. 



Note. I have no desire in these remarks to criticise 

 too severely, the portraits of animals that appear in, 

 and add so much of interest to your valuable publica- 

 tion. The correct drawing of animals, is as much an 

 art as that of copying faithfully, the human face; and 

 this accomplishment is more rare than that of the oth- 

 er. From the absence of patronage in ibis country, 

 few have chosen that branch of the profjssion, and it 

 is from this cause alone, that so few faithful copyists 

 of animals are found. 



