ii«i, ■iiiiir»a»M 



182 



THE NEW GENESEE FARMER, 



Vol. 3. 



Mediterianeau Whtat. 



Mr. Colman — Prai'tical furmcrs have been sooflen 

 ijnposed upon by Uumbugs, in tiie shape of new arti- 

 cle* of agricultisra! produce brought to their notice 

 through the columns of agricultural papers, that they 

 have formed adistrust, and justly too, of all such com- 

 raunications, eoprcially when they find at llic bottom, 

 the very disinterested offerof " only a small quantity," 

 for sale at the moderate rate of four times the market 

 price of the sane article. And I will take the liberty 

 to add, that the publication of such cummuuications, 

 and particularly when upon trial they prove to be sheer 

 impositions, tends greatly to lessen the character and 

 influence — yes, and the circulation and pcrufal «f agri- 

 cultural periodicals, and forms one of the chief argu- 

 ments brought up against what is oallcd " book farm- 

 ing." 



I am led to these remarks by reading in your truly 

 welcome Genesee Farmer for September, the article 

 headed " Mediterranean Wheat," from the Hon. H. 

 L. Ellsworth, the very worthy Commissioner of Patents 

 at Washington City. 



As ojie humlile individual practically engaged in 

 fanning, I have much admired the indefatigable exer- 

 tions of that gentleman to promote the agricultural in- 

 terests of our country, and I doubt not, I shall be join- 

 ed by the mass of tarmers throughout the Union, while 

 I most heartily tender him my thanks therefor. I hope 

 and trust that his great zeal and devotedness in the 

 cause, may not get the better of his judgment, and 

 leald him into crro.s or statements, the publication of 

 which he may at some fbture time regret. 



The new variety of wheat Which is now brought to 

 the notice of the wheat growers of Western New 

 . York, is recommended as being " proof against the fly 

 and almost proof against rust." Mr. Smith gives us 

 no reason why the tly does not attack the Mediterra- 

 nean Wheat, — indeed he says frankly, that no expla- 

 nation raji bo given, — but he knows it is so and that is 

 enough. 1 regret this, for I should be pleased to sec 

 how he would set himself to work to account for it. 



Iv'ow, sir, such an argument, or rather, such a state- 

 ment, has no weight with me, and I doubt whether 

 many AVcstern New Yorkers will be found willing to 

 pay two or three dollars per bushel for his wheat upon 

 such a recom iiendatlon. They know too well, that 

 Mr. Fly is not adiscriminating gentleman, but will at- 

 tack the wheat plant without regard to varieties or high 

 sounding names, — or whether it be " far fetched and 

 dear bought," or the humble production of our own 

 soil. In the other recommendation, its being "uhioil 

 proof against rust," there is somewhat of plausibiliiy, 

 if this wheat does certainly riiwn ten or twelve days 

 earlier than any other variety. 



The yielding qualities of this wheat, the most im- 

 portant item with the wheat grower, are etat«d only by 

 guess-work. Mr. Smith says he has cultivated it after 

 corn and potatoes, and that after the potatoes he thinks 

 yielded full 30 bushels per acre,— but does not even 

 guets at the yield after the corn. 



If he wishes the farmers of Western New York to 

 purchase his wheat at an exhorbitant price, why did he 

 not measure his ground and his crop, and state the ex- 

 act result 1 Why did he not state the kind and quali- 

 ty of soil — the course of cultivation — the time of seed- 

 ing — and the time of harvesting 1 



J. HORSEFIELD. 



Castile, Wyoming Co., N. Y. 



