46 
THE CULTIVATOR 
clearing, was generally one of wheat, which was com¬ 
monly light: then it was succeeded by crops of rye for 
succeeding years, until the soil became perfectly exhaust¬ 
ed, when its cultivation was entirely suspended, from 
the fact that, it would produce little else than wild vines 
and sorrel. The land was then considered almost value¬ 
less, and it was sold at about two dollars per acre. 
All the varieties of stable manure, we know are va¬ 
luable to all kinds of soil, and can reclaim the most ste¬ 
rile, if only enough is applied; but to make it, requires 
not only animals, but hay and straw on which to feed 
them, and litter the yards. As upon this soil, little 
straw could be raised, and it was too dry and poor for 
grass, it required no little skill and ingenuity, even to 
commence the raising of a sufficiency of food for ani¬ 
mals, from which even a small quantity of manure could 
be made. Under any circumstances, the small quantities 
that could be collected, would go but a little way to re¬ 
claim a large tract of land. Under these circumstan¬ 
ces, and just at this time, ground gypsum, sown upon 
the surface, at from one to three bushels to the acre, 
was introduced to the farmers. It was observed that it 
was particularly valuable, when applied to the soil, after 
the sowing of the different kinds of clover; that it not 
only caused the more sure germination of the seeds, 
but that the produce from it, was very greatly increas¬ 
ed. The experiment was made with the peculiar kind 
of soil now under notice, and clover and plaister were 
found to answer the purpose remarkably well. The 
quantity of clover, so raised, gave abundance of food 
to stock in summer, through all, but very dry weather, 
and much could easily be collected for winter use. It 
was soon ascertained likewise, that this crop of grass 
had a peculiarly favorable effect in fertilizing the soil, 
and preparing and cleaning it for a grain crop. A clo¬ 
ver tilth, turned under with the plow, and the more 
of it the better, was a good preparation for a wheat, or 
any other grain crop ; and by adopting the plan of year¬ 
ly dressings with ground gypsum, the frequent seeding 
down with grass seed, particularly clover, this poor, un¬ 
productive and gravelly soil became profitable land for 
cultivation, particularly if the increased quantity of sta¬ 
ble manure, that could now under more propitious cir¬ 
cumstances be collected, was carefully gathered and pru¬ 
dently applied. The first impulses towards the regene¬ 
ration of this soil, was given by the gypsum, that, act¬ 
ing favorably upon the clover, all the subsequent good 
effects naturally followed. It is a remarkable fact, that 
gypsum produces the most marked effects on the poor¬ 
est sand or gravelly soil, and upon plains, where it has 
not been previously applied. As the land improves 
from its use and that of other manures, its good effects 
are not so discernable, until ultimately, from frequent 
repetition, doubts arise, whether its fertilizing powers 
have not entirely ceased. Under these circumstances, 
as it is always a great object that this naturally light 
land shall be in a constant course of progressive improve¬ 
ment, you must aid it by the application of the increas¬ 
ed quantity of stable manures, that previous good crops 
have enabled you to make. You must likewise relieve 
it, all in your power, by a judicious rotation of crops; 
and let not your grain crops follow in too rapid a suc¬ 
cession, but give the soil time to recover from its ex¬ 
haustion occasioned by them. Preserve your pasture 
lands, as long as they are profitable, for that purpose. 
Use irrigation, whenever it can be done, as one of the 
most effectual means to promote vegetation. The free 
use of marl, whenever it can easily and cheaply be ob¬ 
tained, likewise promises much benefit, as it affords a 
new stimulus to the growing plant; and by all means, 
and under all circumstances, practice that judicious and 
cleanly cultivation, which even the richest soils require 
to render them sources of comfort and revenue to their 
owners. The effect of these applications (excepting 
marl) and this management, I have seen produce the 
most wonderful effect upon the land I have designated. 
