NEW 
“ TO IMPROVE THE SOIL AND MIND.” 
SERIES. 
Vol. IV. 
ALBANY, SEPTEMBER, 1847. 
No. 9. 
SKETCHES OF FARMING IN WESTERN NEW-YORK* 
Mr. John Johnstons farm partly adjoins Mr. 
Helafield’s. Considering the disadvantages under 
which Mr. J. commenced operations here, his success 
has been quite remarkable. He came from Scotland 
twenty-six years ago, and first purchased 120 acres of 
the farm on which he now lives. The land was so worn 
down by bad management that he was laughed at for 
buying itj and even the man of whom he bought, 
frankly told him it would “ bear nothing.” Not in the 
least discouraged, however, Mr. J. began, fully de¬ 
termined, as he says, that he would make himself in¬ 
dependent. His first crops, as was expected, were 
light.; but they gradually increased, till by the fourth 
year they were so heavy as to attract the particular 
intention of his neighbors, who had prophesied so unfa¬ 
vorably k In the course of a few years, he began to 
realize the fruits of his labors, and seeing the prospect 
opening brightly, he sent to Scotland for his family. 
His farming continued to be more and more profitable. 
Having paid for the first lot of land, he bought more, 
and continued to make additional purchases till he has 
now 306 acres in his home farm, and a farm of 200 
acres in Yates county,—all paid for and in a good 
state of improvement. Mr. J. therefore, now finds him¬ 
self in the comfortable state of “independence,” for 
which lie started, twenty-six years ago, with such a 
firm determination of reaching. It is an important 
fact, too, as well as agreeable reflection, that he has 
reached this position unaided by speculation, having 
had no resource of consequence but his hands and 
his farm. 
Mr. Johnston’s principal products have been wheat 
and wool. His soil is naturally good, but has been 
greatly improved by sheep, which, with the adjuncts 
of deep and thorou'gh tillage, have been the chief in¬ 
struments in producing larger crops of wheat, on the 
average, than have been obtained from any other farm 
within our knowledge. He usually has from fifty to 
eighty acres of wheat in a season. His last three 
crops, (for 1844, ’45, and ’46,) averaged thirty and a 
third bushels per acre. The crop of the present year 
appeared well, for the most part, though like crops in 
general, it was somewhat injured by the winter on 
that portion of the farm which has not been drained. 
The soil of this location, belongs, geologically, to 
the Hamilton shales. Its composition appears to be 
of the best character for the production of wheat. Its 
excellence is not, like most soils, confined chiefly to the 
surface, but the earth to the depth of several feet, or in 
some instances to the underlaying rocks, is equally fer- 
tile, after due exposure to the air. In several instan¬ 
ces, we noticed on Mr. Johnston’s and Mr. Df.la- 
field’s farms, that where ditches and drains had been 
dug, and the earth which had been taken out was 
spread over the surface, the wheat, barley, and oats 
were heavier than in other parts of the field. In a 
field of barley, a ditch had been dug and the earth left 
unspread on its banks. The crop was decidedly more 
luxuriant on the bank of this ditch than in any other 
place. 
Effects of Lime and Ashes. —Mr. Johnston 
has frequently tried wood ashes on his land, but could 
never perceive any effect from them. He has also 
made frequent use of lime, and with marked advan¬ 
tage. He showed us three ridges or lands in wheat, 
the two outside ones of which were limed, and the cen¬ 
tre was not limed. The superior stoutness of the crop 
on the limed lands vims obvious. Is there any theory 
which will account for the beneficial action of lime and 
the failure of ashes in this case ? The soil evidently 
abounds in lime—it rests on limestone, and loose lime-. 
stones are mixed more or less through its surface. 
The earth taken at various depths, from a few inches' 
to two and a half feet, effervesces strongly in acids, 
showing that lime is one of its prominent ingredients; 
and yet on this very soil burnt lime produces-extraor 
dinary effects. This is not a solitary instance of the 
operation of lime in similar circumstances;; we have 
known several such, and Mr. Colman informs us that 
in Europe the best action of lime is frequently on lime¬ 
stone soils. 
Mr. J. prefers applying his barn-yard manures in the 
spring, to sward ground, which is either to be planted 
to corn or used as fallow. The manure is spread and 
plowed in. As it is of a coarse nature, and in an un¬ 
fermented state, and applied in pretty heavy dressings 
it is difficult to dispose of it without covering it with 
the plow. He has nineteen acres of Indian corn, plant¬ 
ed on sod, (with Emery’s seed planter,) which we 
thought as promising in appearance as any we had 
seen this season. His fallows are worked very tho¬ 
roughly. He takes special care that no weeds or «rass 
shall grow on them, frequently going over the fields 
with harrows or cultivators. They are always plowed 
twice, and sometimes more, and at the latter plowing.® 
the soil is cut into fine furrows, not less than seven 
and sometimes nine inches deep. This frequent work¬ 
ing is undoubtedly of great advantage to this stiff soil. 
His sheep have formerly been from 1,000 to 1 200 
in number. Lately, however, he has substituted cat¬ 
tle for sheep to a considerable extent. He has at 
present sixty head of cattle, forty of which are three 
years old steers, bought last fall and fed through the 
* Continued from page 254. 
