No. 7. 



AND GARDENER'S JOURNAL 



99 



Product — The prndnct will bo according to ihc 

 Isoil, nnJ will vary from ten to thirty biislicls of 6eed, 

 ■nd trom one to throe tons of fornsc, on tlic ncro. It 

 eoniQiiincs produces more than a tbmisnml Ibid remnis. 

 Use — \Vf hnvo Ibiiiid it an cxci'licnt Bubstitme for 

 Poorn, in Inttcmn;^ hogs, cither ground or boiled; nnd 

 ■ if grounil would probably bo useful lor neat emtio nnd 

 horses. The straw ia eaten freely hy eaitle, ami both 

 i the seed and straw abound with nutiitious matter. — 

 lAlljaKii Cnllii;itKtr. 



The followins; opinions were advanced by Messrs. 

 IColmnn and Huckminstcr, at the Agrienltural meet- 

 lings in Boston: I . , _ ,, , . . . ,, m 



' Millet was both grass and grain. Mr. C. had '='=''""""'='" or profitable mode of competition. Ihe 

 I himself raised it at the rate of three tone to the acre, f above cl-juse seems to embrace the true principle on 



Mention is made of "articles, productions and im- 

 provements, best calculated to pionii to the agricultural, 

 household, and manufactu.iuy inte'vsts of this State." 

 All articles seem to be excluded from cxhibiiion for 

 premiums, c.icci't those whir,li fidfil the above imcii- 

 tion. Theoflicers of the society are tobnvo "special 

 reference to the nctt pve.nls which accrue or nro likely 

 to accrue from the mode of raising the crop or stock, 

 or tbe labricatioa of liie nrticlu thus ofl'ered, with the 

 intention that the reward shall be given for the most 



It is an annual plant, and ia usetui when other crops 

 fail, rie had known millet sown in August, and a 

 good crop obtained after the crop of liay bad been cut 

 oft" with drought. Cattle prefer it to almost any other 

 kind of hay. When rijicned it is a valuable gra'n, 

 Weighing from thirty to forty pounds to the bushel." 

 Millet he (Mr. 11.) believed a great exhauster 

 of the soil: it probably v/ould trot exhaust so niuc'a 

 when cut for hay before it was ripe. It could hot be 

 profitably cultivated in this country for any vther 

 than a late crop." 



For the Ifew Gc/tescf^ Farmrr. 

 AgricuUiira! SocEeties-=The Act of 1841 

 "To Promote Agriculturo." 



Messrs. Eduous — There has been i;nuch differ- 

 ence of opinion amongst practical farir.ers, as to the 

 ■utility of Agricultural Societies. f.oine have said 

 ihey are altogether too partial in thr^r operations, ex- 

 cluding from competition all, or mostly all, of those 

 who have not ample pecuniary means of preparing 

 subjects for exhibition and pr emium at the annuol 

 fair. It is urged that the pr',nciple on which prerai- 

 «ms have been awarded, ir ,stead of rewarding skill, 

 economy, and good husba' ,,(]ry, has encouraged a few 

 individuals to vie with e adj oii,er in pampering a se- 

 lect number of nnima' .g^ ^,t,ilo perhaps their average 

 stock may in conser ^i,e„ce be stinted below ordinary 

 allowance, and be of the most common description. 

 Some have besto ^^(j ^U their manure on one or two 

 .acres, and by gr .gt e.tpense of time and pains extorted 

 .a great crop of g,.ain or roots, while the remainder of 

 ihe farm has' j,et yiixix corresponding neglect; and fi- 

 nally, he wh ,0 has succeeded in cramming the most 

 pudding in jo ^ pjg^ or has been able to draw the milk 

 /rom the grcaics-. number of cows with one cnlf, has, 

 .as a mat .ter of co'.Utie, drawn the premium. Sir, how 

 if-ve y ou fed tlia tine animal of yours 1 Ob, he has 

 "neve [ had more than he could get, has been in some 

 •cae ja about the necessary amount of scrutiny and in- 

 "VCstigation as to method nnd means. 