From its being the most unproductive soil in the country, 
it is now the most desirable and profitable, and from its 
being easily worked, and yielding abundantly, its own¬ 
ers, in process of time, have become respectable, intelli¬ 
gent, rich ; and it would be a difficult task, even in Eng¬ 
land, to hnd, as you may tor miles on that plain, in the 
same distance, better cultivated fields, more comfortable 
tenements, or more independent persons that fill them. 
True, in their fences, they cannot compete with the 
English farmer, but in general appearance, comfort, 
a nd easy circumstances, and made so by their own good 
management and industry, I have not seen the district 
of country abroad that surpasses them. 
That agriculture, in this district of countryman not 
be farther improved, I do not pretend to affirm: on the 
contrary, much may yet be done, to make this sandy, 
gravelly soil more productive, and there may be districts 
in our state, which yield much more abundantly, even 
from natural causes, but when we see, that what has 
been done here, is the work of art, it is a conclusive 
proof that where man applies his abilities faithfullyto 
the melioration of the soil, a good Providence will 
watch over and reward him for his perseverance and 
toil. Lime, to a great extent, has not, to my knowledge, 
been used as a manure to this gravelly soil. I tried a 
few loads, a short time since, to test its effects, but as it 
was difficult of procurement, and its operation, the 
three years in which it has been applied, not answering 
my expectations,! have not progressed any farther with 
it. I saw no benefit from it whatever. Bone, as a ma¬ 
nure, has been serviceable, but not to the extent to 
which European farmers estimate it. My own experi¬ 
ence tells me, that when sheep have been littered and 
fed in a yard, that litter and dung will produce an effect 
as decided and satisfactory, as any application of ma¬ 
nures I have ever tided. If you can winter a suitable 
number in a field, so as to keep them constantly there, 
(having both provender and beds,) it is the best prepa¬ 
rative to a crop of corn, inasmuch as no portion of the 
urine, as well as dung, is lost. This kind of manure is 
decidedly stronger and better than either fresh or com¬ 
post manures, made by the other kinds of common farm 
stock—so much so, that I look upon it as a great desi¬ 
deratum to keep in winter, as many sheep upon it, as 
I have the means of feeding there. The rotation I have 
commonly used, has been clover with oats. The next 
year pasture on the clover—the third year, corn in the 
spring, or wheat in the fall, on the sod. If put in corn, 
the succeeding year, oats or barley with clover; or if in 
wheat on the sod, follow it with corn, potatoes, or tur- 
neps, and in the succeeding spring, with clover and oats 
or barley, and seed down as before. In the one in¬ 
stance, you have two crops before you seed down; in 
the other, three. The stable manure is commonly ap¬ 
plied, upon the wheat stubble, for either corn or roots. 
Mangel Wurtzel is a better crop, on this soil, than Swe¬ 
dish turneps: the first is sown early in the spring, and 
the plants have commonly obtained their growth, when 
the dry weather of summer commences; whereas tur¬ 
nups by being sown in June, July, and August, being 
generally dry months, their growth is most retarded, 
when they are most subject to the ravages of the fly, 
and, from these two causes, they are uncertain crops. I 
will here state my opinion, that turnep husbandry will 
not be as profitable here, as in England. I ground it 
on the fact, that our summers are dry in comparison 
with theirs, and we all know the great effect that rain 
and humidity have on vegetation. 
Mr. J. B. Nott, from the committee appointed to ex¬ 
amine and report on Agricultural Implements, made 
a Report, which was accepted, and ordered to be pub¬ 
lished. [It will be given in a future number.] 
Mr. Nott, from the committee to select subjects to be 
reported on at the next meeting of the Society, made the 
following report, which was adopted, viz : 
1. On the most approved method of stall-feeding 
oxen and other neat cattle. [Committee, Wm.H. Strong 
of Seneca, and A. Van Bergen of Greene.] 
2. On converting green crops and other vegetable 
matters into manure. [Committee, Messrs. Ball and 
Walsh, of Rensselaer.] 
3. On the tillage proper for the different kinds of 
soils—as clay, sand, and gravel. [Each soil to form 
the subject of a distinct report, and A. Van Bergen to 
report on clay, and J. Buel on sand and gravel.] 
