^^^^BR m ? ^ 1 H^ \ i. F i ^H i 1 I!'li'iii']!iii!iij iiW iT ©IF T (3^ U i ^ ^1 eg P5 i < . iz; . O : o . o n z ! < ■ ^ M TRANSACTIONS or THE NEW-YORK STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY, TOGETHER WITH A» ABSTRACT OF THE PROCEEDINGS or THI COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETIES, • FOR THE YEAR 1842. _, VOL. II. 1 - . 3^1 ALBANY: , E. MACK, PRINTER TO THE SENATE. 1843. CONTENTS. Annual Report of the Executive Committee of the N. Y. S. Ag. Society, 1 Governor Seward's Address at the Annual Fair, 7 Reports of Committees at the Annual Fair, 19 Annual Address of the President, J. S. Wadsworth, Esq 47 Premiums aw^arded at the Annual Meeting, Jan. 18, 1843, 57 Essay on the Preparation and Use of Manures, by Willis Gaylord, 64 Essay on Farm Management, by Willis Gaylord, 97 Designs for Farm Buildings, by John J. Thomas, 121 Designs for Farm Buildings, by D. G. Mitchell, 125 Designs for Farm Buildings, byT. M. Niven, 130 Report of Corresponding Secretary, 136 Agriculture of Cayuga County, by A. Hollister, 139 Agriculture of Chautauque County, by T. B. Campbell, 141 Agriculture of Chautauque County, by J . Burrows, 142 Agriculture of Chemung County, by E. C. Frost and A. J. Wynkoop, 14 Agricultural Schools, by A. J. Wynkoop, 149 Agriculture of Cortland County, by H. S. Randall, 151 Agriculture of Genesee County, by T. C. Peters, 162 Agriculture of Oneida County, by B. P. Johnson, 167 Agriculture of Oneida County, by C . Washburn, 173 Agriculture of Onondaga County, by Willis Gaylord, 174 Agriculture of Queens County, by A. G. Carll, 186 Agriculture of Richmond County, by Dr. S. Akerly, 188 Agriculture of Seneca County, by S. Williams, 214 Agriculture of Washington County, by G. J. Baker, 216 Agriculture of Westchester County, by T. Fountain, 217 Agriculture of Indiana, by S. Robinson, 221 Agriculture of Maryland, by G, B. Smith, 223 On Bees, by John M. Weeks, 225 On Subsoiling and Subsoil Plows, by C. N. Bement, 238 On soils and their Management, by D. Thomas, 244 Description of several varieties of Wheat, by R. Harmon, Jr 254 Best Breed of Cattle, &c., by J. H. Hepburn, 257 On Ayrshire Cattle, by George Randall, 263 On Native Cattle, Crossing, &c. by H. S. Randall, 265 Hints on Describing Fruits, by J. J. Thomas, 269 Remarks on Sheep Breeding, by S. W. Jewett, 273 On Sheep and Root Culture, by W. Chapman, 277 To prevent Wheat winter-killing, Silk Culture, Stc, by T. Mei.lf.n, 279 IV Size of Farms, Extermination of Weeds, &c. by^H. H. Hopkins, 284 On Irrigation and Draining, by Holkham, 285 Education, Agriculture, &c., by A. AValsh, 289 Transactions of County Agricultural Societies, 294 Albany County Agricultural Society, 295 Cayuga County Agricultural Society, 296 Chautauque County Agricultural Society, 296 Chemung County Agricultural Society, 297 Clinton County Agricultural Society, 298 Columbia County Agricultural Society, 331 Cortland County. Agricultural Society, 332 Dutchess County Agricultural Society, 332 Delaware County Agricultural Society, 333 Erie County Agricultural Society, 334 Greene County Agricultural Society, 335 Herkimer County Agricultural Society, 341 Kings County Agricultural Society, 345 Lewis County Agricultural Society, 347 Madison County Agricultural Society, 351 Monroe County Agricultural Society, 352 Montgomery County Agricultural Society, 359 Niagara County Agricultural Society, 361 Oneida County Agricultural Society, 363 Onondaga County Agricultural Society, 364 Ontario County Agricultural Society, 370 Orange County Agricultural Society, 372 Orleans County Agricultural Society, 373 Oswego County Agricultural Society, 375 Otsego County Agricultural Society, 378 Queens County Agricultural Society, 379 Rensselaer County Agricultural Society, 381 Saratoga County Agricultural Society, 390 Suffolk County Agricultural Society, 393 Tompkins County Agricultural Society, 394 Washington County Agricultural Society, 399 Wayne County Agricultural Society, 403 STATE OF NEW-YORK. No. 63. IN SENATE, March 9, 1843, ANNUAL REPORT OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE NEW-YORK STATE AGRI- CULTURAL SOCIETY, FOR 1842. To the Hon. Samuel Young, Secretary of State: The Executive Committee of the New-York State Agricultu- ral Society, in compliance with article 4th of the Act for the Encour- agement of Agriculture, passed on the 5th clay of May, 1841, Respectfully Report: That the Committee, in accordance with a by-law of the Society, have held monthly meetings, in almost every instance attended by a quorum of the Committee, at which such measures have been adopt- ed as seemed to them calculated to promote the important objects indicated in the act referred to, and to secure which, the Society has been made the recipient of the bounty of the Legislature. At a meeting of the Committee, held in the city of Albany on the 16th of February, it was determined to hold the annual fair of the Society in the city of Albany, on the 27th, 28th and 29th days of September, and a premium list was adopted, appropriating to this object nearly $2,000. In appropriating to this purpose so large a sum, in addition to the unavoidably large expenses of the Society, the Committee relied up- [ Senate No. 63. J A (10 t.) 2 [Sekate on the public spirit and liberality of the friends of agriculture, and they have not been disappointed in the result. The Committee do not deem it necessary to encumber their report with the voluminous details of the premium list. The following analysis of this appropriation, will, it is hoped, sa- tisfactorily indicate that the Society has not overlooked any of the more important branches of agricultural labor, and that it has judi- ciously and fairly distributed the funds which it derives from the pub- lic treasury, as well as the contributions of individual liberality: The premiums upon farm stock, including horses, cattle, sheep, and swine, amounted to, $827 Farm implements, 173 Agricultural products, including butter, cheese, maple sugar, field crops, &c 315 Silk and domestic manufactures, , 143 Flowers, fruits, vegetables and horticultural implements,. . . . IIS Premiums for essays — to artists for portraits of animals — plans of farm houses, &c. about . ^ 200 The Committee held out inducements which drew to the exhibition many articles not enumerated in the premium list, connected with agricultural pursuits, well worthy the notice of the Society, and up- on which a considerable fund was expended in discretionary premi- ums. A large number of diplomas, and several gold and silver me- dals, were likewise distributed. There is no branch of this subject to which the Committee look with greater confidence for results, beneficial, extensive and enduring, than to the essays upon agricultural subjects, solicited rather than remunerated, by the premiums of the Society. In designating the subjects of these essays, the Committee directed their first attention to those points in which the numerous publications, scientific and ag- ricultural, now before the public, seemed mainly deficient. It is not a little surprising that the first pursuit of man, that occupation to which he was destined by one of the earliest, and an irrevocable law of his Maker, should have been the last to receive the illuminations of science. Of the many causes which have conduced to this result, it is not necessary that we should here speak, but we may be allowed to express our gratification that the light which has so long shed its lustre over those pursuits of industry, falsely deemed more elevated in their tendencies, has at length reached us, and rendered intelligible the com- plicated and wonderful laws by which a Beneficent Creator has or- dained that he who sows the seed shall reap the harvest. No. 63.] 3 Remarkable as are the results of the scientific investigation of the products of nature, combined with agricultural art, explaining those facts, which, from the earliest days of man's existence, have been witnessed but not understood, we are compelled to admit that they have as yet produced but a slight impression upon the amount of the agricultural productions of our country. These discoveries and inventions of science have been revealed in the language of science, a language unhappily not taught in our schools. Until the educational systems of our country shall have accomplished those higher ends which are anticipated from a more enlightened and vigorous administration of the liberal endowments of the Legislature, it is of the first importance that the results of scientific investigation should be laid before the practical farmer in the most intelligible and popular form possible. The Society, in accordance with these views, offered their highest premium for a popular treatise upon agricultural chemistry. It is to be regretted that the committee are not as yet prepared to offer any work upon this particular subject. The premiums for essays upon manures and upon farm manage- ment have, however, drawn out two treatises, herewith transmitted, of remarkable excellence. The essay upon manures is particularly worthy of commendation. It brings to the subject all the lights of mo- dern science, with the not less valuable aids of practical knowledge. While men of science, in the pursuit of an honorable fame, are extending the domain of human knowledge, it is to be hoped the Society will persevere in the humbler, but not less important duty of rendering these discoveries intelligible, and commending them to the attention of the great mass of practical cultivators. At a meeting of the Committee on the 8th of June, a sub-com- mittee, consisting of Messrs. E. P. Prentice, L. Tucker, Alex. Walsh, George Vail and J. McD. Mclntyre, was designated to make the preparatory arrangements for the Annual Fair of the Society, which took place at the time appointed, under the most favorable circum- stances of weather and location. Although this was but the second effort of the kind attempted by this Society, it is believed that it would have done no discredit to the maturer efforts of any society in any country. About six hundred domestic animals, of the most improved breeds and of the highest excellence, were entered for the premiums of the Society. 4 [Senate Oi the very large collection of farm implements, some idea may be formed from the fact, that more than forty plows of different con- struction were offered for the inspection of the committee charged with that subject. It is gratifying to know that those countries from which we have borrowed the models of our most valuable farm implements, are re- ceiving back from our ingenious mechanics, many greatly improved and new' instruments for facilitating and expediting agricultural labor. In domestic manufactures, works of mechanical art, fruits, and vegetables, the exhibition was rich and varied. The floral exhibition presented the most flattering testimony that our countrymen are not nci^lecting those elegant pursuits, which, without any immediate practical results, are yet invaluable in their influence upon the refinement and purity of society, and which are especially worthy the attention of those devoted to rural occupations. The delicate duty of awarding the premiums of the Society, was delegated to several committees, composed of individuals selected for the ability and success with which they have cultivated agricultural or kindred pursuits. Their reports, which have furnished the Society with a mass of valuable facts and suggestions, will be embraced in the papers ac- companying this report. Although the Society is pursuing its objects with limited means, this Committee have endeavored to husband its resources so as to commence the establishment of a permanent fund, the income of which will ultimately render the Society independent of the bounty of the Legislature, as well as of the contributions of individuals., other than the moderate charge (one dollar,) for membership. In pursuance of this object, the Committee are happy in being able to state that at their last meeting the funds of the Society justified them in directing the treasurer to invest fifteen hundred dollars in the stocks of this State. The following is an abstract of the report of the treasurer: Amount on hand January, 1842, $969 36 Received from State treasury, 700 00 Receipts during the year, from members, subscriptions, &c 1,649 92 Carried forward, $3,319 2S No. 63.] 5 Brought forward, $3,319 28 Disbursements, 1 ,475 36 Bal. on hand, Jan. 18, 1843, $1,843 92 From this balance there is to be paid the premiums awarded at the annual meeting of the Society in January, as well as several award- ed at the September fair, which had not been called for when the treasurer's report was made, amounting to about $400. At the annual meeting of the Society, held in the city of Albany, on the l8th Jan. the following officers of the Society for the year 1843, were elected in the manner prescribed by the statute: President. J AS. S. WADS WORTH, Livingston. Vice-Presidents. 1st Senate District, James Lenox, J^ew-York. 2d " Robert Deniston, Orange. 3d " Anthony Van Bergen, Greene. 4th " E. C. Delavan, Saratoga. 5th " Jonathan D. Ledyard, Madison. 6th " Z. A. Leland, Steuben. 7th " J. M. Sherwood, Cayuga. 8th " L. B. Langworthy, Monroe. H. S. Randall, Cortland Village, Corresponding Secretary. Luther Tucker, Albany, Recording Secretary. E. P. Prentice, Albany, Treasurer. Additional members of the Executive Committee. — C. N. Be- M^NT, Albany ; H. D. Grove, Buskirk^s Bridge; Alex. Walsh, Lan- singburgh; J. McD. McIntyre, Albany, and Thomas Hillhouse, Watervliet. After a full hearing of the views of members of the Society, from different sections of the State, it was determined, by a resolu- tion of the Society, to hold the next annual fair in the city of Ro- chester, at such time as this Committee shall hereafter desionate. The extending and increasing interest taken by the community at large in these annual exhibitions of the triumphs of agricultural la- bor and skill, was forcibly indicated by the anxiety of members from different parts of the State, to secure for the districts which they represented, the advantages and gratifications derived from this source. 6 [Senate The city of Rochester, the mart of a very extensive district of country of unsurpassed fertility, occupied by a population whose industry and agricultural skill are sufficiently attested by the rapidi- ty -vrith which, within less than the period of the ordinary life of man, they have brought that portion of the State from an untenant- ed wilderness, to be remarkable for the amount, the variety, and the value of its agricultural exports, presented claims upon the attention of the Society, which could not well be overlooked. Several topics of interest to the agriculturist were discussed at the annual meeting of the Society referred to, and measures adopted to secure the permanence and continued prosperity of the associa- tion, which it is not deemed necessary to communicate on this oc- casion. In conclusion, the Committee cannot refrain from expressing their decided conviction that the Society, in diffusing valuable informa- tion, in exciting an honorable and praiseworthy spirit of emulation, in giving form and expression to the wants and interests of agricul- tural labor, in bringing into contact individuals whose isolated pur- suits have hitherto deprived them of all the advantages of associa- tion and comparison of ideas, is performing those highly useful functions, and accomplishing those important ends, which the Le- gislature had in view in extending the public bounty to this and other agricultural associations. Respectfully submitted, JAS. S. WADSWORTH, President. Luther Tucker, Secretary. ADDRESS OF THE HON. WILLIAM H. SEWARD, (goveenoe op the state.) Jit the Annual Fair of the JTew-York State Agricultural Society^ September 29, 1842. Fellow Citizens: — The display of animal and vegetable productions, the expo- sitions of culture, and the trial of implements of tillage, under the patronage of the New-York State Agricultural Society, are com- pleted; and it only remains to confer the civic prizes which have been so honorably won. Shall scenes so animating, though so peace- ful, so instructive, though so simple, pass without comment 1 If our country has a citizen imbued with the philanthrophy, and learned in the philosophy of agriculture, eminent in political wisdom and transcendant in eloquence, here are his forum and his theme. Such a citizen you have expected to hear. Let my temerity in as- suming the place he has left vacant, and others have declined, find an apology in the gratitude which the abundant kindness of my fellow citizens has inspired.* In that time-worn Tower, which tells many a deed of treachery and of tyranny, the British Government exhibits the armor and arms of Kings, Nobles, Knights, Soldiers and Seamen who have borne the standard of St. George around the circumference of the globe. France, with pride more refined, displays in the galleries of the Lou- vre, the chefs d'ouvre of her artists, with what she yet retains of the productions of the pencil and the chisel, of which Napoleon despoil- ed the nations of Europe. These monuments excite admiration, but they leave generous and grateful sympathies unmoved, while the be- nevolent mind recognizes in the axe, the plow and the loom, agents of civilization and humanity, and exalts them above all the weapons * The Hon. Daniel Webster was expected to deliver the Address. 