). J 2. 



AND GARDENER'S JOURNAL. 



181 



Culture of the Prenilum Crops. 



e intend in ibis nnd fortb-coming numbers to 

 Ish the Btatemcnta respecting tbo mode ond cx- 

 of culture, value and use of nnidiici, &c. ,o( 

 timorous extraordinary cropa for wbicb premi- 

 have been awarded tbe past season. From the 

 cation of this kind of information we believe will 

 t Bomo of the greatest benefits to be derived from 

 uliiirnl societies. We cannot devote much space 

 uliji ct this month, but will commence with 

 : lloiH Crops. 



KCT.V nAGA. 



■ap r/iifc'l by F. P. Root of Igtccilcn, Monroe 

 -l-.'OO bus/ul per acre — Soil, black vegetable 

 d — rather moist — previous crop, Wheat. The 

 nJ was ploughed once in the fall and twice in ibe 

 g, previous to sowing. Only a part of the land 

 nanurcd— that part produced tbe largest roots, 

 seed was sown on the ICihuf June. (Other par- 

 irs not state '.) 



op of Rata Biiga raisat by Geo. Shcffcr, of 

 atlandj Monroe Co, — 552 bushels per acre — 

 black clay loam, f Genesee Flats',) hears drouth 

 vet extremely well. Previous crop, corn ; no 

 ire. Soweil at the rate of two pounds of seed to 

 ;rc \ in rows 2 feet and 3 inches apart, and left 

 lants 6 to 10 inches apart in the rows Consid- 

 le roots worth 12J cts. per bushel — feeds them to 

 , principally. 



StG.in BEETS AND MANGET, Wl'BTZEL. 



aiscil by Geo. Shcjer, of Whcaaand— li 00 

 Js Sugar Beets, — iO'M bushels Mangel IVurlzel 

 ere — Sjil the same as above ; previous crop, Po- 

 i ; manured with 25 loads of vs'ell rotted manure 

 ere, ploughed under in the fall. Plouahed once 

 tprliig when ready for phmting — midle o( May. 

 ner of preparing tbe ground, planting, &c., the 

 as described hereafier for Carrots.) Sow three 

 Js of seed per acre. Feed these roots to my cows 

 ther cattle — consider them worth about the same 

 itB B.igas. 



CARROTS. 



isid by George Skrffer — 65oJ bushels per acre. 

 E.MESTs. — Tbe soil on which I raised my cairots, 

 lack heavy loam ; { Genesee Flats,) not liable to 



much from drouth or excessive moisture. The 

 oue crop was potatoes. Twenty-five loads of 



rattled manure were applied per acre, and 

 •bed under in the' fall. It was then left till tbe 

 of planting — 20Lh of May ; I then commence 

 ilougU a narrow land on one side of the field — 

 harrow and roll immediately, before it becomes 

 which leaves the surface line and smooth for 

 ing. I then mark out the rows, two feet apart, 

 an iniplcincnt made for the purptiec, resembling 

 avy rake wiih two pegs or teeth 2 Icet apart, 

 h is dniwn across tbe field by a man, P- st pulling 

 rce or f >ur slakes to nicasure with and go by. so 

 make the rows atioight. 



jak the seed 48 liour^, then roll it in white plas- 

 efore sowing. Two pounds of clean seed arc 

 site for an acre. I measure olf the ground and 

 tain how many rows there will he, before I com 

 ;o sowing ; then I measure tbe seed and calculate 

 uantity per row ; then a boy drops the seed by 



along tbe brills calculating the requisite qunnti- 

 reoch row. Another person inunedialily pnsse 

 ; with a hoe and covets the seed I to |th8 of an 



d'ep, with fine earth, smoothing it down firmly 



the back of the hoe, which leaves the rows dis- 

 ly visible and.gready facilitates the first weeding. 

 i soon as the plants show tbe third leaf, I hoe and 

 them, leaving them frmn 'i to G inches apart. I 



them clean of weeds enuring the summer, and 

 I the Ist of Noveniber 1 harvest ihr cmp— dig 



hem with a spade luid put them in a cellar. 



The following is as nearly as I can estimate the ex- 

 pense of raising and volue of my crop, of one acre of 

 carrots. 