4. On the proper time to cut timothy and clover, and 
the most approved method of curing the same. [Com¬ 
mittee, J. P. Beekman of Columbia, and W. Salisbury 
of Greene.] 
5. On the effects of lime, and its application to differ¬ 
ent soils. [Committee, Messrs. Viele and Mather.] 
6. On the best means of eradicating the Canada this¬ 
tle. [Committee, Messrs. North and Duane.] 
7. On the manufacture of sugar from beets. [Com¬ 
mittee, Messrs. Cheever of Albany, and Smith of Wash¬ 
ington.] 
8. On the comparative economy of employing oxen 
and horses, in the usual business of the farm. [Com¬ 
mittee, Messrs. L. F.& R. L. Allen of Erie.] 
9. On the best mode of cultivating the potato. [Com¬ 
mittee, Messrs. Whiteside, and Bement of Albany.] 
10. On the comparative value of potatoes, ruta baga, 
and mangel wurtzel, as food for cattle and sheep. 
[Committee, Messrs. Grove and Rotch.] 
11. On the value of apples for neat cattle, sheep and 
hogs. [Committee, Messrs. Mather and Ball of Rens¬ 
selaer.] 
12. On the adaptation of the Windsor or other for¬ 
eign beans, to the purposes of the American farmer. 
[Committee, Messrs. Bement, Nott and Bullock.] 
The Society then adjourned to the second Tuesday of 
February, 1841. A. VAN BERGEN, Pres’t. 
Jesse Buel, Sec'y. 
OCf- Gentlemen wishing to become members of the 
State Agricultural Society, can do so by leaving their 
names with Wm. Thorburn, at his seed store, North 
Market-street, Albany. Initiation fee, only $1.00. 
Members who have not paid their annual dues, can 
also pay their arrearages to Mr. Thorburn. 
N. Y, State Agricultural Convention, 
Assembly Chamber, February 4, 1840. 
The Convention was called to order by Mr. J. J. 
Viele, of Rensselaer, on whose motion the Hon. George 
W. Patterson, of Livingston, was called to the chair, 
and Jesse Buel appointed Secretary pro tem. 
On motion of Mr. A. Van Bergen of Greene, 
Resolved, That a committee of five be appointed to 
report suitable names for officers of this Convention. 
The chair appointed Messrs. Van Bergen of Greene, 
Beekman of Columbia, Viele of Rensselaer, Tucker of 
Albany, and Johnson of Kings, said committee, on whose 
report the following gentlemen were unanimously ap¬ 
pointed officers of the Convention : 
ROBERT DENNISTON, of Orange, President, 
Charles E. Clarke, of Jefferson,] 
Jeremiah Johnson, of Kings, 
Daniel Toffey, of Dutchess, 
Benjamin Enos, of Madison, 
I Vice Presi¬ 
dents. 
Secretaries. 
Luther Tucker, of Albany, 
Henry D. Grove, of Rensselaer, 
The counties being called over, about one hundred k 
delegates enrolled their names as members of the Con¬ 
vention. 
On motion Resolved, That Messrs. Beekman, Bement, 
Van Bergen, Nott and Bergen, be a committee to report 
the business to be presented to the Convention. 
On motion of Mr. Beekman, Messrs. Duane, Viele, 
and Buel, were appointed a committee to examine a 
book called the Farmers’ Library, and report upon its 
merits as a common school book—the book having been 
submitted by the author for that purpose. 
The following preamble and resolution was introduced 
by Mr. Nott: 
Whereas, a bequest has been made to the people of 
the United States, by the late Mr. Smithson of England, 
for the purpose of improving the intellectual and mo¬ 
ral condition of mankind, leaving it to the Congress of 
the United States to designate the mode of its applica¬ 
tion; therefore 
Resolved, That a petition, signed by the President and 
Secretary of this Convention, be presented to Congress, 
praying an appropriation of a portion of said bequest, 
for the establishment of an Agricultural School. [Re¬ 
ferred to Messrs. Beekman, Morris and Nott.] 
