No. 10. 



AND GARDENER'S JOURNAL. 



151 



The soil is mostly gravelly and sandy loivm. 



Tin- products aro heef, pork, mutton, butter, chctiso, 

 eggs, poultry, hay, Indian corn, wheat, xye, cats, and 

 wool; tho lost, is fjist diminishing as a staple produc- 

 tion. 



Kcw and iniptoved modea of agriculturo aro taking 

 the place of old modes. 



The horses arc mostly of English descent. Among 

 this blood, the Duroe breed is in highest estimation. 

 The best cross, is considered that formed by tho French 

 and English breeds ; this gives tho horse more consti- 

 tution and hardiness, and consequently, le«s liability 

 to disease, a.s well as greater endurance. 



Horn cattle— The Short Horn Durham is preferred 

 for milk and beef, but as working cattle, the Dovon- 

 Bhire is thought superior ; a cross of the two breeds is 

 prcferrovi by many. 



Sheep — Formerly the fine wooled Merinos and Sax- 

 ons were in vogue ; but are now giving place to sheep 

 of coarser wool, natives, Bakewells, and South Downs; 

 tlie latter varieties being reared moro as mutton sheep, 

 which is considered most profitable. 



Swine — This animal has been much improved with- 

 in a few years, by the introduction of the English 

 breeds, Berkshire, Norfolk, &c. 



Cattle and sheep are, for the most part, fatted upon 

 grass. More ur less beeves are stall fed through the 

 winters, and generally fed upon meal and roots. Some 

 few sheep are also fed for the market during the win- 

 ter. Swine are generally fattened upon corn, at least, 

 the heavier pork ; shoats on boiled feed, milk, &c. 



Ploughs mostly in use, are the invention of a man 

 in this county, by name of CiiamberUi.u. Yaiious 

 other kinds are used. 



The common square, four beam harrow is mostly 

 used ; others of late invention are getting into use. 



Hay rake — The revolving rake is preferred, as deci- 

 dedly the best. 



Value of our lands, is from ^25 to $V26 per acre, 

 by the farm; average price, about 60 dollars per acre. 



The timber is mostly oak of difiere.nt kinds, chest- 

 nut, hickory, and maple. 



A diffusion of agricultural science would lead very 

 much to advance the general prosperity of tho county. 

 To this source alone, may be attributed most of the im- 

 provements within the last few years." 



Next follows the agriculture of Herkimer county. 

 AGRICULTURE OF HERKIMER COUNTY. 



Tho experiment of Aaron Petrie, to whom we are 

 indebted tor the report on this county, in preserving 

 and feeding broom corn to Ids stock is not new. The 

 family of Shakers at Canterbury, N. H. and others, 

 have long practised it and with great success. So have 

 others within our knowledge. — Ed. 



" The principal products here, at the first settlement 

 of the country, were wheat and peas. They were 

 marketed at Albany. Almost any kinds of tillage 

 brought large crops, and little or no attention was 

 p?.id to rotation. Crop after crop was taken off the 

 soil, without any return to it, eiccpt such manure as 

 was actually in the way. The soil of the interior is 

 not so well adapted to the growing of wheat as the 

 Mohawk lands, yet they raised some ; but their princi- 

 pril products were barley, and the products of grazing. 

 The barley business became large. Large malt houses 

 were erected in different places, after the completion 

 of the Erie canal, and it was sold to them. The lands 

 of the whole county, with few exceptions, became so 

 exhausted that farming was considered rather an up- 

 hill busincjfl^About 18"30, the dairy business began 

 to attract otBL ''"'"^''''"' '^ ''^^ "orthcrn parts of the 

 county, (particularly cheese making.) All who adopt- 

 ed it flourished at once. 



The principal products marketed in the eastern 

 cities now, are cheese and butter. Among the princi- 

 pal products marketed here are wool, oats, barley, In- 



dian corn, r>e, hay, beef, jwrk, nuitton, &.c. In con- 

 sc(picnce partly of the large profits of dairying, the ex- 

 hausted state of the soil, and the ravages of the weevil 

 there has been little wheat raised in this county for sev- 

 eral years past. We get our supply from the west. 

 Our distillers and maltsters, have greatly diminished in 

 number, and now import much of their grain from 

 other counties and other States. The [jrosent condi- 

 tion of agriculture in this county is rather favorable. 

 It is owing to the accidental improvement of our lands 

 by the dairy business, and the profits of that business, 

 to which our county is peculiarly indebted. 



One-half of this county is yet a wildernees, most of 

 which will probably in lime be settled ; but until the 

 boundless, fertile west becomes nearly filled, settlements 

 here must be very slow. 



There is little attention paid to the breeding of horses 

 here. Some years ago, the Arcliia breed of Virginia 

 horses was introduced here, but experience taught us 

 that a horse that can win a purse at a Long Island 

 race, will not answer for a draft horse. I believe the 

 Duroc and Messenger are the best breeds among us. 

 The favorite breeds of cattle for beef are the Durham ; 

 but the general opinion is that they are not first rate 

 for milk. There are comparatively few cattle raised 

 here. In the spring ef the j'Car, large droves of cows 

 are brought here from the eastern, western, northern 

 and southern counties, and Canada. They are milked 

 through the summer, and in the fall the oldest and 

 poorest are partially grass fattened, and driven to the 

 eastern markets. 



The Merino and Saxon sheep have been the favor- 

 ites of our wool-growers. The South Downs and 

 Bakewells may now be added to the list of favorites. 