In the main, we perfectly accord with our friend 

 Ho:sefield, but we think we should not let his commu- 

 nication go without some qualification. In respect to 

 editorial responsibility perhaps he demands too much 

 of U3. What we publi-h under our own name or au- 

 thority, we are entirely responsible for. What we 

 publish, though it may be mere hearsay, in a style Oi 

 er.comi^taenl »nJ in » way to iraply thut w» credit it. 



we are to a degree responsible for, at least so far as our 

 character for good judgement is concerns}. But what 

 we |.ublisli under another man's name, he and not we 

 arc wholly answoruble lur. Mr. Smith and Mr. Pow- 

 ell are responsil.le fir llie statements to which their 

 names arc attaclicd. Wo Confess ourfchcs incredu- 

 lous in rt'gard to the peculiar properties of the wheat 

 recommended, because, first, the statement seems im- 

 probable; nest, because no reason, it is admitted, can 

 be given why this wheat should not be as subject to 

 the fly and the rust as other; i.nA third, because we do 

 not know personally either of the gentlemen mentioned 

 and the oft'er to supply the seed, (though not as our 

 friend suggests, at an exhorbitant price.) would lead to 

 the inference that some self-interett was at the bottom 

 of it. But we do not think the inference is a very 

 strong one. Whwt it is every farmer can judge for 

 himself; and a very small quantity of the wheat for 

 trial, say half a bushel, would not be likely to involve a 

 farmer ii. iijiy ruinous risk. W« think it clearly worth 

 the trial. As to Mr. Ellsworth, h's disinterestedness in 

 the case is beyond all <}uesticn ; and his zealous eflbrta 

 for the agricultural improvement of the country, enti- 

 tles liim to universal respect and gratitude. — Ed. 



moral and lutellectoal Culture. 



Having in my last communication, touched but 

 sli^'htly on what I conceive to be the duties of mothers, 

 I would now invite their attention ; incapable though 

 I am, of doing justice to this subject, but the impor- 

 tance attached to it, induces me to endeavor to arouse 

 the slumbering mother, to engage in the cause of in- 

 tellcctvial cultivation, and thereby pave the way for all 

 the innocent pleasures and exalted enjoyments the im- 

 mortal spirit of man was originally designed to delight 

 in tind aspire to. 



The mother! how much is expressed in that one 

 word. With it is associated all the most tender, re- 

 fined and hojy feelings of our nature And who that 

 reflects upon the station she occupies, can doubt that 

 a vast accountability rests upon her. Mothers luive 

 you pondered thi.^ responsibility 1 When Heaven 

 placed in your pessession that infant form, think you 

 not, no fearf d respnsibility arose from that relation 1 

 To sust:' in the situation which you occupy with inno- 

 cence and a clear conscience, is a subject of infinite 

 importance to yourself, to yourtiimily, and to the com- 

 munity. Forityou must answer to God, who imposes 

 the duty. 



Does the mother that feels her children a burthen, 

 the cares and labor she must endure for their sake as 

 grevious to be borne, does she fulfill the manifold du- 

 ties Heaven demands of her 1 No \ with these senti- 

 ments and feelings, it is impossible. There is no one 

 thing, in my opinion, in which there is so much wrong, 

 so much contrary to what it sholdd be, as the princi- 

 ples ajid feelings imbibed by mothers toward their chil- 

 dren. I have seen many a mother that appeared to 

 feel justified in considering a family ofchildren a curse. 

 And why? Because such mothers do not study into 

 the designs anJ intentions of the Almighty, in insti- 

 tuting the dear and near relation of tire mother to her 

 child. Thty seem not to discern the wisdom and good- 

 ness of God — the unbounded mercies and blessings of 

 Heaven, when mingled with the bitter pangs of l>odi- 

 ly anguish and mental suflcring. Yet the deep foun- 

 tain of a mother's love will gush fortli in constant anx- 

 iety, care and labor, in a sacrifice of almost every ease 

 and comfort .or their children. Tliis shows plainly 

 and conclusively, that the mother possesses within her 

 own breast, a faithful monitor, which, if adhered to, 

 would direct her not only to provide for their physical 

 wants, but to labor more earnestly and abundantly for 

 their progress in morals, in religion, in that which 

 sers-es to enlarge the affections for the good and just, 

 and enlighten the mind with the beams of nature's 

 Uwe and 3piritu&I wis-ioa 



In that receptacle of anxious caie and self denial, of 

 affection and tenderness in a mother's heart, thcpe 

 should also reigh high moral principle, self- acquaint- 

 ance and self-coi.lrol, and with these a consecration 

 of ali el.se, to the laws and roijuircijients of the gotpe!. 



