148 



THE NEW GENESEE FARMER, 



Vol. 2 



A Visit to Bi'ockport and Clarksou. 



1 11 the early part of September, we took a ride to 

 IJr ickport, in company with L. B. Langworthv, Esq. 

 iinil JVIr. Joseph Alleys, with the intention of view- 

 ing the farm and silk cocoonery of Mr. George Allen, 

 an. I visiting a number of the good farmers in Sweden 

 an. I Clarkeon. Owing to the excessive warmth of the 

 wouther, and some indisposition on our part, we did 

 not nccomiilish as mnch na we intended ; still, wc saw 

 much that was highly interesting to lis, and some ac- 

 count of which may gratify our readers. 



Mr. Allen's Faim 

 ta situated on the south east side, and within the cor- 

 poiate limits of the village of Brockport. It consists 

 of S-6 acres, embracing a great variety of surface and 

 kinds of soil, now under good cultivation, but origin- 

 ally quite rough and some parts so wet and boggy as 

 to be utterly useless. The improvements which Mr. 

 Allen has eifected, are quite surprising, and reflect 

 great credit on his skill and enterprise. His system 

 of 



Untlei'-Drainiiig aud Stock Watering 

 Is very perfect, and worthy of imitation. He has made 

 about 80 rods of under-drain, by means of which he 

 has not only reclaimed several acres of valuable land 

 an 1 beautified his premises, but by placing reservoirs 

 in the drains, and putting down conducting logs, be 

 has obtained an abundant and never failing supply of 

 pure water, at his yard and buildings. In construct- 

 ing drains, Mr. Allen has adopted several modes, ac- 

 cording to the nature of the soil or other circumstan- 

 ces. Where the soil was firm, and the materials at 

 c.immand, the drain was formed of loose stones, first 

 covered with turf, then with earth. At other places 

 it was formed by nailing two narrow boards together, 

 like a trough, placing it with the angle downwards for 

 the bottom of the drain, then putting small sticks 

 across and covering it with another board, so as to 

 leave a crevice for the water to enter under the cover; 

 the whole surrounded with broken charcoal to facili- 

 t.'ite filtration and preserve the boards from decay. — 

 Another method, and to us a novel one, was practiced 

 where the sub-soil was quicksand, and where aboard 

 or stone drain would soon fill up : ho went to the 

 woods and cut beech brush, consisting of branches one 

 inch or less in diameter, with the spray on, which he 

 tied up in small bundles or fnggols, eight or ten inches 

 iii diameter ; these he placed lapping e.ich other in n 

 low in the bottom of the drain, having first laid 

 ilown a bed of straw. The fno-gols are then firmly 

 surrounded and covered with straw, and on this is 

 thrown the turf and rubbish, then earth or sand, the 

 whole firmly pressed down. How long such drains 

 will endure without decaying or filling up with quick- 

 sand, we cannot tell, but they seem to answer the pur- 

 poso admirably, and certainly are not very expensive. 

 Mr. Allen is also large ',y engaged in 



Silic and Mulberry operations, 

 As our readers are already aware, by his communica- 

 tion which we published last month, and to which we 

 now refer for an account of his cocoonery, &c., in or- 

 der to p-event repetition. We were somewhat dis- 

 appointed in the appearance of the cocoonery, having 

 expected to see a belter finished building and more 

 expensive fixtures ; but as it is, it goes to prove one 

 important fact, namely, that large expenditure of mo- 

 ney is not necessary for a commencement. Owing 

 to a want of experience, and some mismanagement, 

 Mr. Allen was not very successful with his early crop 

 of worms; but the later hatchings, of which he has an 

 juimense number now feeding, appear very promis- 

 ing. Some were beginning to spin when we were 

 there. The cocoonery is fitted up with Morris' Frames, 

 whic!i undoubtedly combine mora advantages than 

 any other cjntrivance for feeding silk worms. Mr. 

 Allen is 8.) weU,c:)nvincBj of their utility, that he hai 



become joint proprietor with Mr. Morris for the right 

 of oil the districts of Western New York lying west 

 of the Genesee River, 



The mulberry plantations and nurseries of Mr. Al- 

 len far exceeded our expectations. He had no estimate 

 of the exact number of trees, but thinks there is over 

 200,000. They embrace the M. alba, M. multicaulis, 

 and several other varieties. Mr. Allen has collected 

 a vast fund of information on the subject of silk culture, 

 and appears to take pleasure in communicating it to 

 others. 



The Farm of Mr. S. D. Baldwin 

 Was the next place we visited, it consists of 11)0 acres 

 of very superior land, only half a mile from the vil- 

 lage of Brockport, on the south west side. Mr. Bald- 

 win is very successful in the culture of wheat, Indian 

 corn, and other ordinary crops ; but what most at- 

 tracted our attention was 17 acres of broom corn. 



This was of an unusually fine growth, very tall and 

 thick, and being just in full head, it presented a most 

 luxiu-iant spectacle. Mr. B. has long been in the 

 practice of raising broom corn, and making brooms. 

 It aflcirds profitable employment for the winter months. 

 We found another somewhat unusual crop on this 

 farm, but we doubt whether the owner deserves much 

 credit for it, although it looked very promising, for it 

 was nothing but weeds — yes, and the vilest of all 

 weeds-j'/'otacfo / Mr.^. is quite confident that this 

 crop can be raised with advantage on his land ; but 

 we shall not be surprised nor sorry if he is disappoint 

 ed when he brings it to market. 



In horticulture, Mr. Baldwin is sadly deficient; but 

 we think he must be something of an amateur in flor- 

 iculture, tor we observed many curious if not rare 

 plants in his flower garden in front of the house; such 

 for instance as Phytolacca dccandra, (Poke weed,) 

 Riimcz sangu'nuM, (Dock,) Chcnopotlium rhovMfo- 

 Hum, (Pig weed,) &c. &c. 