 The Berkshire hogs are the best as yet introduced 

 here, although there are others nearly equal to them. 



Neat cattle and sheep are generally fattened for mar- 

 ket on grass, and hogs are fattened on whey, potatoes, 

 apples, grain, &c. There is much doubt whether it is 

 profitable to fatten hogs or cattle on grain wholly. 



There are several kinds of ploughs in use here. I 

 have never seen any kind that would answer our pur- 

 pose as well as Clute's old patent cast iron plough, and 

 our plough makers should have continued making them ; 

 but they were induced to lay them aside by other pat- 

 entees, and we must buy what we can get. AVe use 

 the common three bcajned harrow. The patent re- 

 volving horse rake is in general use here, but there arc 

 a few exceptions among those farmers who are so vio- 

 lently opposed to "improvement," in any of its forms, 

 that they had rather, and do still have their wives and 

 daughters use the hand rake in their meadows. 



The general value of the improved lands of this 

 county is from thirty to fii\y dollars per acre. Some, 

 however, is sold under thirty, and some, favorably loca- 

 ted, over fifty dollars per acre. The prevailing timber 

 is maple, beech, birch, basswood, elm, ice, and we are 

 not without our pine plains, hickory groves, and hem- 

 lock and cedar swamjis. 



Nothing will so advance the prosperity of this 

 county, as a general agricultural education by our 

 farmers, which we can now only acquire by taking an 

 agricultural paper. Although there is much room for 

 improvements, men will not adopt them until they are 

 convinced, and thatcan only generally bedone through 

 the press. A great deal of the matter in our agricul- 

 tural ji-urnals is not intelligible t6 the uneducated 

 mind, which discourages their circulation. There is 

 hope, however, that the rising generation, which is 

 being better educated, will work the necessary reforms. 



Allow me to mention an experiment of my own. 

 The scarcity of coarse fodder, and the high price oi 

 hay, occasioned bythedrought of last summer, induced 

 are to gather a quantity of broom-corn stalks: lam 

 now having them tried. We cut them with one o1 

 Green's e. ' w cutters, and feed them to cattle without 



ny other ]ireparation. We have kept our cattle on 

 them about two weeks, and I have full confidence in 

 the success of the experiment. It may have been tried 

 before, but is new to us here. 



»ilk Culture. 



Mr. EniTOK — 1 om much pleased with tho fnvoin- 

 ble notice you have taken of the progress of the eilk 

 businebB. 



1 have been four years successfully engaged in pro- 

 ducing silk, and am now making nrrnngements for 

 entering largely into the business in 1643. My co- 

 coonery is 20 feet by 60, two stories high, budt ex. 

 pressly for raising silk. I have mode 130 Iba. of co- 

 coons the paat seaenn, and at a cost not exceed irg the 

 tale bounty, which is fifteen cents per pound. The 

 profit I ehall realize will depend upon the demand for 

 eggs next season, having need all my best cocoons for 

 producing eggs. 



I believe the silk culture is now firmly established 

 among us, and only neede a general dissemination of 

 facts, which any eilk grower is capable of imparling, 

 to induce the former to engage in this lucrative and 

 pleasant employment. The erection of my cocoone- 

 ry has awakened in the minds of my neighbors a 

 spirit of inquiry which it ia hoped will result in a care- 

 ful investigation oi the subject. 



It is believed the number of silk growers will be 

 more ihnn doubled next season. I know of many 

 who intend to bnild cotooneries, and many more who 

 will begin in o small way, having become fully satis- 

 fied thai it is tho safest and most profitable employment 

 which can engage their attention. 



My cocoons ore converted into raw silk on n reel of 

 my own construction, which works admirably well. 

 Tbe art of reeling silk is found, after a little practice, 

 to be very simple and easy. It requires a little pa- 

 tience by the inexperienced, but perseverance will 

 soon overcome all diiTiculties. 



A market is already open for cocoons and raw silk 

 in various parts of tbe country, where the highest 

 price in cash will be paid for any quantity that may be 

 produced. To give you a specimen of what I have 

 done, and to slov.r you this is not "all talk and no 

 cider," I herewith send you a skein of sewing silk of 

 my own raising and manufacture, which I wish yon 

 to examine, and if ccnvenieut, you may show it to 

 your best judges of tho article, and then let us bear 

 their decision. 



Yours respectfidly, 



JAMES W. CHAPPELL. 



Lima, Sept. ir,th, 1842. 



We are happy to insert the foregoing, and should 

 be glad to hear from others engaged in this business. 

 Our columns shall indue proportion be heartily devoted 

 to this object, which we believe destined to become a 

 great branch of agricultural interest. The skein of 

 while silk, which accompanied this letter, was very 

 handsome and good. Some merchants and tailors to 

 whom we showed it, pronounced it very good. One 

 very competent judge said it was aagood as any Yan- 

 kee silk which he had ever teen ; but that it was not 

 even enough nor strong enough. We cannot expect 

 to reach perfection at a single stride. There is no 

 difiiculty whatever in the way of our producing as 

 line and as good an article as can bo made. The 



goal is already in a ght. — Ep. 



Plucking the Blossoms of Potatoes. 



M. Zeller, director of the Agricultuial Society of 

 Darmstadt, in 1839 planted two plots of ground with 

 potatoes. When the plants had flowered the blossoms 

 were removed from those in one field, while those in 

 the other field were left untouchrd. The former pro- 

 duced 476 lbs., tho latter only 37 lbs — i'lirmer/ 

 I Magtaina. 



