12G 



THE NEW GENESEE FARMER, 



For the i\eK Genteee Farmer. 



PJatural Philosophy. 



*-^ Why ia it that bo lililc altcnlion io bestowed in 

 "'dying tbe Woiks of God by wliicU we are aur- 

 ded? How cnn tbe Power and Goodness of tbe 

 Almigbty bcmore gloriously exemplified than by re 

 ference to tbe Skill and Design manifested ibrough- 

 jiul all Nature? 



From the minutest to tbe mightiest, the works of 

 the Creator are every where characterized by the 

 wise adaptation of means to endf— by traits of Wisdom 

 and Beneficence which proclaim wilb "silent elo- 

 quence" tbe glory of the Eternal God. 



The Farmer is less excusable than any oilier man 

 for neglecting the wide field of Practical Wicdom fur- 

 nished for bis contemplation by tbe objects constant- 

 ly spread before Lis eyts. The Earth and the Iles- 

 yena — from the soil and the dews of which bis har- 

 vests are blessed— are everywhere replete with won- 

 ders. The millions of worlds which glisten around 

 him, are scarcely more wonderful than tbe animal- 

 cute which sport in thousands through a drop of w» 

 ter! 



The study of Natural Philosophy ia replete with in. 

 tercst and instruction — it cheers tbe heart, elevates 

 the mind, and promotes the love of God and man in 

 the human heart. It should be one of the prominent 

 studies in our schools, for nothing could more effect- 

 ually enlist the interests and affections of the young 

 — it should be a frequent theme in the sacred desk, 

 for what more powerful auxiliary could Religion 

 have in securing tbe attention and dignilying the 

 character of manhood? 



Let the Farmer consider well this matter— consult 

 some of the writers celebrated in Natural Science — 

 exorcise his own powers of observation and reflection — 

 and he will never regret that he has read this article, 

 if what we write shall have the slightest tendency to 

 encourage him in "looking through Nature to Na- 

 ture's Gcd," ROCHESTER. 



For the I^ew Genesee Fanner. 



Education-- Agr!culture"t!oriet;t feeliu; 

 well exprcs.<ic(l. 



Messrs. Editors — Much has been said and written 

 on the Eiibject of the education of tbe young of our 

 country : and I am happy in tbe belief that a change 

 has been wrought upon the public mind, on thia im- 

 portant subject. So much has been said by persons 

 capable of doing the subject justice, that it seems al- 

 most useless for mo to say anything: But I consider 

 it of BO much importance, that I am anxious that it 

 should be kept before the public mind. 



A few years since, a large portion of our citizens 

 eeemed to think it servile and mean to labor in any 

 capacity — and especially as a farmer or mechanic. 

 Our young men seemed to bo bent upon getting a 

 living ''without work." And our young women, 

 when any thing happened to be said about " work," 

 eeemed very careful, if perchance they had been 

 guilty of euch a crime, not to let it be known. This, 

 I admit, was more generally the case among a cer- 

 tain clasi — a sort of " would-be somebodies." 



I am ill the belief that the public mind lias changed 

 on this subject Young ladies seem not so fearful 

 that it shall be known that they attend to household 

 duties: And young men, instead of begging a situa- 

 tion behind a counter or in some musty office, seem 

 willing to employ themselves in that more noble and 

 useful avocation — the cultivation of the soil I say 

 "more noble'' — because what is more noble than for 

 man to cultivate those plan's and animals that God 

 has given him to exist and luxuriate upon ? and in do- 

 ing which he may more forcibly see the divine good- 

 ineta and mercy esemplified in its bestownients upon 



Besides, it is expressly declared that " man shall 

 earn bis bread by the sweat of his brow." Now it is 

 perfectly plain that bread cannot bf obtained except 

 by the "sweat of tbe brow." Some of us must 

 work, or we all starve: And v?ho docs not know that 

 the powers and faculties of both body and mind are 

 much more vigorous when we subject ourselves to 

 manual labor? The idea that hard labor cannot be 

 endured by us, is all imaginary. A sound healthy 

 persiui can work, and he cannot enjoy all tbe bless- 

 ings of health without woiking to some extent. 