After we had partaken of the hospitalities of his ta- 

 ble, Mr. Baldwin conveyed us lo Clorkson, where we 

 took a stroll over the large and beautiful 



Farm of Dr. Abel Baldwin. 

 His land extends from the Ridge Road to more than 

 a mile in extent on the plain below. The soil is gen- 

 erally good, though much of it is rather heavy. It 

 formerly produced large crops of wheat, but Doct. B. 

 says it has lost much of its wheat growing properties, 

 and he now intends to try the efl'ects of lime and deep 

 ploughing. If he can obtain a good subsoil plov<r/i, 

 he promises to give it a trial. He is doing considera- 

 ble at under-draining, and says he has observed that 

 the heaviest wheat is produced where the earth has 

 been thrown out in making drains ; an argument 

 which we have before adduced in favor of deep plough- 

 ing on such lands. Dr. B. keeps a large number of 

 cattle, and cuts much grass. On his largest meadows 

 he has adopted a system of 



Irrigation 

 Which he finds of great advnnlogc particularly in dry 

 seasons like the past. A stream formed by a waste- 

 wier in the canal, runs through his form, and when 

 required a portion of the water is conducted on to this 

 meadow in such a manner as to submerge nearly the 

 whole surface ; from which it is again conducted 

 when necessary by opening several drains. We won- 

 der that irrigation is not more practiced in this coun- 

 try, especially in places such as wc often see, where it 

 could bo done with trifling expense. In England, 

 notwithstanding the moisture of the climate, irriga- 

 tion is much practiced and found to be of great ad- 

 tage. 



Dr. Baldwin has a line collection of cattle consisting 

 both of improved and common breeds. A lot of steers 

 and grade heifers struck us as being very beautiful. 

 His cows are aUo very fine, both uf improved and se- 

 lected uummou Block, I 



Disease Among Calves--Inquiry. 



Dr. Baldwin informed us ihat in the month of Au- 

 gust ho lost twelve very fine calves about throe moiulis 

 old, by a strange kind of epidemic that attacked them; 

 the cause and cure of which neither he nor his neigh- 

 bors understood. The calves were very large cud 

 thrifty ; all sucked the cows, and gave no evidence 

 of ill health till they euddenly became dumpy, refused' 

 lo suck, and in 24 hours died. On removing the 

 skin large black spots were seen on the body ; and on 

 examination the second stomach was found to be dry 

 and hard. We presume some of our readers can 

 throw light on this subject, and Lope they will do so.ij 

 A Ijargc Grape Vine. 



In his fruit garden Dr. Baldwin has the largest and: 

 most productive grape vine we have ever seen in this, 

 countiy. It is on American variety called Winne, 

 resembling the Isubcllo. The branches run along a; 

 trellis and over the tops of several fruit trees, covering, 

 a space wc should judge, of at least forty feet square., 

 We tried to make on estimate of the number of clns- 

 tersof fruit but time and our patience failed us. Wb 

 guessed there were about -SOOO ; they are not as large 

 as the foreign varieties. 



Lime as a Manure. 



Lime has been considered the foundation of all good 

 husbandry ; for where it is not found naturally in the' 

 soil in sufficient abundance, it has generally been iho 

 task of the good husbandman lo supply the deficiency.'/ 

 It may be doubted however, whether lime is the? 

 only mineral capable of rendering soils perpetually j 

 fertile. The black sandy prairies of the Western j 

 States seem to furnish an e.xccption. We have form 

 erly stated our views on this subject, and now repeat 

 them in the hope of inducing some able chemist to fur- 

 nish an accurate analysis. 



Much of the praitie on the east side of the Wabasi 

 river, which includes the town of Vincennes, was a' 

 common when we visited that place in 1816; and had' 

 probably been in that condition for more than aecntu-' 

 ry. In many places, it was eniircly bare — in otliera 

 covered by coarse grass or perennial weeds ; but 

 wherever it was cultivated, the vegetation was most 

 luxuriant. The soil appears nearly black, but glislcn- ' 

 ing in the sun. This reflection is from the white sand 

 which constitutes a large proportion, while the dark 

 color is derived from the finely divided matter. On' 

 treating it with diluted muriatic acid, we discovered 

 no efTervescence, and concluded it contained no carbo- 

 nate oflime. When burnt, it was scarcely diminished 

 in quantity, showing it contained but little carbon or 

 vegetable matter. By this process, however, it was 

 changed from black to a reddish cast ; and we infer- 

 red that the fertilizing principle was a mineral, and 

 probably a sulphurct, but our examination extended r.o 

 further. 



These tracts hovi^ever, form but a very small pro. 

 portion of the country ; and we recur to lime as the' 

 general fertalizcr. We intend not indeed to discuss 

 the subject at large, but simply to point to errors that 

 agriculturists have sometimes adopted. 



Lime should always be applied in the form of pow- 

 der ; and it matters not whether the reduction of the 

 stone to this state, be performed by grinding or Intrn- 

 ing ; but the latter method being the easier, has been 

 generally adopted. It is true there is a great diflerence 

 between the comminuted stone and quick lime, just 

 slacked , but the latter when spread out on the ground 

 becomes carbonated so s;icedily, that both have the 

 same effect, as manures. A solution of quick lime is 

 of no particular uee in agriculture ; an intimate inter- 

 mixture with the soil is the princijial thing ; and lo 

 prevent its becoming clotted, a most useful precaii-i^ 

 tion. j^i 



To grind aiagnesian limestone, if practicBblc,w6ul4l- 



