82 



THE SOUTHE 



nitre, and then thoroughly drying them. The 

 cause of the wicks of candles refusing to burn 

 is, that the air cannot get access to them. The 

 nitre, however at a high temperature, will sup- 

 ply oxygen enough for this purpose. — Selected. 



SYSTEM OF FARMING IN WESTERN NEW 

 YORK. 



We are indebted to some friend at the North 

 for a little pamphlet containing a report of the 

 Transactions of the Monroe Agricultural So- 

 ciety and an address from Dr. Lee, of Buffalo. 

 The address, though short, is replete with the 

 practical science for which this gentleman is 

 remarkable. 



Amongst other matter we find here a. report 

 from a committee on farms. This committee 

 was composed of some of the first farmers in 

 Western New York ; amongst them we see the 

 name of Gen. Harmon, the gentleman so dis- 

 tinguished for his success in the cultivation of 

 wheat. We, therefore, extract the following in- 

 troductory remarks as a sound exposition of the 

 views of the best farmers in Western New 

 York: 



The committee will proceed briefly to state 

 what they consider a good, judicious, and suc- 

 cessful system for conducting a farm, and what 

 state of preparation and rotation of crops it is 

 necessary to pursue, to come up to that point of 

 excellence which should be the perfection of the 

 art ; and those whose exertions come nearest to 

 that course will, consequently, be the successful 

 competitors for their favors. 



Let a farm, consisting of any number of acres, 

 not too large — say, for example, one hundred 

 acres of arable land, independent of wood lands, 

 orchard, and garden — be in the first place well 

 fenced, if with rails, well staked and ridered ; or 

 what is better, with corner stakes and yokes, 

 the yokes placed at two or three rails from the 

 top, in which case the stakes need not be set in 

 the earth ; or what is better still, where there is 

 a sufficiency of stones, let the fences be made 

 with them, and it can hardly be conceived, by 

 those unacquainted with the process, how small 

 and inferior an article will make a good and 

 lasting fence, merely by the plentiful use of ce- 

 dar, pine, or chestnut sticks laid in crossways 

 with the stone, always reserving a sufficient 

 qantity of stone to cope the wall, and form a 

 cap, to cover and retain the whole line. Divide 

 the whole into such sized fields as shall comport 

 with the size of the farm, and in such a manner 

 as will allow it always to be nearly equally di- 

 vided into a three-course rotation. The fences 

 to be clear from weeds, brambles, and shrubs, 



and of a sufficient height to protect against all 

 depredation : for there is no better opiate to in- 

 duce good nature, and calm and uninterrupted 

 sleep at night, than good strong and high fences. 

 If there are any low or springy lands, let them 

 be thoroughly open, or under-drained — under- 

 draining is by far the most convenient, safe, and 

 economical. 



The barns should be large, with an under- 

 ground basement, if possible ; sheds and stables, 

 large and roomy enough to house every hoof on 

 the farm ; barn yards not too large, with water 

 handy ; a piggery, with boiling apparatus; and 

 proper protection and fixtures for the sheep ; with 

 a well built, snug, and convenient house ; an 

 industrious wife, not too handsome; a kitchen 

 and flower garden ; a well chosen fruiter}', and 

 orchard — and that is what this committee would 

 consider a pretty smart chance of a beginning. — 

 Now, we would propose that there should be a 

 flock of sheep, of a hardy, jine-wooled variety if 

 for the fleece, or of a large-framed, long-wooled 

 variety if for the carcass — as an indispensable 

 requisite to commence with, not only as to pro- 

 fit from themselves, but as an important element 

 in wheat husbandry. A greater profit will be 

 realized from the sale of the wool and carcass 

 than is lost to the farm by the food they con- 

 sume, as their manure is the perfection of food 

 for the wheat plant, and, from its intimate divi- 

 sion and distribution, it is in a better state to 

 feed the young plant than any other, except, 

 perhaps, the artificial compounds. 



The true wheat farmer should have no more 

 cows, oxen, or horses, than are necessary to 

 carry on the farm, and subsist the family — and 

 those of the very best breeds. It must be very 

 bad economy to be obliged always to keep half 

 the farm in pasture and meadow, merely for the 

 sake of keeping a great herd of cows ; coupled 

 with the privilege of foddering twenty or more 

 tons of hay, and making a few pounds of but- 

 ter, to sell at eight cents per pound, the market- 

 ing of which costs more than its produce. 



We would premise, that a farm, when it is 

 right, should not have one square foot but what 

 is arable, and capable of producing any crop 

 put upon it ; and as nearly as convenient, al- 

 ways to have one-third in wheat, one-third or 

 more in clover and grass, and one-third or less 

 in summer crops. Now let us explain the mo- 

 dus operandi: It is now spring — one-third in 

 wheat, properly seeded; one-third or more in 

 meadow and pasture ; and such portion of the 

 other third as shall be convenient fall-ploughed, 

 for summer crops, which is to be devoted to oats, 

 corn, potatoes, bagas, wurtzel, carrots, &c. — on 

 which is to be expended the fresh barn-yard ma- 

 nure made the winter previous, or so much as 

 is needed, and the balance composted, for dress- 

 ing the summer fallow. All of the oat, corn, 

 and potato ground, or so much as the season 