8 [Senate that ambition and rapine have forged, and even above all the embel- lishments of social life, that arts merely ornamental have ever pro- duced. Nor need we overvalue our agricultural inventions, or bestow exaggerated praise upon their authors. Admitting the inferiority of our schools to the Universities of Europe, and the deficiency of our artisans in learning and experience, we may yet maintain that all sci- entific acquirements here, and all inventions, pass immediately to the general use, and contribute directly to the general w^elfare. Such are now our means of diffusmg and preserving knowledge, that no real- ly useful invention can either be lost or fail to be employed in every region of our country. Let this festival, " Pastorally sweet And rurally magnificent," be preserved, and the increasing emulation of our yeomanry and me- chanics maintained, and the effect will be seen, not only in the im- provement of agriculture, but in the amelioration of the character of the people. Thirty years before the revolutionary war, at a celebra- tion in Massachusetts, the Matrons and Maidens of Boston appeared on the Mall, each industriously plying the busy spinning wheel. Need it then excite surprise that our sister State now excels with the shuttle, and extorts wealth from the floods, the ice and the rocks! The character of a people may be studied in their amusements. The warlike Greeks fixed their epochs on the recurrence of the Olym- pic games. The husbandmen of Switzerland at stated periods cele- brate the introduction of the vine. Well may we then, continue ova- tions in honor of agriculture, which, while they give expression to national rejoicing, promote the welfare of our country, and the good of mankind. Farmers of New-York — You do wisely in collecting from every district and every region, the various species of plants, and adopting such as find our soil and climate most congenial; in introducing new branches of culture and mechanic industry; in choosing out of do- mestic and foreign stock, the animals which propagate most rapidly, with the least expense of subsistence, and yield the largest returns for the husbandman's care; in stimulating invention to the discovery of new principles of tillage, machines and implements, for increasing the fertility of the soil and the productiveness of human labor. But these efforts alone, well conceived and beneficial as they are, do not fulfill the responsibilities of the American farmer. No. 63.J 9 Similar exertions, though less effective, have been made by the til- lers of the earth in every age, however benightedj and in every coun- try, however subjected. The God of nature has given us a territory stretching through fifty degrees of longitude, withaimot^t the breadth of the temperate zone, embosoming numerous lakes, and traversed by capacious rivers. Every variety of soil north of the tropics, and every mineral resource, with mountain, forest and plain, are abun- dantly supplied. We stand, in relation to this wide territor}'^, not un- like the progenitor of our race in regard to the earth over which he received dominion from the Almighty. He has permitted us to learn wisdom from the rugged experience of almost sixty centuries, and to establish a system of government, new and peculiar, which, while it effectually secures personal rights and domestic tranquillity, does not favor war, and is not adapted to aggression, which chastens avarice and represses ambition, which favors equality, subdues individual power, and stimulates, strengthens and combines the power of the masses — a system resting on the consent, and kept in action only by the agency of the governed. To these advantages is added a social organization which rejects, in every form, the principles of involunta- ry or reluctant labor and gradation among the members of the State, and by offering equal rewards, calls forth the equal industry and en- terprise of every citizen. These peculiarites of our political and so- cial condition, indicate an era in civilization, and inspire a generous confidence that it may be our privilege to open for our race the way to a brighter and better destiny than has yet been attained. Hitherto, civilized men, enslaved or oppressed, have doubted whether advancement from the savage state of existence was a bles- sing, and have struggled for liberty as if mere liberty was the end of human achievement. But we have learned that civil liberty is only one of the conditions of human happiness, and is desirable chiefly because it favors that social advancement which is the ever fulfilling destiny of mankind. In every stage of that advancement hitherto, agricultural improvement has been last, though it should always be first. By agriculture, nations exist j it supports and clothes mankind; it furnishes the resources for protection and defence, and the means even of moral improvement and intellectual cultivation. Portions of a community, cities, and even states, may exist by ex- ercising the mechanic arts, or by going down to the sea in ships, but there must nevertheless be, somewhere, some larger agricultural com- [Senate No. 63. J B 10 [Senate muuity to furnish the productions and fabrics indispensable even in such forms of society. The necessary minerals, iron, lead, copper, and others, are beneficial only because .they are employed in aid of agriculture, or in preparing its productions for our use; and even the metals which by consent of mankind are called precious, have no value except as representatives of the fruits of industry. Other interests may rise and fall, and other masses may combine, dissolve and re-combine, and the agricultural mass be scarcely affected," but the whole body politic sympathise when this interest is depressed and this class suffers. " Princes and lords may flourish or may fade, A breath can mal^e them, as a breath has made : But a bold peasantry, their country's pride, — When once destroyed, can never be supplied." It is an obvious responsibility of the American people to restore the natural and proper order of social improvement, by renovating agriculture — for this is the tendency of our institutions. It is a maxim in other countries that society necessarily consists of two classes — the ruling few and the governed many. The latter are de- signated under the most liberal forms of government as " the labor- ing poor; " in the polished countries of the South as " peasantry," and in the ruder north as " serfs." Here we know not as a class, serfs, peasantry or poor; and the laboring many constitute society. Whether designedly or not, they who apply to our condition, analo- gies derived from monarchical or aristocratic States, would mislead us, and those deceive themselves who expect that our government will operate otherwise than for the security and benefit of the masses. The legislators of our country are its citizens; and since the pre- dominating mass of citizens consist of tillers of the soil, the Ameri- can farmer is the American statesman. The government, therefore, necessarily tends to sustain and promote agriculture. In Europe, the cost of land fit for tillage is twice or three times greater than here; the price of labor here is more than double that in Europe. Our land is therefore cultivated imperfectly, and its productions are seldom equal to one-half its capacity. Thus one of our great advantages is counterbalanced by a deficiency of physical force. Notwithstanding our population augments with unprecedented rapidity, by domestic increase and immigration — yet such is the de- mand for labor and service in commercial towns, and in the improve- ment of roads and rivers, and so attractive are our new settlements No. 63.] 11 in the west, that the deficiency of labor continues the same, and its value, under ordinary circumstances, constantly increases. Immi- gration, therefore, is an auxiliary to agriculture. The condition of society in Europe favors emigration. The nations are reposing after long and exhausting wars. The masses increase in disproportion to their territory and subsistence; and although a democratic spirit is abroad, slowly renovating their institutions, there is still a restless desire to participate in our social advantages and enjoy our perfect liberty. But with the sturdy, enterprising and virtuous immigrants, there will also arrive on our shores, the infirm, the indolent and the depraved, while a change of home and country is always liable to be attended by accident and misfortune. These circumstances increase the charges for public charity and justice in our populous cities, and hence their inhabitants often regard immigration as itself a ca^ lamity. But, aside from all questions of humanity — if we compare this incidental misfortune with the addition to the national wealth and strenffth derived from the one humlred thousand emigrants who an- nually disperse themselves over the country, and take into conside- ration the increase of our physical strength by their descendants, we find every principle of political economy sanctioning the policy of our ancestors, which freely opened our ports and offered an asylum to the exiles of every land. Nor need I urge before such an enligh- tened assembly, that prejudices against emigrants, and apprehensions of danger from their association, are as unwise as they are lyigener- ous. The experience of mankind has proved that mutual intercourse and the most intimate relations between the various branches of the human family are indispensable to the progress of civilization and humanity. The agricultural interest, though the last to suffer, is always slow- est in recovering from any national calamity. Associations in other departments deranged, may be renewed. Capital destroyed may be supplied, and masses overborne may recover. But agriculture, once embarrassed, is with difficulty restored. War, however justifiable or necessary, or however it may stimulate production for a season, is always a national evil, and in its least desolating form is destructive of agricultural prosperity. To cultivate the disposition and the arts of peace, and to guard against domestic disturbance and civil discord. 12 [Senate are important therefore, not merely to the improvementj but to the prosperity of agriculture. Agriculture can never flourish where its rewards are precarious, or inferior in value to those obtained in other departments of industry. Perpetual care is necessary to diminish the burthens to which it may be subjected. Hence the necessity of an economical conduct of pub- lic affairs-— of improving those inland communications which serve for the conveyance of agricultural productions to places of exchange and consumption, and of such commercial regulations as secure advan- tageous markets, either at home or abroad. But these considerations are so familiar that they need not be dwelt upon, notwithstanding their acknowledged importance. The preservation of equality among the people in regard to con- stitutional and legal rights, and perpetual adherence to the policy which by laws regulating descents, devises and trusts, prevents the undue accumulation of estates, are indispensable to agricultural pros- perity. It is this policy, co-operating with the natural advantages of our position, which has made the agricultural class here a communi- ty of freeholders, in contrast with the systems of other countries, un- der which lands are cultivated by tenants, the rewards of whose la- bor pass to the benefit of landlords. Not only was the " primal curse" of labor universal, but acquies- cence in it was wisely made a condition of health, happiness, wisdom and virtue. This condition, however, implies that equal rewards are allowed to mankind, while equal labor is exacted from them. What- ever institution, then, on any pretext, relieves any portion of a com- munity of the necessity of labor, or withholds its incentives or ex- cludes them from equal competition for its rewards, not only is une- qual and unjust, but by diminishing the whole amount of social la- bor, increases the burthens of those on whom the subsistence of so- ciety depends. We are all accustomed to recognize this important truth in the operation of domestic servitude. But every form of une- qual legislation, every custom and every prejudice which causes any mass or any portion of a mass to abate their efforts to secure inde- pendence and wealth, operates in the same manner, although to a less extent. While the patrons of agriculture will keep steadily in view these principles, their most strenuous efforts must be exerted for the difTu- sion of knowledge. To knowledge we are indebted for whatever of No. 63.] 13 ease or security we enjoy; and the safety and happiness of every civilized community, not overborne by foreign oppression, are exactly in proportion to its intellectual cultivation. So also, as a general proposition, individuals prosper and exert influence according to the standard of their attainments. This truth applies also to masses in a community. The agricultural class here, as well as in every other country, notwithstanding their numbers, enjoy comparatively inade- quate compensation and abated influence, because they have a lower standard of education than other classes. There is not, as is often supposed, a certain amount of knowledge which it is profitable for the farmer to possess, and dangerous to exceed. Learned men sometimes fail in this honorable pursuit, but not in consequence of their acquire- ments; and the number of such is vastly less than those who fail through ignorance. It is a fact, which, however mortifying, cannot be too freely confessed, or too often published, that an inferior edu- cation is held sufl[icient for those who are destined to the occupation of agriculture. The standard established for them is seldom as high as the full course of instruction given in our common schools, and consists in an ability to read, but scarcely with pleasure or advantage, to write without facility or accuracy, and to perform simple process- es in the art of numbers. Higher attainments than these are allowed to all other classes. The mechanic and the artisan are at least in- structed in the nature and properties of the substances which they use, and in the principles and combinations of the mechanical pow- ers they employ, while each profession jealously guards against the intrusion of any candidate, who however skilful in its particular mys- teries, has not completed a course of scientific or classical learn- ing. There is no just reason for this discrimination. The domestic, so- cial and civil responsibilities of the farmer, are precisely the same with those of every other citizen, while the political power of his class is irresistible. The preparation of the soil to receive a germ, the culture of the plant, its protection against accidents, and the gather- ing of its fruit — each of these, apparently simple operations, involves principles of science more recondite than do the studies of the learn- ed professions. Every other department of industry has willingly received aid from science. In mechanism, the laws of power and motion are so well understood, that achievements to which human energy was once deemed inadequate, are easy and familiar. The 14 [Senate hand is now almost unnecessary in the fabrication of cloths. Animal power is beginning to be dispensed w^ith in locomotion on the landj and the intercourse between nations separated by seas, heretofore so ^lifficult and uncertain, is rendered speedy and regular by the use of steam. But agriculture is regarded as involving no laws of nature, requiring no aids, and capable of no improvement. Physical power is considered the only suitable agent, and that power is most waste- fully expended. Admitting the beneficent effects of the cotton gin, the improved plow, the cultivator, the threshing machine, and other implements which have been instrumental in effecting a slow ad- vancement in agriculture, it must still be confessed that while other arts are more rapidly improving, this, of human arts, the first and last, whose cultivation leads to plenty, and is cheered by health and con- tentment, remains comparatively unassisted and stationary. But independently of the aid which mechanical science owes to agriculture, if the principles of economical geology, of agricultural chemistry, and of animal physiology, which have been laid open by Lyell, by Priestly, by Davy, Liebig, Johnson, and Dana, and our own Buel, were universally known and applied, the productiveness of the soil would be incalculably increased. Regarding the education of the agricultural class, then, only in the light of economy, its impor- tance cannot be over estimated. But this is its least interesting as- pect. Education is necessary to elevate the agricultural masses to their just eminence, and to secure their enlightened action in the con- duct of government, and of the various interests of social life. Prais- es of agriculture, and acknowledgments of the purity, patriotism and wisdom, of those who pursue that most peaceful calling, are the ne- ver failing themes of all who court their suffrages. Yet it is a sad truth, that the interests of agriculture, and of those who subsist by it, are often considered subordinate, and sometimes injuriously neglect- ed. The avenues to preferment are open to all, but they are seldom traveled by the farmer. Questions of peace and war, of revenue, of commerce, of currency, of manufactures, of physical improvement, of free and foreign labor, of education, are too often discussed and decided without just consideration of their bearing upon the interests of agriculture. The reason is obvious. The art of agriculture is learned by imitation and habit. Those who are destined to that pursuit, are not early instructed in the principles of the government, or its relations to other States, in their own legal rights, their civil du- No. 63.] 16 ties, the pathology of the human constitution, the nature of the sub- stances with which agriculture is concerned, or their properties, or the laws regulating their development, or even in the simple art of tracing geometrical lines, and calculating their contents, not to speak of the range of physical and exact sciences, history and ethics, clas- sical learning, the philosophy of language and the art of eloquence. These attainments, though open to all, are reached exclusively by other classes, and the Farmer in mature years, is sent to the Press for political instruction, and to the Clergy he must yield implicit confi- dence, and must depend upon the Lawyer for the defence of his sim- ple rights, upon the Physician for information whether he is diseased, upon the Professor for explanations of the properties of the soil he cultivates, and upon the Civil Engineer for even the measurement of his acres. When such dependance upon these various classes is esta- blished, can it be a matter of surprise, that precedence is conceded to them in the various departments of society? Let me not be misun- derstood. I deprecate not the influence of the learned classes, and I would promote by every proper means their higher improvement — nor would I excite jealousy against them, or in the least diminish the respect or confidence they enjoy — but I desire to see the agricultural class equally elevated, and for that purpose I would stimulate them to corresponding attainments. This is the true theory of republican institutions. When it is carried into practical and complete operation, and not until then, shall we enjoy a regular, safe, equal, and enlight- ened administration of civil government. Your task, then, is nothing less than social revolution — a revolution, however, which, like all your pursuits, will be peaceful and benefi- cial. You aim no blows at the government of the country, or the power, the prosperity, or the influence of any class of its citizens. On the contrary, you will render them all the aid and all the support they need. Nor will you justly encounter the opposition of any class, for all are equally interested with yourselves in the great work you have undertaken, and upon which depend the stability and perma- nence of our institutions, and the hopes of mankind. The agency required in this great work is already prepared, and awaits your adoption. The primary schools, the voluntary religious es- tablishments, the academic seminaries, and the universities which you require, are already founded, and liberally endowed. In our school district libraries, an auxiliary is furnished, whose efficacy is scarcely 16 [Senate surpassed by the invention of Cadmus, of Faust, or of Fulton. With pride and pleasure I add, that this agent was called into ac- tion by a farmer of New-York. These libraries, which are placed at almost every angle of our thoroughfares and by-ways, and con- tain treasures richer than those the world lamented in the destruc- tion of Alexandria, may be made the vehicles of not merely the li- terature which adorns, but of the science which elevates, and of that moral and political wisdom which gives beneficent direction to the human mind. Little remains for you but to guide the rising generation to the im- provement of these facilities, nor will that task be difficult. Science, though repulsive to the ignorant, is attractive to the initiated, and its attraction increases just in proportion as truths are presented which are adapted to the comprehension and satisfying to the curiosi- ty of the young mind. In