In a family little can be effected in the cause of 

 mental improvement, unless the parents act in concert. 

 Take a wife that is fretful, worldly and selfish, and 

 you will soon perceive that alltliccfforts of the husband 

 are rendered abortive. And also, if a wife be ever so 

 intelligent and active, if she has a husband whose soul 

 never breathed one aspiration or desire fur any greater ' 

 good or • better knowledge than wealth can bestow, 

 how littlccan she accomplish. But even then I would 

 s^yi 'ry. Never despair of good. Perhaps the hus- 

 band or the wife n;!uht be induced to overcome the ■ 

 wrong sentiments they have cherished, if they should . 

 behold in their companion an example of sttady de- 

 votion to the intellectual and moral iii'.provcmcnt of 

 their children and family. 



I am well aware, that farmers wives have much to 

 engross their atlcnlion in their business ; and a great 

 amount of care and labor to endure. But the r.ext 

 question is, are they obliged to subje-t themselves to • 

 such hard duty. The great difficulty is, that molliers 

 allot to themselves far uiori;! labor than they ought to 

 undertake. You task yourselves, in my opiiiimi, far 

 beyond your duty; the physical powers to much, the 

 mental too little. It is not uncommon to see a farmcr'a 

 wife do her kitchen work, washing, ironing, baking,., 

 cleaning, &c., the knitting, sewing, spinning antl . 

 weaving lor the family, with the assistance jxrhaps of 

 a few weeks labor, or soir.c little help. And this, very 

 probably, by one who is abundantly able to aflbrd 

 herself leisure for meditation and reading, for attention 

 to her children; in a word, to intellectual cultivation.-' 

 But no ! they do not possen.'; all the world yet, and until *, 

 they do, she must toil and labor as unceasingly as if. 

 her clnldren were starving for a morsel of bread. Is 

 this right ■? Is it doing justice to yourself and your fam- 

 ily? Is it fulfilling your duty (o Godl Herculean 

 strength could scarr^ely endure it. The most healthy ■ 

 and robust feel that they are old whUc yet young, when . 

 sulijected, year after year, to .so much excessive fatigue ' 

 and lawr. And the half of the difficulty lies not here. 

 Its greatest evil exists in the prostration it affects on 

 the intellectual powers, and religious and moral princi- 

 ples of the heart. One of ihe fundamental principles 

 in the aciencc of phrenology is, (hat the organs that 

 arc most exercised will devclope the most largely, and 

 thereby become the moving springs to action, the moat 

 likely to control the whole tenor of our fives ; while 

 the neglected faculties, or organs, will perish and de- 

 crease, until they are scarcely perceptible. Kov» 

 whether llus science is real or imaginative, as some 

 suppose, 1 will not attempt to discuss. But I do know, 

 from my own experience and observation, that any of 

 the pa."^sions, will, by frequent indulgence, become 

 habitual; and what becomes a seated habit cannot be 

 overcome, without a powerful and persevering effort of 

 the mind. And I also know, that if through careless- 

 ness or indilferencc, we neglect to cherish the tender 

 and benevolent sentiments of the heart, we become 

 cold and selfish ; our indifference increases until it be- 

 comes a seated principle of the mind and a striking 

 characteristic of the person. I have but just broached 

 the subject, and leave it with regret for the present. 



FLORA. . 



A Sign nf Better Times. — Mr. Jonathan Wilson, 

 of Shorebuni, Vt., lately received two hundred dol- 

 lars of Solomon W. Jewett, Esq., of Weybridge, for 

 a Pauler Merjno Buck. 



Herbs for drying or for distilling should be cut be- 

 fore tbeir flowers expand, and the former laid thinlf 

 in a aliody place. 



Pedantry, soya Coleridge, consists in the use ntt 

 waijiunjuitsbletothc time, place, snd company. .I 