The Convention then adjourned to 4 o’clock, P. M. 
to-morrow. 
Assembly Chamber, Feb. 5, 1840. 
Mr. Beekman, from the business committee, reported 
the following resolutions : 
1. Resolved, That in the opinion of this committee, 
the culture of silk is an object well worthy its attention, 
and that a committee be appointed to report upon its 
present state, and what advancement has been made in 
it in the United States, in the last six years. [Commit¬ 
tee Messrs. C. E. Clarke of Jefferson, and C. Bergen of 
Kings.] 
2. Resolved, That this Convention regard the culture 
of the sugar beet, with the view to the production of su¬ 
gar and the feeding of stock, as a branch of agriculture 
that may be rendered very profitable to the farmer, and 
that a committee be appointed to ascertain what advan¬ 
ces, if any, have been made in the culture of the beet 
and the making of sugar therefrom, in the United States, 
and how far it may enter into competition with other 
vegetables or grains, in the feeding of stock. [Com¬ 
mittee, Messrs. J. B. Nott and Wendell.] 
3. Resolved, That this Convention cause a committee 
to be appointed, whose duty it shall be to report at a 
subsequent meeting, if any, and what improvements 
have been made in the last twenty years in the ma¬ 
nagement of farms, and if so, to what extent it has ad¬ 
ded to the resources of the state, or the wealth, respect¬ 
ability, intelligence, and comfort of our population. 
[Committee, Messrs. Beekman and Van Bergen.] 
4. Resolved, That a committee be appointed to inquire 
into and report upon the particular method of farming 
adapted in some of the best cultivated counties of this 
state, and how far that method would be applicable to 
other portions of the state. [Committee, Messrs. Viele 
and Kniclterbacker.] 
Whereas, doubts have arisen in the minds of some, 
as to whether there has been any improvement in farm¬ 
ing in the last twenty years, and if there has, that it has 
been owing to natural causes, and not to the advance¬ 
ment of the art; therefore, 
5. Resolved, That a committee be appointed, whose 
duty it shall be to investigate this subject, and to report 
what would now be the profits and value of two farms, 
(say of 100 acres each,) the one cultivated under the 
present, and the other under the old system. [Commit¬ 
tee, Messrs. Gaylord and Bement.] 
6. Resolved, That this Convention would respectfully 
urge upon the public, and especially farmers, the great 
practical utility of reading agricultural papers, as it 
would add much to their usefulness as farmers and their 
intelligence as citizens. 
The Convention then took a recess to hear Mr. Van 
Bergen’s Address, and Professor Dean’s Eulogy before 
the State Agricultural Society, after which it adjourned 
to 7 o’clock in the evening. 
Assembly Chamber, 7 o'clock, P. M. 
The preceding resolutions, from the business com¬ 
mittee, from 1 to 6, were severally taken up, and after 
discussion, adopted, and the several committees annexed 
to each, appointed. 
On motion of Mr. A. Walsh, 
Resolved, That a committee be appointed to prepare 
and present a petition, on the part of this Convention, 
to the Legislature now in session, for a law to organise 
a Board of Agriculture, to consist of eight members, 
one from each Senate District, with an appropriation of 
$5,000, for the use of such Board, to be expended in such 
manner as it may deem most likely to advance the in¬ 
terests of Agriculture. 
Messrs. Duane, Walsh. Van Bergen, Beekman and 
Tucker, were appointed a committee to memorialize the 
Legislature, pursuant to the above resolution. 
On motion of Mr. C. Bergen, of Kings, 
Resolved, That as numerous and incontrovertible evi¬ 
dence has been given the past year, of the practicability 
in this country, to produce si'k, to a great and advanta¬ 
geous extent, as evidenced by exhibitions at the Ame¬ 
rican Institute, in the city of New-York, as well as else¬ 
where ; and as the importations for thepasf, in that ar¬ 
ticle, clearly exhibit that it is one of the greatest drains 
of our wealth and probably the greatest means of ex¬ 
tracting specie from our country—and as it is highly 
