^o. 8. 



AND GARDENER'S JOURNAL. 



121 



tlio Talavcro, iho Trovciice, the Virginia Mny, ibe 

 Red Cbaff, the Hutchinson nnd the Crate, bcsidi-e 

 others ; and of the conif oralive result ho hos kindly 

 promised a full account. 



Ho desires me Ukewiee to Eoy, that if farmers will 

 npply to him for seed, tliey mny rely upon that which 

 is clean nnd genuine. I can hnve no do\ibt that this 

 w nrranty may be entirely relied upon. 



Oats are here a remarkable crop. I have nevei 

 eccn heavier crops any where. The ont usually c\d 

 I vnied is the common branchin's oat, and weighs 32 

 n -iinds per bushel and yields ordinarily forty nnd up- 

 wards of bushels per acre. I saw one field of the 

 Tartarian or Horse Mane ont, so called from the pnii- 

 iclcs hanging nil on one side. This I think wns at 

 the Shaker settlement in Grovelnnd, nnd in iheir ciil- 

 livation usualfy yielded from 40 to 60 bushels per 

 acre. The largest growth of the common oat I saw 

 on the rich meadows of Mr. Cuyler in teiccEter ; 

 they were nearly five feet high throughout the field. 

 Their yield, though it nnist be matter of conjeclion, 

 would probably not be less than '30 to 60 bushels per 

 acre. But by far the best field of oats which came 

 iinder my notice, was on the well managed farm of 

 R. Harmon in Wheatland. It wns the Scotch potato 

 oat, weighing ordinarily 44 lbs. per bushel, nnd must 

 Jrield a very Inrge crop. This ont is, enid to degener- 

 ate after the first year's cuUivntion. It would be well 

 to inquire what occasions this degeneracy. 



The amount of seed sowed ie 2J bushels per acre. 

 Mr. Harmon informed me that in one instance he ob- 

 tained forty bushels from 15 qts. sown. I found some 

 farmers who were accustomed to sow three bushels 

 per acre. The black oat is sometimes cultivated, but 

 I know no advantage which it has over any other. 



Rye appears to be scarcely cultivated here. I saw 

 in my journey only one field. Where as much wheal 

 con be obtnined as rye from the same extent of land 

 and with no greater expense of cultivation, the supe- 

 rior value of the wheat product leaves no ground for 

 hesitation is to Which to choose. 



Baklev. — Of Barley I saw many fields and some 

 very heavy. The average yield strted to me was 28 

 bmshels. Wm. Garbut of Wheatland, gives me as 

 the average product of his fields, forty bushels. He 

 BOWS the double in preference to the four rowed bar- 

 ley, and considers one bushel of barley as food for any 

 stock, equivalent to a bushel of corn. Some ex- 

 tensive fielijs on the Genesee Flats must yield more [ 

 tban forty bushels to the acre. The breweries in the 

 country formerly created a lirge demand f'or barley, 

 but the progress of temperance has greatly abated this 

 demand. 



Peas. — Peas are considerably cultivated, and under 

 successful management yield forty bushels per acre. 

 This, however, is an extraordinary yield. They are 

 mainly cultivated for stock, the grain being quite 

 , equal to corn for sheep, and the houlm, when well 

 saved, is as nutritious and as much relished as any 

 long feed which cSn be given them. A pen called the 

 grass pea I found growing in two instances, in the one 

 for the use of Bees, for which purpose it was sown 

 broadcast and much esteemed ; in the other, as mat 

 ter of experiment, in order to ascertain its yield nnd 

 ita value. It did pot promise much. 