the dark ages, the system of instruction was so contrived, as to present to faculties undeveloped, the deduc- tions of science without their explanation, and recondite truths with- out their illustration. Whatever was simple and easy of apprehen- sion, was thought unworthy to be known, and the philosophy which explains the formation of the earth, and its perfect adaptation to the subsistence and happiness of our race, was not then conceived. Something of this strange error still remains, but a change has com- menced, and we may soon hope to see a system of education which will lead the mind by an easy and natural process, through the truths of external nature, to the mysteries of mind and the study of the Supreme Author. Let it be your effort to hasten this change, and thus divest know- ledge of its repulsive features, to excite the emulation and stimulate the patriotism of the young, by making known to them the attain- ments of which they are capable; the advantages they may acquire, and the responsibilities they are to assume. The desire for know- ledge, once excited, will increase, and will find ways to continue its pursuit. Then the youth destined to agricultural occupations, in- stead of being employed in perpetual labor, will be allowed to ac- quire the knowledge which renders those occupations cheerful, dig- nified, and successful; and parents, instead of hoarding their gains to be divided among their offspring, to relieve them from the necessity of enterprise, will devote their wealth freely in bestowing that bet- ter patrimony which cannot be lost. Need I point out to such an No. 63.J 17 audience, how this work shall be commenced? Let it be the task of individual effort to awaken the attention of our fellow-citizens to the importance of keeping the common schools open during a greater portion of every year, of a more careful regard to the qualifications of teachers, of the introduction of the natural sciences into the schools, of allowing the children of the State, at whatever cost, to persevere in the course of education commenced; and above all, of removing every impediment and every prejudice which keeps the fu- ture citizen without the pale of the public schools. The State has been munificent to the rising generation. She has not only founded a system of universal instruction, but she has at great cost explored the animal, vegetable, and mineral kingdoms, and exposed their mysteries. The benefits of these discoveries, though diffusive, will be experienced in an eminent degree by agriculture. You have already wisely employed the agency of association, but the principle is susceptible of more varied and comprthensive appli- cation. Be not content with organizing a State Society and county associations, by which you excite the efforts of the few who least need improvement; but organize an agricultural society in every school district, and thus secure the co-operation of all our citizens. Such associations, while they would promote agricultural fellowship, and vigorously second efforts immediately tending to the improve- ment of the art, would apply themselves diligently in exciting an interest in the important subjects which have been discussed, and in circulating treatises upon proper studies, and watching over the in- terests of education and of agriculture in the schools, in the primary action of society, and in the Legislative councils. But, gentlemen, in whatever direction your efforts may be made, you will encounter difficulties and discouragements. You will be op- posed by that contented spirit which regards every improvement as innovation, and which perpetually, though falsely, complains that mankind degenerate, without making an effort to check the pro- gress of error. You will be regarded as visionary, by those who consider skill in acquiring, and success in retaining wealth, as the perfection of human wisdom; but you will remember that such as these seldom bestow their countenance upon the benefactors of man- kind, nor does fortune always distinguish them by her favors. Ro- bert Morris, the financier of the revolution, died a bankrupt. Chris- topher Coles, our most efficient advocate of inland navigation in the [Senate No. 63.] C IS [Senate last century, was interred by private charity, in the Stranger's bury- ing ground. The essays of Jesse Hawley, which demonstrated the feasibility and importance of a continuous canal from Lake Erie to the Hudson river, were sent forth from a debtor's prison; and De Witt Clinton, whose name is written upon the capital of every co- lumn of our social edifice, was indebted to private hospitality for a resting place. It is the same generous and patriotic spirit which animated these philanthropists, and sustained them in their struggles with the prejudices of the age in which they lived, that I desire to in- voke in favor of agriculture. This spirit, wisely directed, cannot fail, for it has been irresistible in every department it has hitherto en- tered. But let us all remember that the only true way to begin re- form, is to find the source of error; and that if we cultivate Man, the improvement of the animal and vegetable kingdoms will surely follow. IMPROVED SHORT-HORN BULL DUKE OF WELLINGTON, j OWNED BY GEORGE VAIL, ESQ. TROY, N. Y. ' ] Duke of Wellington is a roan Bull, bred by Thomas Bates, Esq. of Kirkleavington, Yorkshire, Eng- land, calved October 24, 1839 ; got by Short Tail, (2621,) Dam Oxford, having obtained the first prize ■ for the best Short-Horn Cow, open to all England, in July, 1839, given by the Royal Agricultural J Society, by Duke of Cleaveland, (1937 ;) Grand Dam Matchem Cow by Matchem, (2281 ;) Great Grand 1 Dam by Young Wynyard, (2859,) sometimes called Young Wellington, (p. 494, Coate's Herd Book.) 1 REPORTS OF COMMITTEES, AT THE ANNUAL FAIR OF THE NEW.YORK STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY, Held at Albany^ Sept. 27, 28, and 29, 1842. REPORT ON CLASSES I. II. III. AND IV.— BULLS. [^Committee: — Messrs. Adam Ferguson of Watertown, U. C; Paoli La- THROPof South Hadley, Mass.; Hknry Whitney of New-Haven, Ct.,and J. 0. Choules, of New-York.] The committee appointed to judge on Classes I, II, III, and IV, beg leave to report that they have unanimously awarded the Premi- ums as follows: " Class I. — 1st, to Mr. Prentice's Nero. 2d, to Mr. Johnston's Royal William. 3d, to Mr. Bement's Astoria. 4th, to D. D. Campbell's Durham bull. Class II. — 1st, to Mr. Prentice's Fairfax.* 2d, to Mr. Clark's Major. 3d, to Mr. Vail's Duke of Wellington.! 4th, to Mr. Sampson's No. 5. Class III. — 1st, to Mr. Van Rensselaer's Rockingham. 2d, to Mr. Delavan's Leopard. 3d, to Mr. Van Rensselaer's White Prince. 4th, to Mr. Vail's Meteor. Class IV.— 1st, to Mr. Prentice's Cato. 2d, to Mr. Sweet's. 3d, to Mr. Vail's. 4th, to Mr. Sherwood's Damon. The committee cannot close their report, without remarking upon * a portrait of "Fairfax," forms the frontispiece of this volume. "Fairfax," a pure white, bred and owned by E. P. Prentice, Esq. Mount Hope, near Albany, was calved May 10, 1840. He was sired in England by Sir Thomas Fairfax— d. Splendor, by Symmetry, 2723— g. d. by Young Bedford, 1701— g. g. d. by Isaac, 1129— g. g. g. d. by Whiteworih, 1584— g. g. g. g. d. by White Comet, [sire of £1000.] 1582— g. g. g. g. g. d. by a son of Charge's Kit, 2179. t For the portrait and pedigree of " Duke of Wellington," see opposite page. 20 [Senate the very creditable display of stock brought before them, and which reflects much credit upon the farmers of the State. REPORT ON CLASSES V. VI. VII. AND VIII. [Committee: — Messrs. David C. Collins, Hartford, Ct.; I. S. Hitchcock, W. K. TowNSEND, East Haven, Ct.; Ch's Broom and R. L. Allen.] The committee of the " N. Y. State Agricultural Society," on cows, heifers, and heifer calves, comprising classes V, VI, VII, and VIII, respectfully report: That they have attended to the duties of their appointment, in which they experienced the embarrassment usual on such occasions from finding the animals numerous^ w^hile the premiums were fewy — but adopting the rule that a majority in numher of the committee, should of course, in all cases, be decisive, they arrived at the follow- ing results: In Class V, the Society's 1st premium was given to Mr. Sherwood's Durham Short Horn cow, Stella. the 2d, to Mr. Prentice's cow, Daisy, the 3d, to Major Dill's cow. Gazelle, the diploma, to Mr. Sherwood's cow, Pansy. In Class VI, the 1st premium to Major Dill's heifer, Hebe, a very superior animal. the 2d, to Mr. Prentice's heifer, Sally. the 3d, to Mr. Prentice's heifer, Caroline. In Class VII, the 1st premium to Mr. Sherwood's heifer. Noma. the 2d, to Mr. Prentice's heifer, Charlotte. Your committee saw no other animal in this class, which they deemed on the whole, worthy of being honored by the Society's Di- ploma, which was accordingly withheld. In Class VIII, the first premium was awarded to Mr. Prentice's heifer calf, Nell. the 2d, to Mr. Prentice's white heifer calf. Duchess, (by Fairfax.) the diploma, to Mr. George Vail's heifer calf, got by his imported bull Wellington. Your committee found it no easy matter to decide among so ma- ny/a^ calves as were shown in class VIII, their respective menY^ and faults being alike covered and hidden hyjlesh, so much so that they were really better adapted for the inspection of a committee of butch- ers than of breeders. The practice, now too common, of fattening breeding animals for exhibition, is not only wholly without utility, but is so bad and inju- rious in every pomt of view, that it ought to be discountenanced. SUTTHS. IMPROVED SHORT-HORN COW GAZELLE, OWNED BY MAJ. J. B. DILL, AUBURN. To Gazelle, was awarded the third premium for the best Cow of any breed, at the Fair of the N. Y. State Agricultural Society, held at Albany, Sept. 1842. She was calved in 1838— sired by Charles, 1816— Dam, Crocus, by Romulus, 2563— G. D. Prize, by Marlbro, 1189— G, G. D. Tulip, by Regent, 546— G. G. G. D. (see Herd Book)— G. G. G. G. D. Primrose, by North Star, 459. IMPROVED SHORT-HORN HEIFER HEBE, OWNED BY MAJ. J. B. DILL, AUBURN, Which received the first prize at the N. Y. State Fair, September, 1842. Hebe, a pure white, calved April 1, 1840, was sired by American Comet — Dam, Gazelle, by Charles, 1816— G. D. Cro- cus, by Romulus, 2563— G. G. D. Prize, by Marlbro, 1189— G. G. G. D. Tulip, by Regent, 546— G. G. G. G. D. Primrose, by North Star, 459. [See Herd Book.] No. 63.] 21 It will not fail to be noticed that all the foregoing premiums are given to animals of the valuable breed known as " Durham Short Horns," against which kind there was on this occasion no other breed shown in competition, except Herefords, of which there was a beau- tiful and very creditable exhibition, consisting of a portion of the herd of Messrs. Corning & Sotham, some individuals of which, this com- mittee would highly commend, especially as being good specimens of that important quajity, good handling, always essential to excel- lence. Your committee, (of which a portion, if not a majority, is com- posed of what might be called " Short Horn men," either by pre- ference or interest as Short Horn breeders,) from motives of delica- cy^ not to say generosity^ did not deem themselves called on to decide between these two rival breeds, and against the Herefords, which would have been for the most part, and in effect, their decision, if made on this occasion. In England, the home of both breeds, where beef is i\\e first and almost the governing consideration, the Here fords as a breed, it is well known, have long maintained a sharp and ofte7i successful compe- tition with the Short Horns, for feeding purposes, especially as a graz- ing stock; while it is claimed, and now generally conceded by well informed dispassionate persons in England, that the well bred Short Horns have the merit of earlier maturity, and are also entitled to the preference for stall feeding, and more especially and decidedly so for dairy purposes, in which the Short Horns and their crosses ?ire believ- ed to excel all other breeds, and that the pure bred males of this breed are capable of improving all other breeds of cattle; certainly a most important consideration, and especially so in this and all the north- ern portion of the United States. It is understood that the Herefords have not yet been sufficiently tried in this country as milkers, in the absence of which, there seems to prevail at present an unfavorable impression of them as dairy stock, which impression it is to be hoped may soon be done away, if, as their friends claim, the Herefords are really a superior milking breed. Some of their crosses with native stock, now existing in Massachu- setts, descended from an importation of Herefords made many years since, by Admiral Coffin, are understood to have proved excellent milkers. It is besides claimed for the Herefords, that they will make good working cattle, being strong and active, which is not doubted. It is also conceded that the qualify of the Hereford beef is excellent. Therefore, taking no more than a fair view of their case, the Here- fords must, in all probability, prove a highly valuable stock in those portions of this country where the grazing of cattle for beef is a pri- mary object. Under these circumstances, your committee would ask in behalf of the newly imported Herefords, ajTair chance, — and that they be al- lowed, after coming from on ship board, to get well upon their feet, before they " enter the lists" against the now well established Short Horns. If the Herefords are cherished and encouraged for a time, it 22 [Senate is to be hoped that the now favorite Durhams, may, by-and-by, in fu- ture competition, find in them " foeman worthy of their steel." In view of the foregoing considerations, your committee would respectfully beg leave to recommend that extra premiums be award- ed to the Herefords, as follows: To Mr. Sotham's cow Matchless, fifteen dollars. To his cow Martha, ten dollars. - And a diploma to his heifer Maria. If the Herefords were distributed in more hands, so as to give room for competition among themselves, your committee would suggest the expediency of hereafter offering premiums for them in a class dis- tinct from other breeds. Also for Morth Devons, a highly useful and most valuable breed, especially on light soils, and in hilly districts of country. Your committee cannot in justice close their report, without re- marking that the want of information as to how the animals had been fed, also as to the milking qualities of the cows, and occasionally as to the pedigrees, was much felt by the committee, who, in the ab- sence of this needed information, were in many instances left to grope their way in the dark to a decision, of course, in some cases, by no means satisfactory, even to themselves. Nor did we find persons in attendance, to lead out the animals for a more full and careful exami- nation, especially as to their style of carriage or movement, which it is needless to remark, is, as well as form and handling, an essential element of any intelligent opinion, or critical decision on their merits. REPORT ON CLASSES IX. X. AND XI. [Committee. — Messrs. James Neilson, G. V. Sackett, and John Johnston.] The committee appointed to examine grade cattle, in classes IX, X, and XI, beg leave to report: — That the competition on this occasion, has been extremely limited, both as to the number of cattle, and the variety of the crosses. No specimen of a cross between the Native stock and the Devon, or Hereford, or Ayrshire, has been presented; and the crosses of the Durham are much less numerous than might have been expected. This is much to be regretted. Nothing but experiments on all the breeds now imported, will enable us to ascertain their relative value in crossing, and it is obvious that the result of these experiments must be made known in the most public manner, in order to be wide- ly useful. The committee regard public exhibitions of this kind, eminently calculated to diffuse such information, and they conceive that in neg- lecting them, the breeder neglects as well his own, as the interest of the public. They have selected No. 7, (Mr. Risley's cow,) of class IX, No. No. 63,J 23 2, (Mr. Fowler's 2 year old heifer,) of class X, and No. 1, (Mr. Bement's Cream Pot,) of class XI, as entitled each to the first pre- mium of their respective classes. They have also assigned to No. 1, (Mr. Buel's cow,) in class IX, and No. 3, (Mr. Schuyler's heifer,) in class X, the second premium in their respective classes. REPORT ON CLASSES XII. XIII. XIV. AND XV. ICoinmittee: — Messrs. Samuel Jaques, Watson Newbold, Henry BuRRELL, Tyler Fountain and J. W. Requa.] The committee on classes XII, XIII, XIV, and XV, report, — On class XII, cows, Native breed — Only one was presented for competition, being a red cow, called Rose, 9 years old, belonging to E. Chesebro, of Guilderland, Albany co.j to which we award the second premium of $8. Class XIII, Native heifers, between 2 and 3 years. But two were presented, neither of which, in our opinion, is entitled to a premium. Class XIV, Native heifers between 1 and 2 years. — But one was presented for competition, being a red, with white face, 16 months old, and had a calf four weeks since, belonging to L. V. V. Schuy- ler, of Watervliet, Albany co.j to which we award the second pre- mium of $5. Class XV, Dairy cows of any breed. — But one was presented for competition, agreeably to the terms and restrictions set forth in the prize list, and which is the native cow mentioned in class XII, and which made 37 lbs. butter in 30 successive days, and to which we award, under this class, a diploma. The committee add, that it is very much to be regretted that the owners of native stock have not presented them for exhibition and competition, and we are compelled to believe that the great and splendid display of blooded cattle, has been the cause of their not being produced; and we trust that at the next annual fair and exhi- bition, this defect will be amply supplied, not only from the vicini- ty, but from more remote parts, where we are well assured they do exist of very superior quality, and in large numbers; and without any disparagement to the splendid blooded cattle, will be found, if equal care shall be bestowed upon their selection and breeding, to me- ritoriously and pecuniarily reward their owners in an eminent de- gree. REPORT ON WORKING OXEN AND STEERS. {_ Committee: — Robert Colt, of Pittsfield, Mass., Chairman.] The committee on working oxen, and three year old steers, con- sisting of Messrs. Colt of Pittsfield, Mass., Wadsworth of Dur- 24 [Senate ham, Conn., Cross of Shaftsbury, Vt., Fuller of Skaneateles, and Haswell of Hoosick 4 Corners, New-York, have attended to the duty assigned them, and respectfully report: — That the number of working oxen upon the ground, were nine yoke, w^ell matched and unusually well trained; there were but few among them that did not carry marked proofs that they came from a land of peace and plenty, and were strangers to Pharaoh's lean kine. We cannot but express our gratification at their grand display; it was with difficulty the committee could decide between the merits of the competitors, Avhich is an evidence of an improvement in this department; and we think by judicious crossing with stocks adapted to the rich grazings of New- York, that it will not only be said that its blooded stock stand among the first in our country, but also, with