Preparing the land and planting, -i days work. 



lloeing ond thinning Int time, 9 do. 



" 2d " 6 do. 



«' " ;!d " (J do. 



4ih " 4 do. 



Digging and sccnrii g crop 10 do. 



Say 4n days labor at 75 cents per day, $30,0(1 

 Two pounds clean carrot seed, "',00 



Expense of crop, - - - $:!3,(I0 



I feed my carrots to horses, and consider thom 

 worth at least half as nnich as oats. 

 Say (i.'>:U bubbclsat 1 shilling and T. pence 103,10 

 Value of the lops for fall feeding, at leaot 10,00 



Total value of crop. 

 Deduct expense, as above, 



112,10 

 3S,00 



Nclt profit of the crop. 



,$79,10 

 GEO. SHEFFER. 



Whcadand, Monroe Co., N. V. 



Remarks. — Our readers will perceive that Mr. 

 Shefier has omitted to reckon tbe rent of the land and 

 the value of the manure used for the above crop. 

 These items we should judge, woidd reduce the nett 

 profit to about Sixty fice dollars. A liberal sum for 

 one acre. — Ens. 



inr ( Olhcr premium crops ncort month. ) 



Cnlture of Silk in Families. 



We have received a communication of some length 

 IVoin Thomas Lcfevere, of Venice, Cavuga county, 

 detailing in full his first experiment in the culture ol 

 silk on a small scale, which ou li nils will not permit 

 to give entire. Ourcorrespondcntdid the whole of the 

 work liimeelf, and kept an accurate account of the 

 lime required in attendance upon the worms, on ab- 

 stract of which is here given, with cost and proceeds : 



Dr. 



Time fcc^Iins, &c 103 hours. 



Kivia? frame, ic ~ " 



(uitlic: ing cotioons anJ picking them cleaa . 3 " 

 Bryingtheni 2 " 



vliicli at 10 hoars a day 

 ,vhich lit only 30 tts 

 1 year interest 



1 1 days 

 cost of trees,. . . 



60 



Iliiir.i l.'i 

 •1 he .^u! 

 Stiite bo 



S6 25 

 Cr. 



^hcl and 2 quarts cocoons, at ©3 00. 



uru Prii-e 



1 7S 



^l 1)4 

 ■ SI 21 



The mulberry used was the v, hitc Iialion and Mul- 

 ticaulis — mostly the former — and our corrcspondonl 

 adds, " I find by this experiment 10,000 worms would 

 be full employ for one person, which, if no casualties 

 occurred, would produce 3 bushels of coccoons ; these 

 at the Auburn price would be !} dollars, and the state 

 bounty would be $'1,35, making $10,35 for the labor 

 of one person for al least 40 days ; allowing nothing 

 for trees and attending them, interest on their cost, 

 and on the ground, itc. tind without any allowance 

 for time in obtaining the stale bounty. And even it 

 it could bo atiended to by ihc wife ond children of a 

 farmer, to save expense of hiring, even then the poy 

 IS so .-mall as not to be worth the additional labor — 

 leaving out tbe loss by neglect that the butter and 

 cheese wojld sustain — as n ost ftmales, particularly 

 the wife, have as much woik as can usually be accom- 

 plished. From this trial I am fully persuaded that 

 silk cannot be rai.^cd in a small way in a larmer's 

 family, to any advantage — though it may perhaps an- 

 swer belter on a large scale as a business by itself, as 

 with many other things." 



We would merely remark, that with all the disad- 

 vnnt'igi'aof a first experiment, imperfect fixtures. Ac, 



we think this ia perhaps quite as eucceesful as could 

 have been expected. The silk business must of 

 course be like every other pursuit — it niiist requiro 

 thorough experience, slrici economy, close application, 

 and everything in good order, to bo profitable — and 

 those who expect to jump at once into wealth by this 

 means, will lind tliemsulvcs as greatly mistaken, as 

 ihe farmer would, who, without knowledge, without 

 tools, without seed and without live stock of modern 

 kinds, sbcnild dive at, into the wilderness, and attempt 

 at oiici- to compete successfully with the products of 

 our large maiketa. * 



A^ricultn al Fniis— the Iti^'ht (Spirit Ileviving. 