Tus man who, rcgordless of c.Ypcnse, obtains the 

 greatest crop from an acre or half an acre, w. H acom- 

 plish the same result. The same may be said of the 

 otherwise frugal housewife, who neglects impoi tsut 

 domestic duties, in order to produce a highly wroug.'il 

 pair of silk stockings or a curious hearth run-. 



These objections I confess are not altogether ground- 

 less; yet, upon the whole, agricultural societies, with 

 all their errors of manag<;raent, have stirred up a spirit 

 of eniulafion, showed farmers what can be done, and 

 been of great benefit to the intcjests of agriculture, 

 I think the friends of improvement may felicitate 

 themselves on the final attention which this subject has 

 received from the legislature, and the passage of an 

 act, which if carried out according to its true spirit 

 will obviate liiesc objeetione, and place every one with- 

 in the sphere of fair competition. 



Although the aljowanoe provided in this act is very 

 limited; yet, as an incipient step, it ia much better 

 than no action; and it is to be hoped that the impor- 

 tance of the object will stimulate our farmers promptly 

 to oo-operate in making up the duplicate to this fund. 

 I propose to make a iew remarks on section 3d of 

 the act, which will be ftuud entire in the Jiuie num- 

 ber Qf this paper, 



whie'a agricultural societies ought to operate and pre- 

 D'.'iums be awarded. Farming in general is not cnr- 



d on as an amusement, but as a source of profit, as 

 an agreeable and healthy employment. The data which 

 are to determine " nett profit," seem to bo perfectly 

 evident. He who succeeds in eliciting the most ani- 

 mal or vegetable nutriment from a given quantity of 

 nmteiial, with the same economy of time and labor, 

 shows the most skill; or, in other words, he who can 

 pi ocluoe a fine crop or a fine animal at the least expend 

 of menus, will reap the most " nett profit." It iswcU 

 known that two animals of the same ago and weight 

 may be placed in separate pens, each may be fed the 

 same quantity of grain or roots — at the end of o given 

 time weigh nnd examine these animals and there will 

 be found a dilTerence (sometimes very great) in their 

 weight and form. 



The only possible circumstances which can produce 

 this dilTerence, are as follows: — 



1. Method of preparing the food. 



2. Time and manner of feeding. 



3. Constitution of the animal, which embraces, 



1. Voracity of appetite, which malies them what are 

 termed "good feeders." 



2. Power of the digestive and assimilating organs, 

 by which a greater quantity of chyle is elaborated from 

 the same aliment in some animals than in others. 



In regard to field crops, it is likewise known that 

 the most striking diflerencein the appearance and pro- 

 duce ia sometimes only separated by a division fence. 



This is caused, 



1. 3y the previous condiuon of the land, quantity 

 and quality of manure applied: 



2. Season of the year when manure ia drawn and 

 method of application. 



3. Number of times nnd manner in which the land 

 is ploughed and harrowed. 



4. Preparation of seed nnd mode of plariting o^ g' „ 



showing accurately the profitof cultivating the crop or 

 feeding or fattening the animal. This latter clause 

 strikes at the root of the whole matter. It excludes 

 all mere fancy farmers, who by dint of money con ex- 

 hibit some huge animal, or produce an enormous crop 

 from a few rods of ground. 



It will bo seen I think, that the spirit of the law is 

 to give the " race to the swift and the battle to the 

 strong," and as far as can be, reward and encourage 

 genuine merit. 



Farmers of 1811, why are you not still muzzling 

 over the surface of your farms with the old bull plough 

 with wooden mould bonid, and putting in your grain 

 with the triangular harrow of nine teeth? Who 

 amongst you now, who if your slock is not all tho- 

 rough bred, have not a sprinkling amongst your 

 flocks and herds of some of the best blood in Europe 1 

 To whom are you indebted for the amazing improve- 

 ment which has taken place in farming for the Inst 

 twenty years 1 To the ingenious, to the enterpri- 

 sing, to the men who were willing to hazard time and 

 means in doubtful experiments — many important hints 

 on which you are alr.iost unconsciously practicing 

 with success, you can trace to these men— men of 

 thought, men of persevering exertion. 