its present means of crossing, that the working oxen may stand first. Your committee have carefully examined all the animals belong- ing to their province, and have endeavored to do strict and im- partial justice to all the applicants, not knowing to whom they be- longed until the awards were made, and give the premiums as fol- lows : For the best yoke of working oxen, No. 1, four years old of the Devon and native cross, to W. Phelps of Chatham, $20. For the 2d best yoke, No. 6, five years old, of the Devon and Durham cross, to Benj. Aikin of Greenbush, $12. For the 3d best yoke. No. 9, four years old, of the Devon and Durham cross, to William N. Sill of Bethlehem, $8. For the 4th best yoke, No. 5, six years old, of the Devon and Na- tive cross, to Henry Adams of Bethlehem, $5. For the 5th best yoke. No. 3, six years old, of the Native breed, to Jacob L. Ten Eyck of Bethlehem, the Society's diploma. The committee regret to say, that there were no three year old steers entered for examination. All of which is respectfully sub- mitted. PREMIUMS TO BREEDERS. To E. P. Prentice, breeder of best bull in class I, To Francis Rotch, breeder of best cow in class V, $10. To Henry S. Randall, breeder of best heifer in class VI, $10. REPORT ON FAT CATTLE AND FAT SHEEP. [Committee: — Messrs. P. H. Fink, Charles Broom, Thos. Kirk- PATRiCK, and Jas. H. Curtis.] The committee on fat cattle and sheep, report : — That the first premium is awarded to P. N. Rust of Syracuse, Onondaga co., for the fattest ox. The second premium is awarded No. 63. J 25 . to Mr. C. Godfrey of Geneva, for the second best ox; and the third premium is likewise awarded to Mr. Godfrey, for the third best ox; and the diploma to Mr. T. E. Jones of Utica, Oneida co., for the fourth best ox. The committee have awarded the first premium to Francis Rotch of Butternuts, Otsego co., for the fattest wether sheep. The second to Mr. John McD. Mclntyre of Albany, for the second best wether; and also the diploma for the third best. The following certificates show the manner and the quantity of food, with which they have been fed, and the cost : The " Syracusian," owned by P. N. Rust of Syracuse, Onon- daga CO., is 8 years old. He has been fed 19 months last past, on corn meal, from 12 to 16 quarts per day, and in the winter season about half a bushel ruta bagas or potatoes a day. During summer months, has been fed about four quarts oil meal per day, in addition to his corn meal. Corn vorth 37^ cts. per bushel; say hay per week, 25 cts.; roots 50 cents. C. Godfrey of Geneva, fed his cattle as follows: On 12 to 14 quarts of corn and pea meal per day, during the year; the meal worth 50 cents per bushel. In summer, on grass. In winter, on hay. T. m. Jones' ox. The ox has been fed fifteen months; the first five months, half bushel potatoes, and 6 quarts shorts per day — 10 months, half bushel potatoes, and 6 quarts meal per day. Hay per week, 25 cts. ; potatoes, 20 cts. per bushel ; shorts, 20 cts. do. meal, 50 cts. do. Mr. Rotch received his South Down wether from England, in Oc- tober, 1841. Through that winter, the sheep was fed as well as possible, with hay, potatoes, oats, and oil cake, having suffered from the voyage. On the 1st of May, his feed was gradually reduced, so that by the 10th of May, he was turned out to grass only, and has had nothing but salt from that time till he was put into the wagon, and traveled SO miles to Albany. Mr. Mclntyre's two wethers were grass fed through the past sum mer, and through the previous winter fed only on clover hay and turneps* no grain whatever having been fed to them. REPORT ON HORSES. [Committee: — Messrs. Edward Harris, J. M. Sherwood, W. T. Por- ter, and L. C. Ball.] The committee on horses, beg leave to report that they have awarded the following premiums : [Senate No. 63.J D 26 [Sknate For Stallions over 4 years old, 1st premium of $20, to Mr. Long's chestnut horse Eclipse. 2d " 12, to Mr. Long's sorrel horse Sir Henry. 3(J " 8, to Mr. M'Kinney's chestnut horse Sir Henry, And a diploma to Mr. Long's dapple bay horse Magnum, as 4th best. For Stallions three years old. The committee regret that but two were shown, and that, under the rule laid down by the Society, they did not feel authorized to award a premium to either. They have likewise to regret that in the first class of brood mares and colts, nothing was shown, which, in their opinion, merited the premiums offered by the Society. In the second class of 3 year old brood mares, there was but one mare offered • there being no competition, no premium could be awarded. For Matched Horses. 1st premium of $15, to Mr. Brinckerhoff's pair of bay horses. 2d " 10, to Mr. Johnson's pair of black horses. 3d " 5, to Mr. Mesick's pair of bay horses. The committee are of opinion that the style of horse contemplated by the Society, as the " horse of all work," has not been exactly represented by any of the horses offered for competition. They have endeavored, to the best of their judgment, to award the premiums to such horses as approached the nearest to the required model. Mr. Ball says — I agree with the committee in the foregoing re- port, except as to breeding mares and colts. I think the mare Clio, and the colt by her side, entered by E. Long of Cambridge, entitled to the first premium offered by the Society. REPORT ON FOREIGN STOCK. [ Committee : — Messrs. Henry S. Randall, Francis Rotch, and George J. PUMPELLY.] The committee on Foreign Stock, would respectfully report: — They have had the pleasure of examining a grey four year old Nor- man stallion, presented by Mr. Edward Harris of Moorestown, New Jersey, and imported by that gentleman from France. This horse belongs to the breed used for the diligence or stage coach in France, and although not decidedly fleet, they are remarkable for their bot- tom and endurance. It may, indeed, be well doubted whether any other variety of horses would drag those cumbrous vehicles so great distances in a given time. Like their descendants, the Canadian horses, they are easily kept, will feed on the coarsest materials, and are remarkable for their freedom from disease, and their iron hardi- hood and endurance under all circumstances. No. 63.J 27 Your committee consider Mr. Harris' horse one of unusual sub- stance and symmetry, for the breed. The shoulder lies well back, the back is short, the whole conformation betraying immense strength. He has a great length and substance of fore-arm, and the limb below the knee is clean and short, for the character of the breed. He also displayed free and spirited action. Your committee cannot but be- lieve that in its pure state, this variety of horses would prove one of the most valuable for heavy draft; and there is little doubt that cross- ed with the light mares of our country, would produce a peculiarly hardy and active race of horses, fit for the road or the plow. The Society were much obliged to Henry Whitney, Esq. of New- Haven, Conn, for the opportunity afforded them of seeing specimens of his fine Short Horn stock, his valuable imported bull " Rocket," by " Norfolk," out of" Carnation," bred by Mr. Hargrave in England, and his red roan cow " Strawberry," an animal that attracted much attention for her substance and general good appearance. More it would not become us to say, as she is engaged in a sweepstakes. His beautiful heifer " Cornelia," we understand to be also in a sweep- stakes, and therefore feel it necessary to abstain from comment. Your committee further had the gratification of viewing a fine spe- cimen of the Duke of Leed's stock, in the imported bull " His Grace," brought on the ground by Paschal Morris, Esq. of Allerton, Chester county. Pa. This animal was by " Anthony," out of " Vinea," she by Mr. Whittaker's Frederick, &c. " His Grace" is an animal of great substance and much excellence. He was selected, as we are informed, bv Mr. Whittaker in England, and sent over to this coun- try in 1838' Your committee trust that no foreign stock exhibited on this occa- sion, was overlooked by them — if so, the immense concourse of men and animals on the ground, and the confusion necessarily attending such a scene, must serve as their apology. REPORT ON LONG WOOLED SHEEP. \_Committee : — Messrs. E. Lawrence, E. Kirby, Chester Moses and F. M. RoTCH.] The committee upon Lcng Wooled Sheep, class No. ],have care- fully examined the several specimens of this useful animal, which have been submitted to their inspection. Where the claims of indi- viduals in some instances are so nearly balanced, it is difificult to do exact justice. The committee, exeicising their best judgment, and having regard to the purpose which mainly recommends this class to the attention of farmers near our large towns, namely, the value of the carcass for the table, have endeavored to award the premiums with a fair discrimination, which shall command the approbation of the parties immediately interested. The committee award the premium for the best buck to Thomas Dunn of Albany. 28 [Senate The premium for the second best buck, to J. McD. Mclntyre of Albany. The premium for the third best buck, to E. C. Delavan of Ballston. The premium for the fourth best buck, to L. D. Clift of Putnam county. The committee award the premium for the best pen of three ewes, to Messrs. Corning & Sotham of Albany, The premium for the second best pen of three ewes, to L. D. Clift of Putnam county. The premium for the third best pen of three ewes, to Thomas Dunn of Albany. The premium for the fourth best pen of three ewes, to J. McD. Mclntyre of Albany. The number and excellence of the animals submitted to the inspec- tion of the committee, cause regret at the limited number of premi- ums at their discretion. They would particularly notice a pen of three ewes, belonging to H. Morrison of Orange county, and a pen of twenty-three beautiful lambs, belonging to Messrs. Corning & Sotham, which commanded their admiration as choice specimens of this class of sheep, which is now attracting public attention, and for the introduction of which from abroad, the country is indebted to the liberal enterprise of several gentlemen, distinguished for their zeal in promoting the interests of agriculture. REPORT ON MIDDLE WOOLED SHEEP. [Committee : — Messrs. E. Marks, S. W. Jewett and D. S. Curtis.] Tlie committee on Middle Wooled Sheep, would respectfully re- port:— That the sheep offered for their inspection, were, with one excep- tion, all South Downs, and in these the competition was very close; so much so that it was with considerable difficulty that the commit- tee decided upon the comparative merits of the sheep belonging to Messrs. Rotch and Mclntyre. But after mature deliberation, the committee have awarded the first prize on middle wooled bucks, to J. McD. Mclntyre of Albany; the second to F. M. Rotch of But- ternutts; the third, and diploma, to S. Waite of Montgomery. The committee have also awarded the first prize on middle wooled ewes, to F. M. Rotch of Otsego; the second to J. McD. Mclntyre of Albany; the third to S, Waite of Montgomery; the diploma to C. N. Bement of Albany. No. 63.J 29 REPORT ON FINE WOOLED SHEEP. [Committee: — Messss. J. P. Beekman^ E. C. Delavan and S. D. Colt.] The committee appointed to examine the Fine Wooled Sheep ex- hibited for premiums, beg leave to report: — That the number of animals of that description, that were present- ed for exhibition, was small — nothing in number to what we were entitled to expect, considering that Albany is the center around which it is thought there are large and valuable flocks of that useful animal. In the State of New-York, there are probably as numerous, and as fine wooled sheep, as there are in any State in the Union. Some pa- triotic and spirited gentlemen early entered into that branch of agri- culture, and it has been pursued from that period until this time, by a large number of our best farmers, with the best spirit and more or less success. It is a branch of agriculture that will keep pace with the increasing wealth of our people, and the capacity of our manufac- turers to make a good article from the raw material. From the in- genuity of the American people, we have every reason to believe that in the manufacture of fine cloth, the time will soon come, that for cheapness, strength, and finish, their cloth will compete with that of any people in Europe. We report that Charles W. Hull of New Lebanon, Columbia county, is entitled to $10, the first premium, for the exhibition of the best Saxony buck. That Henry D. Grove of Rensselaer county, is entitled to $8, the second premium, for the exhibition of the second best Saxony buck. That John Mott of Mechanicsville, Saratoga county, is entitled to $5, the third premium, for the exhibition of a fine wooled merino buck. The committee would wish to draw public attention to this class of fine wooled sheep, which have recently been neglected for the finer but not more profitable Saxony, from the fact that the Meri- no shear much the heaviest fleece, which in quality and price is but little inferior to their competitor, the Saxony, but in amount of mo- ney realized from the' same number of fleeces, exceeds them. The fleece from the buck to which the last premium has been awarded, and which was exhibited with the animal, for instance, weighed 9# lbs. and was of fair quality as to fineness. The committee award $10 to Henry D. Grove of Rensselaer, for the best pen of ewes, and to the same person, $8 for the second best pen; and to Charles W. Hull of Lebanon, Columbia county, a diplo- ma for the fourth best pen. 30 [Senate REPORT ON SWINE. [Committee: — Messrs. William Lincoln of Worcester, Chairman; Samuel Cheever, a. Marks and W. B. Ludlow.] The committee on Swine awarded premiums as follows: The first premium of $10, for the best boar, to Gen. Wm. Salisbury of Leeds — the second of $8, to Mr. John Lossing of Albany — the third of $5, to Mr. Samuel Shaw of Berlin. These three were all of the Berkshire breed. The committee recommend diplomas to be given to Mr. J. B. Nott of Guilderland, for his Cheshire boar — to Mr. C. N. Bement for his improved China boar; and to Mr. B. Knower of Albany, and to Mr. S. S. Crocker of Kinderhook for their Berkshire boars. The first premium of $10, for the best breeding sow, to Mr. T. C. Abrahams of Watervliet — the second of $8, to Mr. Benjamin Gibson of Albany— the third of $5, to Mr. Gerritt Middleton of Albany. As a testimonial of the excellence of the swine exhibited in this department, the committee recommend that diplomas should be pre- sented to Messrs. C. N. Bement, Jesse Buel, John Lossing, William Landon, and R. Fox, all of Albany; Mr. A. Van Bergen of Cox- sackie; and to Mr. Harmon Bussing of Bethlehem. The committee also recommend the. Society to present a diploma for success in good breeding, to Mr. Gerrit Donalson of Bethlehem, Mr. S. R. Schuyler and Mr. A. Schuyler of Watervliet, Judge Sam- uel Cheever and Mr. Gibson of Albany, for their fine Berkshire pigs; to Mr. Thomas Pemberton, for a pig of the Grass breed; to ■ Mr. Henry Sloan of Guilderland, for specimens of the Cheshire and Grass cross; and to Mr. Thomas Beighton and C. N. Bement, for examples of the mingled blood of the China and Mackay stocks. REPORT ON THRESHING MACHINES, &c. [Committee: — Messrs. C. N. Bement, L. B. Lang worthy, W. A. S. North, and Orville Hungerford.] The committee appointed to examine Threshing Machines, Fan- ning Mills, Straw Cutters, and Horse Rakes, beg leave to report: — That they have attended to the arduous duties assigned them, and had it ever been questioned, the exhibition at this meeting would satisfy us that a good portion of the spirit of Yankee ingenuity and enterprise had been manifested. The attention of the committee was first directed to the Threshing Machines, and they much regret there were so few competitors, there being only four machines entered for competition. Among the great improvements of the day, which have been made in implements of husbandry, the Threshing Machine may be named as an instance. Our ancestors used the flail or horses to beat out No. 63.] 31 their grain, which, to say the least, was a slow and tedious operation; but thanks to modern invention, a machine has been invented, moved by horse power, that threshes out as much, and more effectually, grain in one day, than one man could in thirty days with the flail. We now have a machine that will not only thresh, but deliver the grain ready for the mill or market, in the open field, without any loss in the operation. On a careful examination of the different machines offered, and on trial, the committee did not hesitate to award the Society's first pre- mium of $20, to John A. Pitts of Albany, for his Threshing Ma- chine and Separator. This is considered by the committee, as well as by those who have had it in use, a very perfect machine; and the growers of wheat are much indebted to Mr. Pitts, for his perseverance in constructing and perfecting a machine that will thresh and clean, with less labor, as much grain in a day, with the same power, as any that has yet been introduced. The second premium of $10, we award to Mr. Stafford of Syra- cuse. This machine exhibited great skill and finished workmanship, and from its appearance and operation, well calculated for doing a great business. The horse power, we consider well worthy attention, be- ing constructed on correct principles, and of the best materials. The thresher also exhibited good workmanship, and finished in good style, and its performance was very satisfactory. On small farms, where a one or two horse power is desirable, the committee cannot resist the opportunity of recommending the two horse power presented by Leonard Bostwick of New-York, as a valuable portable and well constructed implement, and at the low price which it is offered, comes within reach of the more numerous and humble farmer; we therefore award to Mr. Bostwick a diploma. The Endless Chain Power, presented by Mr. Kells, of Claverack, was much admired for its workmanship, and presented some improve- ments on Davis' machine, but there appeared too great a dispropor- tion between the power and the speed of the thresher, to insure per feet work. Where a power on this principle is wanted, we do not hesitate to recommend it as well worthy of attention; and had we funds at our disposal, would award Mr. Kells a premium. Agriculture, hitherto, compared with manufactures and the mecha- nic arts, has derived until recently, little or no advantage from labor- saving machinery. The farmer is literally compelled to earn his bread "by the sweat of his brow," and whatever invention may con- tribute to abridge his toil and enable him, at a less expense, to extend his productions, must be a welcome auxiliary ; by multiplying the means of human subsistence and comfort, will prove beneficial to the community, and encourage the hard working laborious farmer with the hope of keeping in sight, in his own art, the " art of all arts," though at an humble distance, of the other rapidly advancing inven- tions of the age. The committee are constrained to mention with approbation, the 32 [Senate evident improvement made within the last year, in the construction of straw cutters; there being great competition in that article by fifteen different makers, several of which we are gratified to say, are from neighboring states, and afforded at prices ranging from five to fifty dollars. The committee found great difficulty in