 The Autumn of 1841 bus been peculiarly distin- 

 guished by the attention that has been given to tbo 

 caureol Agriculture. The great Fair of the State 

 Agricultural Society at Syrocuse, the Fair of the 

 American Iiittiiutc, in this city, numerous Fairs of 

 county Societies in this State and of other Agricul- 

 tural Societies in the State of Massaehueetls, Con- 

 necticut, Pennsylvania, and several other States, havo 

 exhibited products of the soil, and improvements ill 

 ihe mode of cultivating it, never before equalled in 

 this country. These assemblages have also encour- 

 aged, aliendcd and conducted by the very ablest and 

 best of men in the country ; and we cannot doubt 

 have sent abroad a spirit that will exercise a most 

 wbolesome.iiillucnce upon the pursuits, thehabit", and 

 character of tbe people of this country. 



The natural businees of the American people is 

 agriculture. It is tbe basis of our wealth and inde- 

 f^endence. This is evident from tbe extent, fertility 

 and productiveiiesBofour soil, 'i he national and in- 

 dividual welfare of our people requires that agricul- 

 uvre should keep the position which nature has assign- 

 ed it. in advance of all other callings. We would 

 ntit depress manufactures and commerce, but vvotdd 

 let them depend upon ihe products of the soil, and be 

 sustained thereby. It is impoisib'.e that they should 

 be Eucccssful to a proper extent, if regulated by any 

 other standard. 



It is gratifying, therefore, to see the lively iiiteicst 

 every where awakening in the cultivation of the 

 earth. It is an honest, ond independent and a healthy 

 business. It was grossly neglected a few years since : 

 farms were siild in city lots on speculation, ini-tead of 

 being planted, as ihey should have been, with corn, 

 potatoes and turnips; our people were so deluded as 

 to buy grain from the shores of the lilack Sea, rather 

 than raise it on their own lane. Depravity of mor- 

 als, commercial ruin and general distress followed as 

 tbe inevitable consequences of this great en or. We 

 arc ^lad to see tbe people returning home from their 

 wanderings, filling their barns, and houses and stores 

 with the products of honest industiy, and rejoicing in 

 ihestuidy independence of tl rifty farmers. Long 

 may it be before our fertile " potati e patches" and 

 "cabbage yaids" are again laid waste by being sur- 

 ve-.edand lithographed into uninhabitable cities. 



It is the duty of the press and of our public n.cn to 

 encourage the niovenient of what may be considered 

 our great naiional business, agriculture. There ia 

 no danger of overdoing it. Who ever heard of over- 

 trading in this branch of business ? No matter how 

 extensive our surplus products may be, there will be a 

 market for them in some part of ihn world. The bu- 

 siness of exporting and exchanging them will suppo t 

 a vast commercial interest, and a large manufacturing 

 interest will also grow up as a natural and neccstaiy 

 incident. But agriculture mui-t take the lead; in it is 

 he oiiginof a 1 prospcriiy; before we begin to trade 

 we must produce somilbing to Hade with; and we 

 must pr;iducc the law matcr.al before we set up lac- 

 tones to improve it. . , > 



No matter, therefore, how much we stimulate by 

 proper means the cultivation of our soil, there is no 

 danger but that commerce and nionu.'acturcs will fol- 

 low la.-t enough of their own accord. They ore niore 

 liable than ngricullure to excess and over action. 

 Tlieir recruits are more splendid, and ambitious adven- 

 luresaie more caaly capiivaud by them. The re is a 

 c.nsiant tendency, especially m conimerciol alloiis to 

 .'0 too fast. Noapprehtnsion need therefore be lelt 

 \eil the business of agriculture should get too far 

 ahead; the diflicully is in Ke ping it sulnciontly ad- 

 vanced. Let commerce be regulated by it, dealing 

 only in the surplus values produced in the country, 

 and looking to no ficiit ous ond temporary stimulants, 

 and how soon the business of the country in every 

 deportment would become settUd, stable, rcgnlur and 

 permanenrly profitable. We should heor ol "omore 

 ruinous revulsions and fluctualioiie, and should have 

 , no troubles with a depreciated currency. —2V. J. aun. 