Indian Ookn. — This may be considered as a rare 

 crop in the Genesee Valley, and the cultivation of it 

 inferior. Mr. AVadsworth gave it as his opinion that 

 the average yield was not over 25 bushels per acre ; 

 but Mr. Bond, an experienced and intelligent farmer, 

 stated that with good cultivation fifty and seventy-five 

 bushels per acre might be had, and he had himself 

 known inntances of 116 bushels per acre. Indian 

 corn is evidently not a favorite, and is fairly distanced 

 by its great competitor, wheat. There mny, in the 

 condition ef th« market and various local circumstan- 



ces, be good reason for this ; but when the value ol 

 the grain and the value of an acre of well cured corn 

 fodder are both considered, when sbrep, or horses, or 

 horned cattle are kept, I believe that tlie corn crop de- 

 serves much mere a'.tciuion than it receives. 



I wad surprised at the stntemcnt of Mr. Brooks of 

 Brooksgrovc in Mount Morris, that corn to use his 

 own exproi'sion will not grow there upon newly clear 

 ed land even when it has been burnt over ; nnd thai 

 the land must be sometime under cultivation before n 

 crop of corn can be produced. This is contrary 

 to almost universal experience in other places, 

 where newly cleared and burnt land is considered 

 highly favorable to corn. I am at a loss to account for 

 ibis, but I cannot demur to so high authority. Large 

 crops of wheat are obtained here. The growth is 

 principally oak on the high lands, with some sprink- 

 ling of hickory; on the 'ower and moist lands we find 

 much rock maple nnd e!m. 



Potatoes are not .largely ciiltivntco, 't'hey are 

 valuable for sheep ; hut the present prices of pork and 

 beef give no encouragement to their culiivation for 

 swine or caii'.e. That potatoes are much more valua- 

 ble for sheop and cati'.e "thin rnta baga, I have no 

 doubt ; but as many bushels are not usually obtnined 

 OH the same extent of land ; and the care of preser- 

 ving and the cost of seed, and the labor of harvesting 

 favor strongly tKe cultivation of ruta baga in prefe- 

 rence. 



Esculent Vegetables — In so hasty nn excursion 

 through the country ond so superficial a view ns wss 

 in my power, it would be presumptuous in me to 

 speak with confidence on any subject connected with 

 the husbandry of the country, or think to afford much 

 knowledge in relation to it. 1 can only cay that I 

 saw but a single instance of the ci:ltivation of esculent 

 vegetables for stock. This was on the farm of Mr. 

 Garbut in Wheatland, who had several ncres in cnr- 

 rots, beets nnd mnngsl wurtzcl. I must leave it to 

 some other occasion to discuss the pros nnd cons in 

 relntion to this mntler. 



Of Flax, I snw only one field nnd that at the Sha- 

 ker village in Groveland. It appeared well. The 

 habits of this industrious peoph. who, as a general rule 

 and as far ns it can be done, produce and manufacture 

 all their own clothing, lead them to the culiivation of 

 flax, which Is in a great measure abandoned by other 

 farmers. This crop I am pereiinded might be eulti 

 vated to advantage by many farmcra. Where 300 lbs 

 of lint and fourteen bushels of seed can be obtained to 

 an acre, and this is not uncommon ander good culti- 

 vation, the crop will yield an ample compensation for 

 its cxpenee. (To be Continued.) 



Crops and Markets. 



Throughout the whole country the crops of wheat 

 nnd grass are represented as most abundant nnd fine. 

 There are some emnll complnints of rust in some 

 places, ns indeed there always will be, but they are of 

 little moment ; and a finer season for harvesting never 

 was known. It his been almost une.i;ampled. 



Indian corn, likewise, which at first seemed likely 

 to fail, is making rapid advances, and promises a good 

 crop. The same with potatoes, barley, and all other 

 pro'ductb. 



The crops of wheat in Ohio and Michigan are like- 

 wise as good as wns ever known. The price of wheat 

 in Rochester can hardly be considered as eetlled or 

 even fixed, as no new wlieot hob as yet come into the 

 market. Some millers have expressed the opinion 

 that it will begin at a dollar but soon go down to 75 

 cents. 



The Beef and Pork markets at New York and 

 Boston remain without material change. Probably a 

 much smaller quantity of pork will be made this sea- 

 son than usual, and the prices for pork or for live hogs 

 are not likely to recede from their present position. 