determining the superiority of several machines, and have been influenced in their decision, in several cases, by their preference to those machines which work on the side, rather than on the front, whereby one person can feed and operate them at the same time ; which decision rejects several of great ingenuity of construction and perfection of opera- tion. They have endeavored to prefer those which by their arrange- ment and construction, seem best adapted to the wants of the farm- ing community; they have therefore awarded the first premium of eight dollars, to Wm. Hovey of Worcester, Mass. ' The second premium of $5, to J. Standish of Fishkill, Dutchess county, N. Y., for his Guillotine Cutter. To Messrs. Botts and Burfoot of Richmond, Va. a diploma. This machine was exhibited under rather unfavorable circumstan- ces, having been injured some by transportation. The advantages of this machine, as set forth by the proprietors, in their statement, are as follows: " The extreme simplicity of the knife, it being only 4^ inches wide, and straight on the edge, putting it in the power of any laborer to grind it and set it on again. The peculiar management by which the ' draw-cut'' is obtained with a straight blade; the rapid- ity and ease with which the straw is cut, discharging as much or more than any other machine which cuts as short as this; the great strength and durability of the whole machine; no liability to get out of order; the great excellence of the feeding apparatus, and the ease and rapid- ity with which it is driven, it being in the power of a boy to cut suffi- cient straw or hay for a large herd," &c. The committee avail themselves of the present opportunity of re- commending this machine to their southern friends, as being in their opinion, a very efficient machine, and well adapted to cutting hay, straw, and corn stalks, and earnestly hope the enterprising proprie- tors may receive that encouragement they so richly deserve. There were two machines, one for hand, the other for horse power, presented from the well known and popular establishment of the Messrs. R. Sinclair Jr. & Co. of Baltimore. These machines are made in a workmanlike manner, combining some important improve- ments, great strength and power, and well adapted to large establish- ments; have been long in use and much approved of, and had we funds at our disposal, would most willingly award them a premium. For the horse power machine, they are entitled to a diploma. The committee cannot pass over in silence, the new constructed and very ingenious machine, presented by Mr. Kells of Claverack. This machine embraced some new principles in the feeding apparatus, by which means the cut from 0 to 2 inches could be effected by mere- ly raising a small bolt or slide. It also compressed the substance to be cut, nearly into a solid mass to receive the knife, by which means the straw was cut square and clean, and the greatest objection to it No. 63.J 33 was the slowness of its operation, having but one knife. With an ad- ditional knife, we think it would be a very efficient machine. It has been got up in good style, and reflects great credit on the inventor and maker, and is worthy of encouragement. There were other very meritorious machines on the ground, but the committee have not had time to enumerate and describe them. The Horse Rake is generally considered a great labor saving and important implement on most farms, and a most valuable invention, and its utility has exceeded the expectations of many; and that on tolerable smooth meadows, a man with one horse, will rake as much hay, and do it in as clean a manner, as eight men can do it in an equal time with the hand rake. The committee regret that there was so little competition, there being only two implements of this description exhibited; and as there was no improvement manifested on the common horse rake, which has been long in use, the committee have thought proper to withhold the first premium; but in consideration of the superior workmanship, have awarded a premium of $3, to J. Downer of Castleton, Rensse- laer county, N. Y. To Lewis Stiman of Bethlehem, for the second best horse rake, a diploma. The committee next examined the Fanning Mills, four of which were entered for competition. The one exhibited by Messrs. I. E. Grant & Co. of Schaghticoke, Rensselaer county, has been got up with great care and superior workmanship; and by a peculiar arrange- ment of the screens, it appeared to combine some improvement over the ordinary machines; the committee therefore have awarded them the first premium of $8. The second premium of $5, to Phineas W. Dickie of Phelps, N. Y. for a mill of good construction and great power, combining some valuable improvements, and well adapted for a large grain growing country. The committee recommend a diploma to John J. Bullock of Guil- derland, Albany county, for a well finished and well constructed ma- chine, well adapted to this section. In concluding this report, the committee avail themselves of this opportunity to express their great satisfaction at the present exhibi- tion, and earnestly hope at the next and all future meetings of this Society, the mechanics and manufacturers of the country, would bring forward the productions of their ingenuity and industry, which so much contributed to make the exhibition as interesting and satisfac- tory as those of any other country. At the meeting of the Royal Agricultural Society of England, in July last, between four and five hundred articles of agricultural implements and machinery were ex- hibited. Those persons who have been accustomed to follow the same course of husbandry which their fathers and grandfathers adopted, have formed the opinion that little is to be learned upon this subject. It is difficult to make them comprehend that this art involves princi- ples as extensive, and as hard to be understood, as any other art [Senate No. 63.] E 34 [Senate wliich can occupy the attention of men. They never considered that agriculture is an important branch of natural philosophy; nor have they ever attempted to understand the nature of different soils; the regular and systematic rotation of crops; improved modes of tillage; the different breeds of cattle, sheep and swine; and the different kinds and qualities of fruit and fruit trees, vegetables, &c.; and yet they are subjects which the skilful farmer will deem necessary to under- stand, and he wall devote his attention to them, as the study of an important and difficult science. REPORT ON CULTIVATORS, HARROWS, &c. IComirdttee : — 'Messrs. George Vv''. Patterson, Thomas Hillhouse, R. Harmon Jr., and J. B. Dill.] Mr. Geo. W, Patterson, from the committee on Harrows, Cultiva- tors, Drill Barrows, Yokes, and agricultural implements not specially under the examination of other committees, would respectfully report: — That they have been exceedingly gratified wutli the ingenuity dis- played in the manufacture cf many of the articles exhibited for their inspection, some of which will be noticed in the proper place in this report. Although Drill Barrows are in general use, and every practical far- mer in the State, has, (or ought to have,) an ox Yoke, still neither of those articles were presented for our inspection. The Harrows presented, were by no means perfect in their con- struction, but after mature deliberation, the committee came to the conclusion to award to Marcus Adams of Monroe county, for his wrought iron hinge Harrow, the first premium of $8. To Christopher Proctor of Bethlehem, Albany county, for the se- cond best Harrow^, with sliding attachment and improved hinge, a premium of |5. To Daniel Caley of Bethlehem, Albany county, for the third best Harrow, a diploma. The committee after examining all the different Cultivators present- ed, came to the conclusion to aw^ard the first premium of $8, to J. H. Coons of Rensselaer county, for his wheat Cultivator. It will be found a very useful implement upon summer fallows, and for cover- ing the wheat w^hen sown. To Ruggles, Nourse and Mason of Worcester, Mass. for Bement's Corn Cultivator, with graduating roller, and an improvement in the manner of extending or contracting the width of the implement, a premium of $5. To Eliakim Elmer of Delta, Oneida county, a diploma, for the common Corn Cultivator, an article of beautiful workmanship. The committee examined a very superior horse hoe, invented by Mr. J. C. Langdon of Troy, and take great pleasure in recommend- No. 63.] > 35 . ing it to the favorable consideration of the agricultural community, as an implement of much value in dressing corn, and earthing pota- toes, and they award to the inventor a diploma. There were a lai'ge number of Cast Iron Corn Crushers and Grind- ers, presented for the examination of the committee, all from the city of Baltimore. We were much pleased with all these machines, and more particularly with that part of them which is calculated for crush- ing the corn when taken in the ear, the grinding part being of less importance to the farmers in most parts of this State. From the imperfect manner in which the committee were enabled to test these machines, it is very difficult to determine which would be most useful to our farmers. The committee would be o"ratified if they had the necessary means at command, to bestow it liberally to each of the gentlemen presenting machines, but as they are not thus fortunate, they have come to the conclusion to award to Mr. O. Hussey, for the best machine, taking into consideration the price, a premium of 18. To Robert Sinclair, Jr. for the 2d best, a premium of $6^ To James Murray, for the 3d best machine, a premium of $4^ These machines are all calculated for horse power, and would take up but little room on the granary floors of our farmers, and would be of essential service in preparing feed for stock. The committee woui?i further remark, that Mr. Murray presented a Crusher, calculated for hand power, on the same principle of his larger ones, which would be valuable for farmers where they have but few cattle to feed, and are of limited pecuniary means, for which the committee award him a diploma. A Grain Cutter, invented by Obed Hussey, was presented by T. R. Hussey of Auburn, Cayuga co. for the inspection of the commit- tee. This machine is propelled by horse powder, and is calculated to cut from twelve to eighteen acres of wheat in a day. It is so constructed that the wheat may be cut at any distance from the ground that the farmer mcy desire. It has been used in many of our western counties, with perfect success, doing the work in stand- ing grain, better than the ordinary way of harvesting. A great sav- ing of labor, as well as grain, is effected in the use of this machine. Some members of the committee have seen Mr. Hussey's lately im- proved machines fully tested, and can speak from personal knowledge of their utility. They are calculated to operate well on level land, or where it is moderately uneven. The committee therefore award to T. R. Hussey, for his machine, a premium of $10. Mr. Calvin Olds of Marlboro,' Vt. an ingenious mechanic of the " Mountain State," presented two Grain Sowers, one calculated for horse power, and the other to be drawn by hand. These machines are very creditable to the inventor, and furnish another evidence of " Yankee" ingenuity and enterprise. These machines have never been fully tested, but are intended for sowing all kinds of grain, grass seed, and plaster, and there is little doubt that the inventor, after the machine has been in use a short time, (if it is not now perfect,) will endeavor to make it so; and as there are no funds at the disposal of 36 ^Senate the committee, for premiums on Grain Sowers, they award to Mr- Olds, a diploma, which he has richly earned. There were several Corn Shellers on the ground, which were exa- mined by the committee. They all appeared to be well constructed, but as the committee were unable to find the owners of any but one of the machines, they award to J. A. Whitford of Saratoga Springs, a diploma, for the best Corn Sheller and Cleaner examined by the committee. A " Poultry Feeding Fountain," was presented by C. N. Bement, Esq. of Albany, a very ingenious and valuable article for feeding do- mestic fowls, inasmuch as there can be no waste of the grain, and the expense must be so trifling, that every farmer can afford to pro- cure one. The committee therefore award to Mr. Bement, a di- ploma. The committee also award to Henry Burden, Esq. of Troy, a di- ploma, for a beautiful specimen of Horse Shoes, made by machinery. This " labor saving machine," in the opinion of the committee, is a valuable improvement, and is destined to create an important change in the construction of that indispensable article. The Screw Railway Hay and Cotton Press, offered by W. S. Jacks of Catskill, N. Y. It is a machine combining great power, conveni- ence of operation, and constructed on true and philosophical prin- ciples, and is a great desideratum to the river counties, and all pla- ces not contiguous to market, and also to« Cotton and Hop growers; and the committee think they do not exaggerate, when they say, it is in their opinion, the perfection of machinery for that purpose. The committee therefore award to Mr. Jacks, a premium of $5. The Thermometer Churn, presented by Mr. Crowell of LimeRock, Conn, seems to remedy one of the evils that have beset the dairy maid and housewife from time immemorial — explaining the cause of the difficulty of the coming of butter, and doing away with the ne- cessity of using the heated horse shoe, or iron wedge, to expel witch- es. The committee award to Mr. Crowell, a diploma. Self-Acting Cheese Press. An ingenious contrivance for making the weight of the cheese press itself, presented by Collins & Stone. This press is in use in many parts of Connecticut, wuth perfect success. The committee award to Messrs. Collins & Stone a diploma. The trowel tempered, cast steel, goose necked Hoe, presented by H. Clark of Rensselaer county, a well made, neat, and durable arti- cle. The committee award to Mr. Clark, a diploma. The Columbian Pump, made by Augustus Thayer of Chatham, Co- lumbia CO. New-York. This article is got up with great judgment as to correct principles, and combining some new and valuable prin- ciples not heretofore introduced. The committee award to him a di- ploma. A superior grain Cradle was presented by Isaac T. Grant & Co. for which they are entitled to a diploma. Mott's Agricultural Furnaces. Two of these very valuable furna- ces were exhibited by Mr. J. L. Mott of New-York, to whom a di No. 63.] 37 ploma is awarded, Mr. Mott having received the highest premium for the same article, at the last State Fair. And last, though not least in importance, among the various arti- cles presented for our inspection, is a very useful, and beautifully constructed and improved Probang, invented by Mr. Daniel Caley of Bethlehem, Albany co., for relieving choked and hoven or bloated cattle. This implement is calculated for the removal of potatoes, ap- ples, or other substances, with which any ox or cow may be choked, without any considerable pain to the animal, and with perfect safety. It will, without the least difficulty, extract from the stomach of a bloated animal, the saliva, gas, or wind, and thus effect an instant cure. It is an article so much needed by every grower of cattle, that the committee would be glad to see them in the possession of all our farmers, and would urgently recommend to the Executive Committee, to award to Mr. Caley, a discretionary premium or silver medal. REPORT ON HORTICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS, &c. [Committee : — Messrs. S. S. Fowler, E. Holbkook, and Ch's Downikg.] The committee to whom was assigned the examination of Horti- cultural implements and Garden Ornaments, respectfully report: — That they have attended to this duty, but regret that there are so few competitors in this branch of agricultural implements. The com- mittee have come to the unanimous conclusion, that Messrs. Benj. F. Smith & Co. of Syracuse, are entitled to the first premium for the best assortment of Horticultural Implements, $10. To Mr. Mott of New-Yorkj for the best cast Iron Vase, $5. REPORT ON SILK, COCOONS, &c. [Committee : — Messrs. Henry S. Randall, 0. Hungerford, and Peter Relyea, Jr.] The Committee on Silk, would respectfully report: — That they have examined several lots of very superior Cocoons, and as between the three first samples, have found it nearly impossible to arrive at any accurate decision. 1st premium, $15, to Miss L. Steele of Troy. 2d premium, $10, to David Palmer of White Plains. 3d premium, $5, to A. P. Heartt of Troy. 4th premium, diploma, to David Palmer. The specimens of Reeled Silk were not as numerous as could have been wished. Several, however, were of beautiful quality. 1st premium, $15, to Doct. David Palmer. 2d premium, $10, to A. P. Heartt. 3d premium, $5, to Doct. David Palmer. 38 [Senate 4th premium, diploma, to Mrs. Shove. The specimens of Manufactured Silk were numerous, and of a highly gratifying character. 1st premium, |15, to Henry Polhemus of Auburn, for a quantity of wove Silk; also about 40 lbs. of sewing Silk, and a quantity of twist. 2d premium, $10, to Prince & Vibber of Richfield. 3d prepoium, $5, to David Palmer. 