I need not say that real excellence in any depart- 

 ment of business is not the result of accident, or blind 

 chance. It must be the fruit of cool reflection, of" pa 

 tient thought." The brilliant emanations of genius, 

 like those luminous appearances in the heavens which 

 sometimes occur, may dazzle and surprise and excite 

 our admiration; but most of the great practical im- 

 provements in the arls which have raised men from 

 barbariBm, have been the fruit of laborious exertion, 

 of protracted experiments. They have cuueed much 

 tacking of the brain and many sleeploos nights.— 

 These remarks apply as well to farming as to any oth- 

 er pursuit. The door of improvement is still open — 

 let the tide flow on. Every farmer, if he studies his 

 own interest, will become a member of the county so- 

 ciety; and if he has not the taste or the time to devote 

 to agricultural experiments, let him cheerfully con- 

 tribute a little for the encouragement of those who, 

 for his benefit, are willing to search out the most suc- 

 cessful and economical method of raising a crop, aatJ 

 will be at the pains of introducing the most an-- 

 breeds of horses, caltle, sheep, and' sv- 

 Ogdcn, J((/4i^lM84l. .„g^ 



J- B. SMITH. 



oved 



S^' 



5. And lastly, time spent in tehdiiig the c^.^^ , 

 manner of doing it. 



A proper discrimination is required to hit right in 

 every particular, and so adjust the, labor and expense 

 as to se«ure a profitable crop. The more skilfiil and 

 j.udicioiis ."onsideration of the above circumsionces, 

 can alone rem^er one man more aucceesAil than anoth- 

 er. Here is ample scope for the exercise of thouoht 

 and experiirfent; aniJ the man who by well directed 

 and careful cxp.'irimetit, establishes aome principle in 

 the rearing of stock,- or cultivation of ihe soil, nnd in 

 proof of this principle' brings forward to the Fair a 

 specimen of production, jvhieh not only excels, but 

 has yielded a handsome " nctt profit," will, by im- 

 parting hia peculiar method, confer benefit on the 

 whole farming community. In pursuance of this lat- 

 ter consideration, the act goes on to provide that the 

 " person claiming the premium shall deliver in wri- 

 ting, to ihe president of the society, as Accurate a des- 

 cription of the process of prepnniig- the soil, including 

 the quantity and quality of, manure applied, and iu 

 raising ihe crop, or feeding the animal, as may be; 

 and also of the expense and product of the crop, or of 

 jritrease ia value of th? ajiima'. witb ths view ol ! 



,,^ii.„ p„--,„„„ , , ,, ^'"' "' ^™ Genesee Farmer 



Mjj.ssrs. Editors— Some six or eight years since, 

 while carrying on farming at Rock Stream, one of 

 my orchards, in which was a variety of fruit Ireea, in- 

 cluding a number of the common red sour cherry, be- 

 came covered with a luxuriant growth of grass, to de- 

 stroy which, I turned in, about the first of September, 

 fifly or sixty meiino sheep. The animals seemed 

 unusually fond of eating the young cheriy sprouts 

 which Lad sprung up very thick under and about the 

 cherry trees. In less than an hour a large proportion 

 olthem were discovered to be diseased, and they were 

 immediately turned out. They staggered conlinually, 

 pitching forward upon their heads, and often tar:;ing 

 entiiely over upon their backs. ]u the course of two 

 or three hours several of them had died; the remain- 

 der gradually recovered. 



Post mortem examinations proved' that their stom- 

 achs were compactly filled with the leaves of the 

 cherry sprouts, containing, I presume, prussic acid 

 safficient to destroy animal life. 



E. BARNES. 



Note.— A neighbor of mine lost a cow from her 

 eating the leaves of a cherry tree, which had been 

 blown down by a wind storm, F B) 



Gmwa\ May ^, l^^^ , 