Wools of a fine grade command only 25 cenls ; 

 nnd in many coaes orily half of this ia poid in cnsh, 

 nnd the rest in cloths. The f'rce importation of Souih 

 American wool costing loss than 8 cents, nnd iho rais- 

 ing of wool oi\ the Western Prairies, for which there 

 arc large preparations, must koq) prices down, tariff 

 or no tariff. 



In the midst of the gVcntest plenty that ever fell to 

 ihe lot of any country, wo are crying our eyes out for 

 distress: ond the National cow, with a swimming 

 pail of milk under her, sectiis detcrrtiined to kick it 

 all over. 



Prospect of prices of toestcm agriciilturiil products. 

 — As over-production and a reduction of the currency 

 have reduced the price ol most mnnnfucturcd commoV- 

 ities, and steam is now employed on the prairies to 

 drive ths plough, it would be very strnnge ifngricul- 

 tural products (pork excepted) did not also decline in 

 price. The cnsh received for a bushel of wheat, will 

 now purchase in this village, 10 lbs. of good Riocof 

 fee, or 20 lbs. of inferior N. O. Sugar. A pail of 

 buftcr v;ill eicbniige for n bundle of domestic cnlic.i 

 nnd muslin, ns Inrge in bulk as the butter itself. — 

 Ought farmers to e.\pectthis unequal exchange of 

 commodities to continue so much in their favor al- 

 ways J 1 think not. 



Flour is f.ow selling in New York at $6 the barrel 

 to export to England ; if Great Britain has good crops 

 thisyenr, and there is no failure of crop on the conti- 

 nent of Europe, nothing con prevent very low prices 

 for flour in New York in one year from this time, but 

 a failure of oiir own wheat crop, which is improbable, 

 or a partial failure of our summer crops, which, from 

 present appearances, is very possible. In either caeo 

 farmers must elpect and prepare themselves for small 

 profits, ns high prices from failure of crops ie a calam- 

 ity, which compels eVeii the farmer to ent denr lood. 

 It is common for farmers to coniplainof the low price 

 of wool, yet wool is milch lower in Europe than in 

 the United Stales ; the English mannfneturer gets 

 fine wool from the continentlbr25cis. a pound, whilo 

 our manufacturers pay our own farmers 40 cts for 

 wool of like grade. The fact is, what is a low price 

 to an extravagant, expensive man or family, is a high 

 price to those whose vvnnts are fewer, who practice a 

 better industry, economy, and self-denial ! In ihis 

 reduction of profits and the consequent means of ex- 

 penditure, who does not see a precious result, even to 

 the farmer? Ask a thriving, weallhy American lord 

 of the soil what are his troubles ; if he is honest, he 

 will tell you it is the effeminate habits and expensive 

 wants of his children. With uninierrupted pecunia. 

 ry success, where would these troubles cud ! 



Waterloo, m June, 1842. S. W. 



Protcclive Tariff. — A former who writes In the May 

 No. of the Northern Light, saya that a high tariff 

 would " make us farmers work harder to obtain iho 

 same amount of enjoyment," and "protect our indus- 

 try much in the same way that it would be protected 

 by compelling lis to resilme the old fashioned wooden 

 mould board, and throw aside the cast iron plough." 

 But the other side of the question is ably maintained 

 in the Sams capital monthly — it has two sides. S. W 



Culture of Potatoes. — II they are grown in a warm 

 dry country, as between Syracuse and Buffalo, put 

 no stable manu^e it', the hill ; but if on cold Hemlock 

 soil, where it rains or snows at least once a week, 

 they may be covered in the bill with warm manure 

 without any danger of burning up ihe tubers. Prov- 

 idence is truly kind to such countries, in giving them 

 grass and potatoes, such as would make a western vil- 

 lager's cow laugh, and bis own mouth water. If they 

 can't grow gourd seed corn, neither can they even in 

 their wet grounds, raise miasma enough to furnish a 

 single case of fevsr and ague. S. W. 