4th premium, diploma, to Mrs. T. Backus of Rochester. The committee would remark that the specimens to which the first premium was awarded, were presented by Mr. Polhemus, the agent of the State in the Auburn prison, and were the labor of convicts. They were presented by Mr. Polhemus, for the purpose of showing to the citizens of our State, the feasibility of rendering this a success- ful branch of industry in our penitentiaries, and demonstrating be- yond the possibility of doubt, that silk can be manufactured in the United States, equalling the best class of imported articles. In sew- ing Silk, your committee made as accurate a comparison as the case would admit of, between that presented by the State agent, and the best specimens of M. Finessio, (red letter,) and other Italian manu- facturers. The Auburn Silk was thought to excel all but that of M. Finessio, and could not be distinguished from that, only on the clo- sest inspection. The wove Silk Handkerchiefs, &c. were also very superior. Mr. Polhemus begged leave to return any premium which should be awarded to him, to the Society. The first premium of $10, was awarded to — — Jones, for a high- ly ingenious Silk Reel of a new construction. REPORT ON DOMESTIC MANUFACTURES. {^Committee : — Messrs. A. Liwjf, 0. Wiswall, and Amos Briggs.] The Committee on Domestic Manufactures respectfully report: — That having examined the various articles submitted, they award the following premiums, viz: To A. J. Pine of Pittstown, Rens. co. for the best pair of Woolen Blankets, manufactured in his family, $5. To J. J. Viele of Hoosick, Rens. co. for the best fifteen yards and upwards of Wool Carpet, $5. To A. Koonz of Albany, for the best double Carpet Coverlid, $5. To Asa Fitch, Jr. of Salem, Washington co. for twelve yards of Linen Diaper. The premium upon this article is $5, but inasmuch as there was no other competition for the premium, and the article pre- sented was not, in the judgment of the committee, of a superior cha- racter, the committee award a premium of $3. To E. Wilson of Oneida co. for the best Hearth Rug. This rug was manufactured by Mrs. Southworth of Avon, Livingston co. with No. 63. J 39 tlie needle, and is of woolen yam. It displays much skill and taste, and is a very beautiful article, and well worthy the premium of $3. To A. J. Pine of Pittstown, Rens. co. for the best pair of knit Woolen Stockings, $1. REPORT ON BUTTER. ■[Committee : — Messrs. B. P. Johnson, R. Deniston, E. Rhoadks, HowELi. Gardner, and Jno. Dinn] The committee to whom was assigned the examination of Butter submitted for premium, at the fair of the New-York State Agricul- tural Society, most respectfully report: — That in pursuance of their appointment, they have examined the various samples exhibited by eleven competitors, and it is to the com- mittee, as it doubtless will be to the Society, a matter of great re- gret, that in a State famed as is ours for the products of the dairy, only this small number of competitors should have presented them- selves with the products of the dairy. From the superior quality of much of the butter exhibited, the committee have no reason to doubt that had our dairymen generally exhibited their butter, an exhibition in point of quantity as well as quality would have been seen, excelling anything of the kind ever before exhibited in this country. Several ol' the samples presented were so nearly equal in quality as to render decision difficult, though the committee finally unanimous- ly united in awarding the premiums to the owners of the samples hereafter noticed. Before giving their decision, the committee are of the opinion that the manufacture of butter is of sufficient importance to justify some general remarks on the subject. The dairy business in this State is extensive, employing a very large capital and yielding a handsome revenue to the farmers, and is constantly on the increase; and upon the perfection of the article depends whether it shall secure a market as extensive as may be de- manded, and prices such as to remunerate the farmer, and add to the rapidly increasing w^ealth of our State. Without dwelling at length on the subject, the committee believe that there are some things which are indispensable to the production of a very choice article, and without which, whatever else may exist, butter of the best quality cannot be made. We are more impressed with the importance of these considerations, from an examination of the statements accompanying the butter exhibited, which were fur- nished us after the decision was made. We notice as absolutely necessary, neatness in every thing con- nected with the dairy. The quality of the butter, its purity as well as its flavor and character in market, depends upon this. The milk must be kept at proper temperature while the cream is separating, and the cream should be taken off and churned before its quality is 40 [Senate in any manner impaired. Salt of the very best quality should be used, and the milk must be entirely separated from the butter, and no more salt used than can be dissolved, and when this is accom- plished suitable packages should be prepared, and the butter solidly put down, entirely excluding the air. Much depends upon the manner of packing for market, and the committee regret that more attention was not paid to it with some of the samples exhibited. Firkins and tubs are most generally used, and either of them, with proper care and attention, will answer every purpose. Some of the samples exhibited were put up very neatly indeed, and attracted the attention of every spectator. There can be no good reason assigned why all our butter should not be well manufactured; and no keeper of a dairy should permit an inferior article to leave his premises for the market. Much of the butter which now finds its way to market, from a neglect of the suggestions we have made, has a very poor sale, and brings an inferior price. This should not be so, and we appeal to every dairyman and to his wife and daughters, to remedy this defect without delay. It is a matter of congratulation, that persons employed in purchas- ing butter for the markets the present season, have in some sections of the State made a discrimination in their purchases, which is wak- ing up attention to this subject. The committee would recommend that premiums be awarded as follows: — 1st Premium, to George Cooley, Blooming Grove, Orange co. 2d " Israel F. Goodwin, Westmoreland, Oneida co. 3d " Hamilton Morrison, Montgomery, Orange co. 4th " B. A. Hall, New-Lebanon, Columbia co. 5th Diploma, to John S. Bull, Orange co. The committee also examined a sample of butter made from scalded milk in 1841, and to which a premium was awarded at -the annual fair in February last. This sample was kept by Mr. Merrineld to test the preserving qualities of the butter. We regret that it is not in as good condition in that respect as could have been desired, and probably does not in all respects answer the expectation of the owner. We believe that butter can be so prepared as to remain sweet and s:ood for a much lono-er time than this butter has been made, and when perfection shall have been more nearly attained, we shall ex- pect at every fair, butter of age competing with that of more recent manufacture for premiums. The statements of the successful competitors accompany our re- port. Mr. Coohy's statement. — Made from 13 cows, from 16th to 24th September, and seven pounds of salt and a teaspoon full of salt petre, used in keg of 80 pounds. Cows kept in usual way, and run in grass; had pure water daily, and salt twice a week. No. 63] 41 Milk set in pans until cream rises and becomes thick; then churn all the milk immediately; dog churn used. Method of freeing butter from the milk is to skim out the butter with a ladle, and work out the milk with a ladle with pure cold wa- ter, but using as little water as possible, as the water has a tenden- cy to take away the good flavor or sweetness of the butter; and care must be taken not to work it too much, as it will become greasy. The best method of keeping butter in the summer, is in a cool place in white oak firkins, coviered with a weak brine. Mr. Goodwin's statement — Time of makiiig. — Since the first of September; number of cows kept, 14. Mode of keeping. — Mostly in stable in winter, and feed hay; and in the spring roots or some grain; in summer, grass. Treatment of milk and cream. — Strain in tin pans, and set in a room that has a northern aspect and free circulation of air; set the cream in a cellar till ready to churn. ' Mode of churning in summer. — In a barrel churn, in a cool room. In winter. — Keep the milk and cream in a warm, instead of a cool room; churn^n the same manner. Freeing milk from butter. — By pressure. Salt used. — The best quality of Onondaga ground salt; the quan- tity is tested by the taste of the dairy women. A very delicate tincture of the best loaf sugar is used, but care should be taken not to use too much; no other substances used. Best time for churning in summer. — In the morning, or when it is cool. Best manner of keeping in summer. — Keep the butter in tubs, jars or firkins, in a cool cellar; I think jars are best. Mr. Morrison's statement. — Made in September; 10 cows kept; milk kept in tin pans; churned by dog machine; freed from milk by lad!e and water; fine rock salt; no other ingredient used; churnetl in the morning; preserved in firkins. Mr. HalVs statement. — The undersigned offers for the New- York State Agricultural Society's premium, 87 pounds butter, made from seven cows in two weeks of the present month. The cow^s were kept on grass feed only; the milk set in tin pans for 48 hours; the cream then taken from the milk, and kept in stone jars three or four days; churned in a circular churn with revolving paddles; the butter freed from the milk by the use of a wooden ladle; the salt the best kind of blown or rock salt, and the quantity regulated altogether by the taste, as it requires more salt in warm weather, as more passes off with the milk; no other substance is used except a slight addition of refined lump sugar pulverized. The best time for churning in hot weather is in the coolest part of the day; and the best mode of preserving it at any time of the year is in stone jars; pack it in solid, and exclude the air from it entirely. [Senate No. 6.3.1 F 42 [Senate Mr. BulVs statement. — The butter was made from the 6th to 20th Sept., from nine cowsj the cows were kept on a part of the farm known by the name of the Clinton farm. Gov. Clinton's birth place; the quantity of salt used in said firkin of butter was 6| lbs. of fine salt, called Ashton saltj no salt petre nor any other substance used. REPORT ON CHEESE. [Committee: — Messrs. H. Baldwin, D. Stanton, P. N. Rust, L. Bkonk, and H. Holmes.] The Committee on Cheese respectfully report: — That the quantity and variety of cheese offered for premium was unusually small; none remarkably good. The best specimen in the judgment of your committee, was that presented by Mr. Ezra Chesebro of Fleming, Cayuga co. — the second best, that of Mr. A. L. Fish of Litchfield, Herkimer co. — the third, that of Mr. Samuel Greene of Fairfield, Herkimer co.-^the fourth, that of Mr. Isaac Haswell of Watervliet, Albany co- — the fifth, that of Mr. Thomas Burch of Little Falls, Herkimer co. With the exception of the two first lots, there was but little diffe- rence in quality, rendering it very difficult for your committee to de- termine between them. For the mode of making this cheese, the committee ask leave to refer to the written statements accompanying each lot, and which are herewith delivered. Mr. Chesehro's Statement. — Number of cows kept, 50; keep them stabled through the inclement season; feed them from three to four' times a day with good hay; when near coming in, feed one peck of po- tatoes each a day, till turned to pasture; salt twice a week in summer, and once in winter, and water accessible at all times; milking very regularly. The rennet is prepared by taking some whey and salting it till it bears an egg; it is then suffered to stand over night; it is then skim- med off clear; to this is added an equal quantity of water brine, strong as the whey; add to this some sweet brier, thyme, cloves or other sweet herbs, also a little salt petre; the herbs are kept in the brine three or four days, after which it is put into a tight vessel clear from the herbs; add a little essence of lemon or orange; also four large rennets to six quarts of liquor; rennets saved in the ordinary way; cheese made from two milkings, no addition of cream. Treatment of Milk. — The milk at night is strained into tubs, cool- ed by setting stone crocks filled with w^ater in them; stand till morning, then dip the top of the milk into a kettle placed over a slow fire, conti- nually stirring till sufficient to warm the whole blood heat, then add the morning's milk; very essential to have it a proper, which is of a blood heat; then add the rennet, two quarts to eighty gallons of milk; let it stand about 30 minutes, then cut it into checks about an inch No. 62 .j 43 quare, with a cheese knife; then gently break it with the hand and whey off; then work it fine with a sharp knife; then add the scakl- ing whey; have it a light scalding heat; let it stand about half an hour, then separate the whey from the curd; then add one tea-cup full of ground Onondaga salt to every 15 or 20 pounds of curd; if the curd is very dry of whey, to 30 pounds of curd; then dip it into the hoop and put to press; press in a lever press two days, turned once in the meantime; then taken out, rubbed with annatto, soaked in ley, then rubbed with lard; placed on shelves and turned daily through the season- Mr. Fishh Statement. — The cheese presented with this statement was made in the month of from the milk of twenty cows; one day's milk, or two milkings; the quantity of salt, one pound of refined Salina salt to forty pounds of curd; the quantity of rennet no more than sufficient to digest in 30 minutes; curd prepared for the hoops and put to the press; turned down the first day, and pressed in all 48 hours; then taken from the press, placed upon tables prepared for the purpose; turned and rubhed daily, and moistened with whey oil as often as necessary, to keep them smooth and prevent cracking. Mr. Greeri's Statement. — The cheese presented with this state- ment was made in June last, from the milk of twenty-three cows; one day's milk or two milkings; no addition of cream; the quantity of salt, one tea-cup full of refined Salina salt to 20 pounds curd, or about two and a half pounds of salt to 100 pounds curd; rennet pre- pared by steeping several at a time until the strength is obtained, and then straining off the liquor; use a sufficient quantity to digest in 45 minutes; one tea-cup full to 30 pounds curd, generally answers the purpose when prepared as above; curd prepared and put into the hoop, pressed one hour; then turned and change of cloths, and press- ed from six to eight hours; then turned and cloths changed again, and pressed in all 24 hours; then taken from the press; placed upon ta- bles prepared for the use; turned and rubbed daily, and moistened with whey oil as often as necessary. Mr. HasweWs Statement. — My cheese was made in the month of July from eight cows, with two milkings; with no addition of cream. I used Liverpool salt, about a half pint; the rennet used in quantity about two inches square, and steeped in half a pint of cold water eight hours previous to being put into the milk; they were put in a lever press and remained there 44 hours; were turned three times, and salted in the press; were taken into the cheese room and rubbed and turned every day. Mr. Burc/i's Statement. — The cheese exhibited here were made on the 20th and 22d of May, from 44 cows and two milkings; 47 cows were milked in the dairy in all the season; no additions were made of cream, but the cream from the milk kept over night was put in. We use the Onondaga salt, the purest we can get, in the proportion 44 [Senate of a common tea-cup full to 16 pounds of cheese; after the curd is broken up fine in a machine with two cylinders, set with small wire teeth, the salt is put in, and the whole well stirred and mixed. The rennet when taken from the calf is turned inside out, and stripped clean with dry hands, no water being used; after laying in salt three days, it is turned, stretched on sticks and dried. When wanted for use, one rennet is soaked in two quarts of warm water, and one tea-cup full used for one cheese, weighing as these do, 115 and 116 pounds. The cheese is pressed in " Hales' Patent Self- Act- ing Lever Press," 24 hours, and turned once in the time. From the press the cheese goes on to the tables; is colored with annatto, and rubbed over with butter made from cream taken from the whey. Bandages are put on the first day; the cheese turned, rubbed and greased at least twice a week, and through the early part and warm season, nearly every day; much depends upon the faithful per- formance of this part of the treatment. The cows are always milked in the stanchels, and the milk con- ducted from the barn to the cheese room, a distance of 118 feet, in three-fourths of an inch lead pipe. The advantages gained by this are: keeping the milk from the impurities unavoidable from milking out in rainy weather, and in muddy and filthy yards; and the greater comfort in milking. REPORT ON MAPLE SUGAR. [Committee : — Messrs. L. Bronk, H. Baldwin, P. N. Rust and J. C. Ma- ther.] The committee on Maple Sugar respectfully report, that they have endeavored faithfully to discharge the duties assigned them. There were seven samples presented to them for their consideration, be- tween some of which it was somewhat difficult to discriminate, as they approached each other very nearly both in flavor and color. They award the first premium of $15, to Mr. B. Gauss, jr. of East Bloom- field. This is a very splendid specimen of maple sugar, particularly on account of its whiteness, approaching very nearly to the best refi- ned loaf sugar. Ypur committee award the second premium of $10, to Mr. W. E. White of Walton. They award the third premium of $5, to Mr. E. Bigelowof Sangersfield. Your committee remark that they consider this a very handsome specimen of maple sugar; and al- thoucrh not as white as those to which allusion has been made, is fully equal, if not superior, to them in point of flavor. They award the diploma to C. Hepinstall of Albany. The specimens exhibited by Mr. O. F. Marshall of Wheeler, and Mr. Woodworth of Watertown, the committee consider as deserving of much praise. Mr. Gauss' Statement. — Benjamin Gauss, jr. manufactures from six to eight hundred pounds of maple sugar a year; taps about three hundred trees; boils in a sheet iron pan set upon an arch. When the No. 63.] 45 sap is boiled to a syrup, it is then carried to the house, strained and settled; afterwards it is put into a kettle, boiled and cleansed with milk and the white of eggs, until it will grain. It is then put into pans to drain, then put into boxes to drain. These boxes converge to a point, so that the molasses settles to the bottom. On the surface of the sugar in the boxes, flannel cloths are placed, constantly kept wet with cold water. When sufficiently drained with these cloths, the sugar is melted over again, cleansed again with milk and eggs, and the same process gone through again with the flannel cloths. These cloths are washed every day to extract all the coloring matter from the sugar. Mr. Whitens Statemejit. — Cleanliness is necessary in every part of the process. Coloring matter should be carefully avoided; if the sap is scorched in the least, it will hurt the grain and color of the sugar. My method is, first have all the sap tubs scoured with sand and scalded before they are carried to the trees. Treatment of sap. — Boil the sap without delay, and strain the sap before it is boiled; use sheet iron boilers which hold five pails each; boil about twenty pails of sap into one of syrup. Method of cleansing. — Stir in the white of two eggs into one pail of syrup; place it over a slow fire till it boils. After it is cleansed, strain it through a flannel strainer; place it over a brisk fire till it will rope an inch, then pour it into pans till it grains; from thence into wooden drains filled with gimlet holes, and made tapering from the top to the bottom. Cake sugar is made in the same way, only it is boiled lower till it will stir dry in a spoon. REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON FRUITS. [Committee: — Mr. J.J. Thomas of Macedon, Chairman.] The committee made the following awards: The first premium of $5, for the greatest collection of table ap- ples, to A. J. Downing & Co., Newburgh; the second of $3, to Wm. P. Buel of Albany; the third of $2, to A. P. Heartt of Troy. The premium of $3, for the best twelve sorts of table apples, to A. J. Downing & Co. Newburgh. The premium of $3, for the greatest variety of table pears, to A. J. Downing & Co.; the second of $2, to Wm. P. Buel. The premium of $2, for the greatest variety of winter pears, to A. J. Downing & Co. To E. Holbrook of Hyde Park, for the best twelve quinces, $2. To A. P. Heartt of Troy, for the best twenty-four plums, $2. To Alex. Ross of Hudson, for the best six bunches of native grapes, (Isabella,) $2. To A. T. Van Slyke of Coxsackie, for the best six bunches of for- eign grapes, (Black Hamburgh,) $2. 