68 



THE N EW GENESEE FARMER, 



Vol. 



For the rfew Oeiicstc Farmer. 



Clover Machiues—Raisiiig and Cleaning 

 Clover Seed. 



Messrs. Editors — The nttciition of ibe public hae 

 been called nt different times to the subject of Ritien- 

 hoiise & Block well's Potent Clover Mnchine, for denn- 

 ing or hu'ling clover seed; and 1 will take the liberty 

 of again calling their attention to thi3 subject. 



Living in a district where large quantities of clover 

 seed are raised, and having been extensively engaged 

 in purchasing and selling the seed, and nlso_having 

 been engaged in cleaning it with one of Rittenhoiise 

 & Blackwell's machines, propelled by water power, I 

 have bad many opportunities for acquiring informa- 

 tion upon the subject. 



I am satisfied that Rittenhouee & Blackwell's clover 

 machine is the best one now in use, as it can hull the 

 seed faster and cleaner, and can be propelled by less 

 power than any other ; which must give it o pre- 

 ference where horse power is to be applied. 



I have seen the certificate of a number of gentle- 

 men with whom I am well acquainted, some of which 

 (as I understand) have been forwarded to you for 

 publication; and I con say, I hove no doubt of the 

 truth of the stolen ents made by them. 



The power of two horses is necessary to propel a 

 machine, and any horse power can be applied to this 

 machine as well as to a thrashing machine or cotton 

 gin, by regulating the size of the pulley block or bond 

 wheel, so as to give about 800 revolutions per 

 minute to the cylinder. The concave is placed by 

 means of nuts and screws, as near to the cylinder as 

 it can be without cutting the seed, which of course 

 must be regulated by the man who may use the ma- 

 chine. 



The chaff should be thrashed out with the flail, as a 

 thrashing machine cuts up the straw too much, which 

 mingles with the chaff, and renders the process of hul- 

 ling much slower. Some persons use a bond bolt 

 about Vi feet long, the reel of which is covered with 

 thin boards bored full of holes five eighths of an inch 

 in diameter, through which the chaff is passed before 

 it is passed through the clover machine. 



After the chaff has been hulled, it may be cleaned 

 through any fanning mill, by arranging the mill as 

 described in your September number for 1S40, which 

 perhaps it would be well to republish. 



In the number above referred to, you make some 

 inquries about the plan adopted for raising the seed, the 

 best soil, &c. 



In this vicinity the farmers usually bow their seed 

 in April, the some as if designed for meadow. The 

 second year it is cut for hay, about from the 25th of 

 June to 1st of July. Another crop springs up which is 

 for seed. This is cut when sufficiently ripe, and if 

 not peifcctly ripe it should be cut before any frost 

 comes upon it. The farmer must exercise his 

 own judgment as to the fit slate of the seed for being 

 cut. It should, if possible, be secured without gelling 

 wet, otherwise much seed will be lost in the hulling 

 process. Where land is sown for the purpose of pro- 

 curing a crop of seed, ai least a bushel to five ncres 

 should be used. From two and a half to three bushels 

 of seed is a fair average erop per acre. I have known 

 seven bushels raised. 



Almost any land is good for rnising the seed, al- 

 though some kinds of soil require a free use of plaster. 

 I would here observe, that farmers cut clover three 

 years in succession for the seed. Yet it is better for 

 the land that the clover should be ploughed under the 

 third season. Yours respectfully, 



N. P. LEE. 



Waterloo, Seneca co., N. Y. 



P. S. — After the seed has been passed once through 

 t'li! fanning mill, it should be passed through a fine 

 riddle, with the meshes sufficiently small for clover 

 seed alone to pass ihiough. 



Iiow and High Prices. 



Messrs. Editors — Much has oeen written of late 

 upon the improved system of agriculture, upon Leg- 

 islative aid, and upon agricultural societies, — all of 

 which are subjects of high importance, calculated to in- 

 crease and multiply the real ondsubstautiol wealihofo 

 country. The only difficulty in the improving sys 

 tern and the rotation of crops, increased outlay on the 

 farm, «&c., is the low prices of produce. And yet, 

 perhaps, for the lost yeor, considering the crisis of our 

 country, this hos been for the naticn's interest. But 

 it is only a desperate state of affairs thot can render 

 such a depression of prices even tolerable. Until we have 

 more to encourage us than we have at present, under 

 the low prices of all produce, and a prospect of none 

 better under a continued reduction of the tariff, but 

 lilde improvement in agriculture can be expected, as 

 there can be but little or no profit derived from it. 



These ideas may be considered vague by some, but 

 they are nevertheless true; that when a business of- 

 fers a fair emolument it will receive the attention of 

 enterprising men, and it will become a courted and 

 popular occupation. Whereas, without this reward, 

 it will be neglected. During the high prices of from 

 183G to '40, more encouragement and more improve- 

 ment was realized throughout our country, than in 

 any number of years previous. Not but that prices 

 were too high for our country's benefit during some 

 port of ihot time; but the attention and progress in 

 all parts, in fanning during that period aresuflicient to 

 prove the truth of my remark. In regard to Legisla- 

 tive aid, it is needed not so much from our State Leg 

 islature, as from our national. Nothing short of an 

 increased tariff, to promote and foatcr the manulac- 

 turing interests, can ever place our farming interest 

 in a prosperous and healthy condition. At present, 

 we can only look for fair prices in the result of a short 

 crop in Europe or our own country, which, at most, 

 can he but occidental; and then our country may 

 grow rich only on the misery of anoihor. We must 

 correct this state of things which we are now practi- 

 cing, of buying of oiher countries millions and tens 

 of millions of those articles which we can as well pro- 

 duce and manufacture ourselves, if we would be an 

 independent and prosperous people. And there is no 

 way to effect this object, unless we become so poor we 

 cannot buy, but to lay on a duty on British and French 

 goods corresponding to their duties on our produce. 

