THE CULTIVATOR. 
372 
Dec. 
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SEASON 1847. 
The spring opened late—the weather continuing so 
cold till May that vegetation made little or no pro¬ 
gress. In fact, it was not till the 20th of June that 
Indian corn and other plants requiring a high degree 
of heat began to grow vigorously, in this latitude. But 
the lateness of the season was in one respect favora¬ 
ble—it retarded the foliage of trees till so late a pe¬ 
riod that there was no frost after the blossoms ap¬ 
peared. In consequence of this, the tender fruits— 
peaches, for instance—were more abundant in the 
northern part of the country than they had been for 
many years. For four or five weeks from the 20th of 
June, the temperature was steadily warm, and during 
this time so rapid an advance was made by crops in gene¬ 
ral, that they experienced no material check from seve¬ 
ral days of unseasonably cool weather, which occurred 
towards the latter part of July. August was for the 
most part only moderately: warm. The fore part of 
September was favorable—there being no frost to af¬ 
fect vegetation till the 15th, by which time crops were 
generally so far matured as to suffer no injury. 
As to moisture, different sections have been very 
differently affected; the clouds have been exceeding¬ 
ly capricious; for while the greater portion of the 
country has been rather unusually favored with sea¬ 
sonable rains, certain neighborhoods have been visited 
with very severe drouth. The variation has sometimes 
taken place in a striking manner. In some cases the 
districts that have suffered from drouth were quite 
limited in extent- and surrounded by others which have 
had plenty of rain. In general, however, the drouth 
has occurred in narrow traets extending nearly south¬ 
west and north-east. In this vicinity, there was suffi¬ 
cient rain through most of the season, and we believe 
the same remark may be made in regard to the vicini¬ 
ty of New-York, and. the most southern part of the 
state generally; but between the two points named, 
viz., at Newburgh, and to the southwest of that place, 
a deficiency of moisture lessened the yield of most crops 
to a serious degree. 
The grass or hay crop, taking the country together, 
was probably a full average one. There were defi¬ 
ciencies in some sections from the grass having been 
winter-killed, and in others from drouth. 
Wheat, notwithstanding its unfavorable appearance 
in the early part of the season, gave, with few excep¬ 
tions, about a middling yield; and from the large ex¬ 
tent of ground occupied by the crop, the aggregate 
amount of this grain produced in the country, is pro¬ 
bably not less than in any former year. In some sec¬ 
tions the crop was considerably winter-killed, and it 
suffered in the west by the fly. Spring wheat, which 
was sown to some extent where the winter variety 
failed, and which is considerably cultivated in the nor¬ 
thern section of this country and in the Canadas, 
generally yielded well. 
Rye, barley , oats, and buckwheat, gave their usual 
returns. The latter crop is spoken of as particularly 
good in quantity and quality. All the small grains 
were generally secured in good order. 
Indian corn —which it has been said, C{ forms the 
back bone of our husbandry,” and it might havq been 
added, of the people, too, in a great degree—has given 
a full crop.. It will be remembered that this grain 
was, the last winter and spring, in great demand, and 
brought high prices for exportation to the British 
islands. This circumstance induced farmers,in the 
eastern part of the country to plant very largely of this 
crop the present year. The product has been satis¬ 
factory, and we trust there will be no cause of com¬ 
plaint on the score of profits; but it should not be for¬ 
gotten that the high prices of last year were occa¬ 
sioned by an almost unprecedented scarcity of bread- 
stuffs in England, Scotland, and Ireland, and with the 
good crops which have there, as well as on the conti¬ 
nent ol Europe been obtained the present year, no such 
extraordinary demand can be expected to arise. Still 
the article has now been fairly brought into use in the 
countries mentioned; and from our improved modes of 
preparing the grain by kiln-drying, and the nice man¬ 
ner which is adopted of putting up the meal, it may be 
confidently expected that its consumption will con¬ 
tinue, and that it will after a while be generally es¬ 
teemed. In every view of the case we think there is 
a better prospect of opening a permanent and profita¬ 
ble trade with England in Indian Corn, than with any 
other article of breadstuff's; because it cannot be suc¬ 
cessfully produced there, and is pot much cultivated in 
any of the European countries, though wheat is grown 
largely by all those countries, and many of them have 
usually a large surplus for exportation. 
Of the potato crop we hardly know what to say. It 
was planted to a great extent in all sections accessible 
to the large eastern markets. The tubers vegetated 
well, the vines grew vigorously and appeared perfectly 
healthy in this vicinity till the latter part of August. At 
that time the blight made its appearance, killing the 
tops and turning them black in the space of a few days, 
and shortly after the tubers began to rot. We are 
unable to state the extent of the disease as compared 
with former years. From what we have heard, it ap¬ 
pears to have occasioned more damage in the eastern 
part of the country and in this state than heretofore. 
In regard to the cause, prevention, or cure of the 
disease, we are not aware that any new light has been 
obtained the present season. If anything has been ad¬ 
ded to the general stock of knowledge by another 
year’s experience, it is that all the nostrum and quack 
remedies which have been put forth in regard to the 
subject are worthless. 
It will be noticed that the blight which precedes the 
rot, came on about a month later the present season 
than in 1846. From this circumstance, and the healthy 
appearance, up to a late period, of the crop of the pre¬ 
sent year, great hopes were entertained of its ex¬ 
emption from attack. 
In regard to the greater liability of some kinds to rot, 
the same evidences have appealed this season as for¬ 
merly. From the accounts we receive, the Mercers, 
(“ Neshannocks ” or “ Chenangoes,”) suffer most, and 
next to this variety the Carters. 
We have heard of several instances where early kinds 
planted on favorable soil, early in the season, got fully 
matured, so that the vines had died naturally , at the time 
the blight occurred. In such instances we believe the 
crop has remained sound; though on the same farms, 
the same kinds that, were planted so late that the vines 
were killed by the blight, have rotted to a great extent. 
Wool Mantj^actube. —The Middlesex company 
at Lowell, daily consurpe about six thousand pounds of 
wool. The company has already purchased of the 
present year’s clip, nearly two million pounds. 
The Potato Rot is making fearful ravages ia 
several parts of Ohio—-from three-fourths to nine-tenths 
1 being already destroyed in some neighborhoods. 