46 [Senate The committee recommend a discretionary premium of a diploma, to S. Comstock of Lansingburgh, for his fine seedling peach; and also a discretionary premium to S. Van Rensselaer, for his fine specimens of exotic grapes. REPORT ON FLOWERS. [Committee : — Messrs. A. Walsh, J. 0. Choules, J. W. Jackson and A. P. Heartt.] The following are the awards of the committee: On the greatest quantity and variety of flowers — first, to L. Me- nard of Watervliet, $5; second, to Prof. J. W. Jackson of Schenec- tady, $3; third, to A. P. Heartt of Troy, $2. For the best floral ornament — first, to Alexander Walsh of Lan- singburgh, $5; second, to S. E. Warren of Troy, $3. For the best twenty-five varieties of Dahlias — first, to A. J. Down- ing & Co. $5; second, to S. E. Warren, $3; third, to Prof. J. W. Jackson, $2. REPORT ON VEGETABLES. v I Committee:- — Messrs. M. B. Bateham, James Wilson, D. Belding, R. Davidson and Wm. Brooksby.] The committee on Vegetables, awarded premiums on Celery, to V. p. Douw, Albany — on Broccoli, to James Wilson, Albany — on Carrots, to Wm. P. Buel, Albany — on Beets, to E. Holbrook, Hyde Park — on Parsneps, to J, B. Nott, Guilderland — on Onions, to J. H. Cole, Hudson — on Cabbage, to James Wilson-^on Tomatoes, to Sol. Leonard, Albany — on Egg Plants, to E. Holbrook — on Lima Beans, to E. Holbrook — on Curled Parsley, to J. B. Hudson, Albany — on Squashes, to Dr. H. Wendell, Albany, and J. S. Pangburn, Bethle- hem— on Pumpkins, to E. Chesebro, Guilderland — on Melons, to D. Payne, Bethlehem — on Seed Corn, to J. Townsend, Albany — on Po- tatoes, to Jesse Buel, Albany, Daniel Payne, Bethlehem, A. Walsh, Lansingburgh, and Dr. H. Wendell, Albany — on Ruta Bagas, to W. H. Sotham, Albany — on Salsify, to E. Holbrook — on German Greens, to James Coffee, Albany. ANNUAL ADDRESS BEFORE THE N. Y. S. AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY, JAN. 18, 1843, BY JAMES S. WADSWORTH, President of the Society. Gentlemen : — In complying with the request of the Executive Committee of the Society, to address you upon its progress and pros- pects, I find the embarrassment, which, under any circumstances, wouhl on my part attend the performance of this duty, greatly en- hanced by the recollection that the task which now devolves upon me, was, on the occasion of our recent annual fair, so happily and eloquently performed by the late distinguished chief magistrate of our State. I cannot but regard that event as one of the auspicious in- cidents in the history of our Society. I trust that the appeal which we then listened to in behalf of the dignity and utility of our avocation, breathing as it did throughout, a high patriotism, and a deep solici- tude for the objects which this Society is intended to promote, was not lost upon any who had the happiness to hear it. I believe that few of us left the capitol on that occasion, without a higher sense of the importance of self-cultivation as well as agricultural progress, and a renewed determination to improve not only the farm, but the farmer. The annual fair of the Society, was indeed, in all its main inci- dents, deemed by its friends eminently successful. The large col- lection of those animals, the domestication of which seems so inti- mately connected with the prosperity of the human race, marked the progress of agricultural improvement, and the great concourse of ob- serving spectators bore testimony to a widely diffused interest in the objects of the association. A large portion of the improved breeds of farm stock, known in this country, or in Europe, were represented on the occasion referred to, by animals of the highest order. 48 [Senate In the collection of agricultural implements and domestic manu- factures, the exhibition was rich in the evidences of the ingenuity and skill of American mechanics. In the distribution of premiums, the Society called to its aid as far as possible, eminent agriculturists of other States, and it is gratify- ing to know their decisions were almost universally received with the deference due to their acknowledged competence and impar- tiality. I find great pleasure in referring to these indications that the So- ciety is, slowly perhaps, but certainly, accomplishing the objects for which it was established, and by the liberality of the Legislature en- dowed. You will, gentlemen, have seen enough within your own observation, to satisfy you that your patriotic labors are not barren of the happiest results. It may well add to the gratification, and to the hopeful anticipa- tions with which we regard these evidences of progress, so unequivo- cal and so universal, that they are achieved in spite of the most de- pressing embarrassments. ■ The condition of the farming interests of our country, is indeed truly remarkable. The price of agricultural products has fallen to less than half the range of prices obtained during a period of years so long that they had come to be regarded as settled and permanent. Under this impression, farms were bought, contracts made, improve- ments undertaken, habits of expenditure acquired, which, under the present range of prices cause difficulties as extensive as they are in many cases, unfortunately, irremediable. Few of us are aware of the amount of individual suffering, the sac- rifice of property accumulated by years of patient toil and frugality, the disappointment of honest hopes, of independence and comfort in advancing years, effected by this revolution in prices. It is no un- common spectacle to see men now far advanced in life, who, in their earlier years, have been successful pioneers, compelled to abandon the comfortable homes and broad fields, which they have carved out of the wilderness, and seek again, amidst the hardships and priva- tions of a forest life, the recovery of their fortunes. If none had been swept away by this whirlwind, but those who sowed the storm, there would be but slight ground for our sympa- thies; but unfortunately, the cause was as universal and all powerful, as it was concealed and sinister. No. 63.] 49 It would be foreign to our present purpose to inquire into the origin, the history, and the remedy for these evils, and I fear that we could not enter upon the task without trespassing upon those political ques- tions from which I hope this Society will ever keep aloof. The pain which these wide spread disasters must inflict upon every philanthropic mind, will be greatly relieved by the fact that they are so universally met in the right spirit. Renewed industry and greater economy, are every where the order of the day. But the fact to which I wish especially to invite your attention, as the advo- cates of agricultural improvement, is that it has not escaped the re- flection of the great body of farmers, that the best way to encounter low prices is by improved cultivation. New agricultural imple- ments, new modes of cultivation, improved breeds of farm stock, were never more readily adopted than at this moment of extreme de- pression of the agricultural interests. There is, in fact, every where depression, but no where apathy. We meet in every direction the most serious diflSculties, the most extensive embarrassments, but we find too — thanks to the influence of our free institutions, and the ac- knowledged energy of our race, every where at work, the persever- ance, the patience, and the versatility of expedient, before which all obstacles oi human creation must give way. Such, emphatically, are the difficulties with which we have to contend. They are the work of men's hands. They come not from the great Dispenser of good and evil, for never were the bounties of Providence more marked in our country than at this moment. Our harvests have been almost universally abundant. Pestilence and famine are no where to be found. We may thus rely with a well grounded confidence upon the ener- gy of a people at once educated and laborious, to overcome embar- rassments which now so severely oppress the whole community. If we turn to the condition of other civilized nations, we shall find that, in the comparison, we have rather cause for self-congratulation than despondency. Widely different is the situation of that people, where the wages of labor are so high that the capitalist finds it dif- ficult to procure an adequate return for his investments, and the situa- tion of a nation in which the wages of labor are so low that the la- borer finds it difficult to supply the daily requirements of his half clothed, half fed family. [Senate No. 63.J G 50 [Senate What are all the pecuniary difficulties so universally felt here, com- pared with the sufferings of a people of which no small proportion close the toils of the day with barely enough to supply its wants, and without knowing where, in case of sickness or loss of employ- ment, they are to find the food which will keep them alive the next forty-eight hours ? I do not point to these comparisons to gratify the impulses of na- tional vanity, but to show how much more ground we have for re- newed and hopeful effort, than for that despondency which seldom seizes but upon feeble uncultivated intellects. We have, gentlemen, other reasons for confidence in the future; even for the most sanguine anticipations of the developments of com- ing years. The application of science, the most profound which has yet been attained by the far reaching efforts of the human mind, to all the products of our industry, to the soil, the crop, the animal, has been reserved for the age in which we live. It is not claiming too much, to say, that more progress has been made in this direction within the last twenty years than in any previous century. Our own country- men, it is gratifying to perceive, are securing their share of this abundant harvest. Our chemists and geologists will not, we may be sure, rest contented as industrious gleaners after the Davies, Liebigs and Johnstons of other countries, but will push forward into the am- ple domains, which even those acute discoverers have not pene- trated. From the origin of our race almost to the present time, the path of the husbandman has been clouded in darkness and doubt. From the sowing of the seed to the gathering of the harvest, mystery at- tended every step. The first link in the great chain of cause and effect was hidden in uncertainty. The precepts of tradition, the re- sult of a multitude of experiments, were founded mostly in wisdom; but they were as inexplicable as they were sound. Not so now. The scientific analysis of soils, of manures, and of vegetable pro- ducts, explains not only the workings of nature and the practices of art, but opens an inexhaustible field of new combinations and novel results. To spread far and wide this new light in the galaxy of hu- man knowledge, is one of the objects, — I think it will be conceded to be the first object, of this association. No. 63.1 51 I will not attempt to enforce by any argument or illustration of mine, the high importance of this trust. If other nations, in the vigor of maturity, with more leisure and more means than we possess, have out-stripped us in the race of philosophical discovery, let it be our boast, that we have spread these discoveries wider ^ and made them at once available by making them part of the current know- ledge of the nation. Let it be our first aim to diffuse knowledge, where the constitution has rightly given power, to the whole people. It is not, gentlemen, the sole object of our Society, to reward those who bring to our Fairs the finest animals, or to remunerate those who, with skill and industry, raise the best crops. These are but the means, and part of the means, by which it is hoped to achieve high- er and wider ends. We wish, by association, by comparison of ideas, and by a generous emulati,on, to diffuse among ourselves, and • the mass of the agricultural community, the results of experience, the lights of science, and the productions of art. Of the incalculable power, for good and evil, of association and combined effort, the present age abounds in illustrations. That this great element of man's power has often been wielded to trample up- on the equal rights, the peace and happiness of society, cannot be denied. Of the many instances in which, with widely different and higher aims, it has effected the noblest achievements, I shall only refer to one. With what language can we describe, with what powers of calculation estimate, the wide spread good accomplished, the deep misery warded off, by temperance associations'? What individual, wieldino- even a despot's sceptre — what government, monarchial or democratic — what law — what armed force, could have achieved the great results brought about in our day, within our own observation, by these efforts 1 With this signal illustration before us, we cannot lack confidence in any efforts wisely directed to a good end. With motives which cannot be impeached, with objects which can no where be condemned, asking no special privileges, requiring no exclusive im- munities, seeking only to elevate and render more effective that labor from which man is destined never to be exempt, we may surely here, if any where, call to our aid the great power of association and com- bination. With this element of strength we wish to awaken the pub- lic mind to a sense of the importance of our avocation, and to dispel whatever may be left of that ancient prejudice, that the tiller of the soil is the drudge of the human race. 52 [Senate It is strange that it should have been overlooked, even in the dark- est days of despotism and ignorance and superstition, that he who sows the seed and reaps the harvest, works not only with the plow and with the hoe and with the scythe, but that he wields, far beyond the laborer in any other branch of industry or art, the elements and powers of nature. There is certainly no pursuit in which so many of the laws of nature must be consulted and understood, as in the cultivation of the earth. Every change of the season, every change even of the winds, every fall of rain, must affect some of the mani- fold operations of the farmer. In the improvement of our various domestic animals, some of the most abstruse principles of physiology must be consulted. Is it to be supposed that men thus called upon to study, or to ob- serve the laws of nature, and labor in conjunction with its powers, require less of the light of the highest science, than the merchant or manufacturer 1 Or is it to be believed, that men who go weekly, al- most daily, to different occupations, changing with the almost unceas- ing changes of the seasons, and whose business is to bring to maturi- ty such a multiplicity of products, exercise less the highest intellect- ual faculties of man, than the laborer who, day after day, and year after year, follows the unchanging manipulations of art? Happily for the interests of the farmer, the history of our coimtry abounds in evidence that this great misconception of the nature and tendency of agricultural labor, no longer exists. I cannot, gentle- men, allow this occasion to pass without referring to a recent event, which, with whatever diversities of opinion we may regard the great political questions which agitate our country, we, as farmers, cannot, dwell upon without emotions of pride and pleasure. When the peo-' pie of a great State, which, in population, in wealth, in power, if it had not voluntarily surrendered its immunities, might stand up among the independent empires of the earth, without fear and without re- proach— of a State, which, in achievements of industry, of genius, of enterprise, we may search the history of the world, and search in vain for a rival — when the people of such a State turn to the ranks of its practical farmers for the unimpeachable integrity, the enlightened wisdom requisite to administer their highest trust, we may well claim that agricultural labor is not inconsistent with the highest intellectual cultivation and moral power. No. 63.] 53 It is not alone in the brilliant results of scientific investigation, nor in the fertility of the soil, nor in ^le general salubrity of the climate j that the American farmer finds the ground of his brightest anticipa- tions for the future. There are other and higher elements in the com- position of his fate. The government which watches over him is the government of his choice — ^a government in which the permanent in- terests of the great mass of the people are secured by placing the power in their own hands. Under such institutions the pendulum of public justice may sometimes vibrate between dangerous extremes, but it must eventually repose where justice and the interests of the many, require that it should rest. Such are the hopes of the farmers of our country. It is not to be denied that their interests have been sometimes neglected, and their rights sacrificed to the sinister aspira- tions of classes more favorably situated for political combinations; but if there is any foundation for our faith, that a free government is the fountain of equal justice, these aberrations must be corrected in the slow but certain progress of truth and right. I trust that American agriculture will illustrate and confirm the striking remark of the author of the " Esprit des Lois," a writer, the most philosophical and liberal of his time, " that it is not those coun- tries which possess the greatest fertility, which are the best cultiva- ted, but those which have secured the most liberty." I find this sug- gestion, so flattering to our hopes, eloquently commented upon by a late distinguished agriculturist of our country, in an address which he delivered before the Agricultural Society of Pennsylvania; and I gladly avail myself of this opportunity to pay to his memory a tri- bute of respect, which is due, in a more eminent degree, to but one other name in the history of American farmers and patriots. With many other improvements in agriculture, Judge Peters was emphati- cally the author of the plaster and clover culture. The time which your patience will allow me to occupy on this occasion, will not per- mit me to recount the many experiments, at once ingenious and phi- losophical, with which he demonstrated the wonderful eflncacy of plaster, nor the efforts, equally persevering and philanthropic, with which he labored to introduce into general practice, this great fertili- zer. He succeeded. None but those well acquainted with the course of husbandry in our wheat growing districts, can estimate how much of the eighty-four millions annually produced in our country, is ow- ing to the introduction of plaster and clover. The benefits of this 54 [Senate improvement are to be counted by annual millions,- and I call it up to your attention, not only to pay the debt of gratitude due to its distinguished author, but as an incentive to those who, with the bet- ter instruments of a more advanced science, have the same field of practical improvement before them. It is happily the nature of hu- man knowledge that the more it achieves, the larger is the field of achievement. As the outer circle of invention and discovery is push- ed farther and farther from the center, the more numerous and of a higher order are the objects which present themselves to the investi- gation of those whose lofty ambition it is to add something to the mass of human attainment. The Society has endeavored to contribute something to this onward movement by offering prizes for essays upon the application of sci- ence to agriculture. I trust that the result will vindicate the wisdom of this policy, and lead to its continuance. In this country, with just laws, justly administered, where the popular voice can promptly correct every oppressive enactment* where, with common schools and an untrammeled press, knowledge circulates as freely almost, as the air we breathe, it would be surpris- ing, and not less discreditable than surprising, if agricultural im- provement did not keep pace with the progress of the country in every other respect. For one, I have no fears on this point; I be- lieve that our progress, with or without agricultural societies — though always greatly accelerated by them — is to be decided and rapid. I am not however, unaware, nor should we ever lose sight of the fact, that agriculture, like learning, has had its dark ages. It has risen to great perfection, receded, and rested for centuries without any appa- rent improvement. The history of the world abounds wath evidence that the cultivation of the earth was at an early day carried to a high point. In China, it is well known that for uncpunted centuries a degree of skill has been exhibited in the preparation and application of che- mical and vegetable manures, that is not, even now, equaled in any part of Christendom. A recent popular writer counts it as not the least valuable result which may flow from the opium war, as it is pro- perly designated, and which it is to be hoped for the honor of human- ity, is now terminated, that by opening a more general communica- cation with that extraordinary people, we may learn something of their agricultural skill. The Chinese are not the only people beyond No. 63.] 