 The objection now raised to the tariff, that it is at va- 

 riance with the interests of the cotton planters of the 

 South, will, in my opinion, cease to exist in n few 

 years after we adopt that system. We may soon so 

 increase our manufacturing business as to create a 

 home market for a great share of the cotton grown in 

 our country. The idea of making all, producers, and 

 relying on a foreign market, cannot be considered a 

 wise policy, for a free trade with England con never 

 be realized, whether it might prove beneficial to us or 

 not. British agriculture will ever be protected — so 

 ought American manufacturing to be. By drivin" 

 oil into the business of grain growing, we encourage 

 so rapid a settlement of our rich wheat country to the 

 West, not yet hardly begun, that in a few years we 

 should be able to supply almost half of Europe with 

 bread stuff, for which there can be no demand. By 

 these remarks! intend to show in opposition to your 

 aide correspondent " S. W." that low -prices of agri- 

 cultural produce arc not in general more beneficial to 

 the nation's prosperity than high prices. A surplus 

 will always cause a decline in price; but fair prices for 

 produce anil fair prices for labor, are blessings of pros- 

 perity; whereas, the reverse is a check to enterprise, 

 and by no rule can be made beneficial to national 

 wealth or prosperity. A SUBSCRIBER. 



Sweden, N. Y-, April 20, 1841, 



kiiii" 



The Flowers of Sjnin 



Though the season is backward, and the balmy 

 of the lost month have been few, yet some bri 

 flowers have come forth, exhaled their odors, and 

 sed away. 



The Snow drop, white like the snow that oftei 

 vests it, is always the earliest flower of the sprj 

 and seems regardless of inclement weather. Ni 

 riety, except that with double flowers, has eprun, 

 this plant; but another species from the Crimea 

 been described, though we believe not mentioned 

 any American Catologue, and perhaps it has noty 

 crossed the Atlantic. j 



Next to this flower in earlinees stands Eranthis 

 malishom Italy, with its yellow bloom scarcely 

 inches above the frozen soil. Its generic name mi 

 earth-flower from its humble stature 



Then the Crocus follows, consisting of several 

 cics, — all nearly allied, though varyine grendy in 

 or — pure white, deep yellow, and rich purple, 

 many intermediate tints. Some florists advert* 

 more than a hundred kinds, but none with redfiowm 

 The Crocus, unlike the Snow drop, opens its cup, 

 looking upward to the sky, but closes it on the 

 prooch of a dark cloud as if fearful thot somethi 

 would drop in. No garden should be without tl 

 ornaments. 



Tlie Bulbocodium may be considered a vernal C .| 

 c/i(C!(m, to which genus it is nearly allied. Its pale 

 flowers contrast finely with the Crocus. 



Difl'ering entirely in form 

 the Persian Iris, as delicate 



which "scents the garden rounu. a nereis one .f 

 cumstance however, respecting this flower, whmf 

 may be peculiar^ the olfactories of many persona ii 

 unable to detect its odors. € 



No shrub is so early in bloom as the Mezereon; Hi 

 its fragrance and benuty are rejected by some floriii 

 because it bears acrid or poisonous berries. If «| 

 were to eot every thing that conies in our way how(». 

 er, our journey on earth would be short; and we haf 

 not been able to discover why other berries — thosi 

 the Nightshade for instance — are not entitled to 

 much consideration. 



The Siberian Squill, resembling a hyacinth in ra^ 

 ioture, seems to peep out os if half afraid of the scasot; 

 but as the spring advances and a milder air surround 

 it. It raises itself to the height of three or four inchcp 

 It has no rival at this time in the delicate form and » ' 

 lor of its flowers. * 



Primula veris spreads into numerous varieties un- 

 der the names of Primrose, Polyanthus, ond Cowslip 

 (modern botanists to the contrary notwithstanding;) 

 and seems to pass into all colors except blue. Soine 

 ol these kinds almost equal the Auricula in beauty. 



t 



he Crocus. r '" 



and color, comes f< ■' 



I in tints as in fragra 1 * 



und." There is one .f '" 



Sot 



ill 



For the New Genesee Farmer. 



" Rots and Iloise Bees." 



Messks. Editors— Sinee the appearance of your 

 last number, the inquiry hos been made, whether the 

 nits or eggs of the bot-bee must be hatched in ths ' 

 stomach of the horse or not at all. The reply is, that I 

 the bot hos rorely, if ever, been found in any animal I 

 but the horse. This is its oppropriale place for habi- I 

 tation and food, as the apple tree is fiir the canker- i 

 worm. In general, all such animals are endowed ! 

 with the instinct \\ hich leads to the deposition of their 

 eggs where they will obtain their oppropriote nutri- 

 ment. The wisdom of this general law is most obvi- 

 ous. The tick is found almost wholly on ihe sheep; 

 and on the swine he wiuld soon die, as was once re- 

 marked by a farmer of t'le louse in the some situation, 

 of storvalion. The h rvje of the god, or goadfly, finds 

 ts home and food on the back ol cattle. They c ften 

 abound, too, upon those which have inferior strength 