Let the idea that all healthy persons cannot labor 

 according to their strength, vanish — and let all idlers 

 "cease to do evil and learn to do well." I under- 

 stand that the decree, "man sbrJI earn his bread," &c. 

 includes all men; and that all men are in duly bound 

 to supiily themselves with the slalT of life, as far as is 

 possible. 1 do not say that all shall be farmers, or 

 mechanics, or of any particular calling; but that Each 

 should earn his o%vn living honorably: And I am 

 quite sure that there can be no more honorable or 

 sure way of getting a competence, that by cultivating 

 the soil. 



But, gentlemen, as I am a new-comer, I will not 

 trespass upon your patience longer. It has been said 

 of some of our most eminent men, they weie always 

 brief, and spoke to the jwint. Would it not be well 

 for us all, and especially our legislators, to think of 

 this? 



With my best wishes for your 8ucc«=8 «nd the ad- 

 vancement of agriculture, I am, yours, 



A FARMER. 



OrUmii Co., July, 1S41. 



For the New Genisea Farmer, 



More liaige Fig."*. 



Messrs. Ejiitors — I am a new subscriber to your 

 valuable paper, and have just received the back num- 

 bers of the current volume. On looking over the 

 March number I observed an account of some very 

 ihrifty pigs raised by Mr. Sheldon Cook of Genesee 

 county, who asks if any person has raised larger, of 

 no greater age. Also, one by Mr. Samuel Lundy of 

 Waterloo, who challenges the Berkshircs to beat bis. 



Now, 1 hope these gentlemen will pardon me if I 

 say I think I have outdone them. I slaughtered four 

 pigs, January let., that weighed, when dressed, 137!) 

 lbs., being an average of ."-IdJ lbs. each, or separately 

 as follows: 30G, 324, 3G3, S66. They were only ten 

 tnonihs and eight days old, and were a cross of the 

 Berkshire and common large breed. I think such a 

 cross is a great improvement, and goes ahead of the 

 full bloods. 



I am only a young farmer, but I have had conside- 

 rable experience ill fatting bogs; and I have one word 

 of advice to give to my brother farmers on the sub- 

 ject. (ET Fat more spring pigs, and not so many old 

 hogs. Try the experiment, as I have, and you will 

 become satisfied that more and better pork can be 

 made, with far less expense, from young than from 

 old hogs. Attention to this point is particularly ne. 

 ccEsary with those persons who feed but a small num- 

 ber, and where tbe trouble and expense of wintering 

 store hogs is an important consideration. 

 Veiy Respectfully, 



JOHN SHATTUCK. 



Oiford, Chcnavgo co., N. Y., June, \S4l. 



How to Ascertain the Age of Horses. 



An esteemed correspondent requests us to publish 

 directions for discovering the age of horses. The 

 following answer must suffice for this month — when 

 sve find a belter we will give it: — 



In purchasing a hors:;, not the least important 

 mailer is to be able to tell his age. In transfers of 

 ordinary farm ami saddle horses, great impositions are 

 often praciiecd upon the creduTous and ii'ninitinieli 



*(»' 



t 



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purchaser. To prevent this, to as great i 

 poseible for the future, is the objcrl of ihii 

 alien to the public. The most certain nieani 

 ■erlrining the age of a hoise is lo examine the 

 vbi.li take place wilb the Iceih. The twelvi 

 t eth begin to sbool in about two weeks afier 

 ia foaled. These are called cnlt tceib and are 

 dill'cieni periods and leidacod by oiheie. Whi 

 colt is aboul two years and a half old, the foil) 

 die ones come out; in about aiioiber year, fi-ur 

 are lost — and in another 5 ear, or wh n the Hi 

 li'ur and a half years old, the four last arfr 

 These last are rciilaced by what ai'e called C07'7iei 

 They are hollow, and have a black mark in thei 

 ily. Tbey are scarcely visible, and. the cavil; 

 when the horse is four and a half yeais old, ll 

 gin to fill when he is six and a half, and the mark 

 linually diminishes and contracts, till the hot •* 

 seven or eight years old, when the cavity fills Uf H' 

 tbe black mark is obliterated. Thehoise acq 

 his canine teeth or tushes about his fifth year, 

 two in the lower jaw begin lo appear when he ii 

 iween 3 or 4 yeaieold, and those in the upper 

 five or six months after. They continue very & 

 pointed till six. At ten, tbe upper seem bini 

 worn out and long, the gum leaving them gradii. n"P 

 the barer ibey are the older ihc horse. From telh*'' 

 fourteen, it ie difficult to tell the horse's age- 

 sufficient then to know that he is old, and uudei 

 bard treatment which is given to horses 

 the conclusion will be a safe one that he is worlb 

 liltle.— So. Cult. EQUESTRIAiN 



An Address on American Agricultur^fl"* 



Before tbe American InstiUile, in New York, J 

 14, 1841, by Henry Colman, is an able and inlfr 

 ing production, in the peculiarly pleasant slyle 

 auihor. We make the following extract : 



American Agriculture Etnrta in ihe raceof impi 

 ment in the enjoyment of singular advantages, ha 

 the benefit of all the improvements and discovert 

 the philosophers and praciical agricuUurists of 

 oldwor'd. The Agriculture of Europe differs: 

 that of ibis couniiy on account of dillijrenccs of t 

 ale and soils, and by various circumstances in 

 social condition, character and wants of the pcopl 

 But the great principles of vegetation and cu'uvi 

 are every where the saine. Their remarkable 

 provementa in ihe redemption of unproductive, v 

 and wet soils, in the irrigation of lands, in drai^ 

 and sub-soil ploughing, in ibe composting and < 

 pounding of manures, in the use of mineral mnni 

 and more especially in ihe improvement of their 

 stock, amounting almost to the creation of new 1 

 ul calde, sheep and swine, will not only stimulatf 

 exertions, but serve as examples for our guidance 

 der the qualifications, which the peculiarities of 

 situation require. 



The French and Germans, if their progress hai 

 been as great as that of Great Britain, are now 

 vancing, in a course of improvement in Agricu 

 with an equal step. In the application of Chem 

 10 Agriculture, in comparative anatomy and hoi 

 in exact experiments, in the institution of n 

 farms, where the most important agricultural ex 

 ments are carefully going on under the supervieio 

 some of the most enlighiened men of the age, an 

 the expense of the state, and in eil'orts and provit- 

 10 create an iuKrest in the art and to extend an; 

 formation, which is "cquircd ; and especially, 

 systematic arrangement and organization throng) 

 the kingdom, by which agricultural informatio 

 collected from every source, and again feut 

 through the arteries into every par; of the poll 

 body, the French nation is at this time in advan' 

 all others. 



American Agriculture, though comparatively i 

 infancy, having always had to struggle with the i 

 cultics of no c.Tiiilal and high prices of labor, may 

 vertheless regard itself v.-ith a good deal of saiisftfc 

 The earliest publication on American Agriculture 

 made in 1700 ; and Eliot's Essays on Field Husba 

 will be read with interest and instruction for age 

 come. Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and New 1 

 early establithed Agricultural socieiiis, oflered lil 

 preir iums for successful experiments in agricuU 

 and held cattle shows and |jloughing matches, wl 

 have awakened a strouji interest and created a r 

 salutary competition. These three states, in the 

 port's and memoirs of their agricultural societies, I 

 given to the public more than twenty-three volu 

 of instructive and useful matter. Dcanc, Lowell 

 Pickering, in Massachusetts, Livingston, L'Hon 

 dieu and Ko ack in New York, Peters, Mease, Lo 

 apd Powell in Penns^'tvanro^ Stjies and Hiijuplt' 