55 the pale of Christianity and modern civilization, who have attained a remarkable degree of skill in certain branches of husbandry. The aborigines of South America and Mexico practiced irrigation upon a scale, and with a perfection of detail, not surpassed in any modern improvements. The Spaniards, superior to them in the art of war, overcame them in battle, but have not equaled them in skillful and in- dustrious tillage. Throughout all those immense reo;ions of British India, where the indomitable perseverance and courage of the Anglo-Saxons have sub- jected millions to the control of thousands, the conqueror has learn- ed more than he has been able to impart of practical wisdom directed to the cultivation of the soil. A high cultivation, accompanied by the use of irrigation and mineral and vegetable applications, has there carried the productive powers of the earth to a point never yet at- tained in those parts of the globe claiming to be more enlightened. In ancient Egypt, the results were, if possible, more extraordinary. There, not only agricultural productions, but the imperishable monu- ments of art, surpass even the comprehension of modern science. Coming down to the early days of the Christian era, we find the Roman writers abounding in sound precepts and suggestions, which even now might be adopted with advantage. Nearly the whole of Varro might be read with profit by our modern farmers. True, it is often tinged with a superstition now happily discarded, and relates to a state of society and government, widely differing from our free in- stitutions. But in all that relates to tillage, to the preparation and application of manures, his suggestions accord with the views of our best modern practical farmers. In the classification of mineral and vegetable ma- nures, such as lime, marl, and many varieties of compost, he gives to each the relative value which has been affixed by the most profound chemical analysis. If it is somewhat discouraging to look back and find ourselves but little in advance of the remotest times, in many departments of cur profession, we may, at least, congratulate ourselves that we live in an age when agriculture is in the ascendant. It is no longer given up to serfs and slaves, as the fitting occupation of the most ignorant por- tions of the community. It now takes its rank among the honora- ble and elevating pursuits of industry. To follow the plow and tend the flock, is no longer, here at least, the mark of ignorance and servi- 56 [Senate tude, as under a false and despotic system it was, and in some parts: of the globe still is. In this, we stand upon ground which the an- cients never attained. It is the great achievement of modern times. The rights of man and the dignity of labor are vindicated; the one follows from the other. Agricultural improvement then rests upon a foundation on which it never stood before. It is sustained by free in- stitutions; it is the result of laws, wise, because liberal. The enfran- chisement of the many, the elevation of the masses, must go hand in hand with the intelligent, industrious, and prosperous cultivation of the earth. If agriculture owes much to the benign influence of free institu- tutions, liberty owes not less to agriculture. Where do w^e look for the calm discretion, the disinterested patriotism, which must sustain a representative government, but to the great community of cultivators of the earth ? Even those most skeptical as to the fitness of man for self-government, admit that if the experiment ever succeeds, it will be in a nation of farmers. The experiment, thank Heaven, has suc- ceeded; it has succeeded in a nation of farmers; and while we must not be guilty of the illiberality of doubting that the great manufactu- ring nations of other continents may be fitted to administer the high duties of freemen, it becomes us to cherish a profession which, more than any other, prepares man to receive the highest blessing of his race in this world — a free government. We must cherish it by in- dustry, by virtue, by intellectual cultivation; by connecting it with science and the arts, and with every thing which can elevate and adorn it. If we do our duty by ourselves and our children, agricul- ture will never again, it is to be hoped, know the dark ages in which for so many centuries, it slept with liberty and learning. Let us do our duty in the responsible station and happy era in which Providence has cast our destiny, and I trust the day is far, far distant, when we shall cease to be a nation of farmers and a nation of freemen. LIST OF PREMIUMS AWARDED AT THE ANNUAL MEETING OF THE N. Y. S. AG. SOCIETY, January 18, 1843. At the annual meeting of the New-York State Agricultural Soci- ety, held at Albany, January 18, 1843, the following premiums were awarded: ON ESSAYS, DESIGNS, PAINTINGS, &c. On Essays — To Willis Gaylord, Esq. Otisco, N. Y. for the best Essay on the General Management of the Farm, $20 — to the same, for the best Essay on the Management and application of Manures, $20. On Designs — A gold medal, for the best Plan of a Farm House, Barn and necessary outbuildings, was awarded to John J. Thomas of Macedon, Wayne county, N. Y. and a silver medal for the second best, to D. G. Mitchell of Salem, Ct. On Paintings — Gold medals of equal value, to Woodside of Phil- adelphia, and Van Zandt of Albany, for portraits of Domestic Ani- mals. A silver medal to E. Whitfield, Albany, for the best specimen of Floral Painting. ON FIELD CROPS. On Indian Corn — First premium to Samuel Phelps of Ira, Cayu- ga county. 122 bushels per acre — $15. Second, to Wm. Ingells of Volney, Oswego county. 89 bushels per acre — $10. Third, to Joseph F. Oshorn of Port Byron. $5. Fourth, to Anthony Van Bergen of Coxsackie, Greene county. 85 bushels 51 lbs. per acre — diploma. On Barley — First premium to JVathaniel S. Wright of Vernon, Oneida county. 53 bushels per acre — $10. Second, to T. I. Vandeveer of Amsterdam, Montgomery county. 40| bushels per acre — $5. On Rye — First premium to Israel F. Goodwin of Westmoreland, Oneida county. 32 bushels and 36 lbs. per acre — $10. Second, to T. L Vandeveer^ Amsterdam. 28 bushels, 29 quarts per acre — $5. [Senate No. 63.J H 58 [Senate On Oats — First premium to Samuel Phelps, Ira, Cayuga county. 102 bushels per acre— $10. Second, to W/Ji. A. Russell, Salem, Washington county. 97 bush- els per acre — $5. Diploma, to Israel F. Goodwin, Westmoreland. 81 bushels per acre. The committee also recommend a special premium of $10, to Geo, Sheffer of Wheatland, Monroe county, for his crop of oats of 871 1 bushels, from 9^ acres of land, beingan average of 91| bushels per acre. On Peas — First premium to George White, Rutland, Jefferson county. 33| bushels per acre — $10. On Potatoes — First premium to George TFAiYe, Rutland, Jefferson county. 1 acre, 1 8-10 rods — 421f bushels Pinkeyes — $10. Second, to George Sheffer, Wheatland. 400 bushels per acre — $5. RuTA Bagas — First premium to John McConnell, Canandaigua. 855i bushels per acre — $10. On Beets — The first premium for beets, to George iS/ie^er, Wheat- land. 1 acre, 12 rods— 1026| bushels— $10. On Carrots — First premium to Wm. Risley, Fredonia, Chau- tauque county. 985^ bushels per acre — $10. Annexed are the statements, in a somewhat condensed form, of the several gentlemen to whom premiums were awarded on Field Crops: Indian Corn — Mr. Phelp's Statement. On the 23d of May, 1842, 1 plowed up one acre of green sward, for the purpose of planting it with corn. After plowing it once, I hai rowed it well, lengthwise of the furrows. I then marked out the ground so that the rows and hills should stand precisely two feet apart either way. On the 25th of the same month, I planted it, and was careful to put precisely three kernels in each hill; when it was large enough, I hoed it. and continued to hoe it three different times. No other tool was used in the process of hoeing and cutting up the weeds, but the hoe; being very careful to keep the weeds and grass down as much as possible, and in hoeing, to leave the ground as near level as possible each time. I permitted the corn to stand until it was fit for harvesting, with- out cutting up or topping. Between the 10th and 15th November, I began to husk it, and al- so to weigh the said corn. I found the aggregate weight from the said acre, in the ear, 13,286 lbs., of a good quality. About the first day of Jan. 1843, I thrashed out all the sound corn that grew on said acre, and measured it in a sealed half bushel, and weighed it, and found that it fully held out 60 lbs. to the bushel, and it produced me one hundred and twenty-two bushels of good mer- chantable corn. My team and man were occupied one day in plow- ing the said acre; half a day harrowing; two days labor plant- ing; and six days labor, hoeing; and six days labor, harvesting, threshing and weighing. Expense of cultivation, $14. — 122 bushels corn at 37| cents, $45.75.— Profit, $31.75. No. 63.J 59 Indian Corn — Mr. Ingells^ Statement. The land on which it was raised, is a warm gravelly soil, and has not had any manure applied for six years. It has been pastured for the last six years, until fitting for the present corn crop. The 30th day of April, carted and spread upon said piece, nine loads of straw manure, and plowed under. May 2d, carted and spread upon the remainder of said acre, eleven loads of straw manure, and plow- ed uniler. May 5th, carted and spread upon the furrows, ten loads of rotten manure, and harrowed lengthwise of the furrows. May 9th, planted said piece; rows three feet apart each way. The 24th of May, plastered and ashed it, at the rate often bushels to the acre; nine of ashes to one of plaster. June 6th, went through with the cultivator each way. June 7th, hoed said piece, but not the corn, for the frost had cut about three-fourths of it level with the ground. June 24th, went through with the cultivator both ways. June 25th, hoed it again. July 12th, went through with cultivator both ways. July 13th, hoed it the third time. July 15th, sowed on it one bush- el of plaster, broadcast. September 17th, cut it up at the roots, and put it in stooks. Oct. 1st and 3d, husked and weighed the entire crop, which amounted to 8,540 lbs; then weighed 500 lbs. and put it by itself. Dec. 6th, weighed it again, and it weighed 391 lbs., mak- ing in the whole, on the 6th of Dec, 6,678 lbs. According to the weight of Dec. 6th, there would be eighty-nine bushels of c(irn, al- lowing seventy-five lbs. to the bushel. Seventy-five lbs. of ears of corn, will make fifty-nine lbs. of shelled corn — or according to the first weight in Oct., allowing seventy-five lbs., there would be one hundred and thirteen bushels and sixty-five pounds. The amount of corn fodder was four loads on said piece. Expenses, $26.75. — 89 bushels corn, at 37^ cts., $33.38.— Profit, $6.63. Indian Corn. — Mr. Oshoni's statement. Five acres. — My corn ground was a clover ley of three years standing; had been mowed two years; never had much manure if any. Plowed but once, dragged and rolled. The corn was planied May 10th and 11th, in drills about 3 J feel apart. The corn was much injured by the wire woim and a severe hail storm. Expenses, $122 . 38.— 429i bushels at 37^ cents, $160.97.— Profit, ($11.56 per acre,) $57.59. Barley. — Mr. WrighVs statemeiit. 1st. Soil in good condition at the commencement of cultivation, composed of clay and gravel. Plowed twice, seed harrowed in. 2d. Previous cultivation, once plowing for spring wheat, and har- rowed in after corn upon the sward; twenty loads of manure from the yard, at the time of sowing the spring wheat; product, twenty- five bushels per acre. 3d. About twenty loads of yard manure used the present season. 4th. The quantity of seed, three bushels of two rowed barley: sowed the 10th of May, broadcast. 60 [Senate 5th. Harvested as follows: — Mowed; lay in swarth two days; raked and put in cocks, and carted to the barn next day. Expenses $15.13. — Product from one acre 53 bushels, 38^ lbs., $23.50.^ Profit, $8.37. Barley. — Mr. Vandeveer''s statement. My acre of barley was sown upon land in potatoes last year year, once plowed and harrowed, at the rate of about three bushels per acre. Estimated expense: Plowing, harrowing and sowing, $2 00 Seed, , 1 88 Harvesting and threshing, 3 00 |6 88 Product, 40 bushels, 14 quarts, at 40 cents, .... $16 09 Rye. — Mr. Goodwin'' s statement. Soil, a deposite from red rock formation, with muck, and a mi- nute portion of clay, and perhaps sand; in high condition, no manure this nor the preceding year. In oats last year; plowed once; 70 bushels to the acre. - Seed, 1 4 bushels, .- $1 13 Sept. 1st, sowed, plowed once, 1 day, 2 00 Harrowed twice, half day, 1 00 1-| days, reaping, 1 50 Threshed and cleaned, by hand, 2 50 Interest on land, $40 per acre, 2 80 $10 93 Amount of crop, 32 bushels and 36 lbs. This was a choice specimen of grain, and was sold princi- pally for seed, at 75 cents per bushel, $24 38 Deduct expenses, 10 93 Profit, , $13 45 Rye. — Mr. Vandeveer''s statement. My rye was sown on oat and pea stubble; soil, a yellow loam. Once plowing, $2 00 Harrowing and sowing, 1 50 Harvesting and threshing, 5 00 Product 28 bushels, 29 quarts, at 75 cents, $21 04 No. 63.J 61 Oats. — Mr. Phelps^ statement. In obedience to the rules, regulations, and requirements of the New-York State Agricultural Society, and for the benefit of all who are engaged in agricultural pursuits, I make the following state- ment : On the 10th of May, 1842, I had 30 loads of manure drawn upon one acre of land, and spread it evenly, or nearly so, and on the 16th day of same month, I plowed the acre well, and harrowed it tho- roughly, and sowed five bushels oats on said acre, and dragged them in. The whole time of plowing and harrowing, was two days; two days harvesting and securing said crop of oats, and four days thresh- ing, cleaning up, and measuring the same; producing therefrom, o?t,e hundred and two bushels of first quality merchantable oats. In the same field, I sowed one and a half acres to oats, without manuring. I took full as much pains plowing, harrowing, and se- curing the grain from this one and a half acres, as I did on the said acre. I sowed on this piece, four and a half bushels, and it pro- duced me but eighty-five and a half bushels; clearly showing to my mind, that the greatest benefits always arise from a liberal use of manure, if put on the ground in a proper state of fermentation, and especial care taken to distribute it over the surface evenly. Oats. — Mr. RusselVs statement. The soil is what is generally termed a clay loam; has been in po- tatoes for the last five years, with the exception of one year, when it was sown to oats; has had a top dressing of about fifteen loads of manure, well rotted, per year, except this season. None the pre- sent year. Sowed about the 25th of April, two bushels and three pecks of seed, common oats. Land plowed once, and harrowed ■\vith a square harrow, and crossed. Grain reaped between the 1st and 10th of August, yielding fifty-eight dozen and six sheaves of oats. Threshed about twentieth of September, producing by actual measurement, ninety-seven bushels and four quarts, that being the quantity grown upon, and the product of one acre. The expense of cultivation is as follows: One day's work plowing, sowing and harrowing,. . $2 00 Half day harrowing and sowing, 1 00 Seed, 21 bushels, 1 03 Reaping, raking and binding, and carting to barn, 4 days, 3 00 Half day for team, 1 00 $8 03 Oats — Mr. Sheffer'^s Statement. The soil on which my oat crop was grown, is Genesee flats, a dark clay loam. The land had lain to meadow fourteen years previous to 1840; in the fall of 1840, it was plowed; in the spring following. 62 . [Senate corn was planted, and produced fifty bushels per acre. Plowed again in the fall of 184 Ij and in the spring of 1842 it was harrowed once, then sowed, two bushels of black oats per acre, on the 13th Aprilj after which it was harrowed twice, and afterwards rolled with a hea- vy roller J 15th June, they were 12 inches high, and were mowed by cutting to within 5 or 6 inches of the ground; 10th to 20th of Au- gust, they were harvested by reaping; after which they were hauledj stacked, threshed and cleaned, by one of Pitt's separators. Expense of the Crop. 6 days plowing in the fall, $10 50 2 days harrowing, 1st time, spring, 3 50 Furrowing into lands, and sowing, 1 25 Harrowing twice, 4 days, 7 00 Rolling, one day, 2 teams, 2 75 Mowing in June, 3 days, 2 25 22 days reaping, 16 50 15 days binding and stouting, 1125 8| men and 4|^ teams, hauling and stacking, 10 88 32 days with men, and 21 with horses, threshing, cleaning and measuring, 34 50 $91 40 Value of the crop, at 15 cts. per bushel, $130 69 20 loads straw, at $1 . 00 per load, 20 00 $150 69 The average yield per acre of the above crop, is 91 bushels, 28 pounds. Peas. — Mr Whitens Statement, Of raising a crop of marrowfat peas, the season of 1842. The condition of the land, green-sward. It had been mowed and pastur- ed for the last eight years. The field contained about three acres or more, as near as I could judge. The ground was plowed seven in- ches deep, which is the common depth when I turn green-sward. The quantity of seed sown, was ten bushels. They were sown upon the furrows, then harrowed the same way that it was plowed, and then corner ways, minding to turn back the sods that were torn up. There was no roller, bush or manure, used on the ground. Time of sowing was the l3th day of April. Cutting and drawing them in, was the 20th, 22d and 24th days of August. The time of threshing and cleaning one acre, the 1st of December. Number of bushels, 33^, measured. At the time of cutting the peas, I went and measur- ed off from one corner of the field, one acre, and staked it out, so that they could be by themselves. When we drawed them in, we put them separate from the others; threshed and cleaned separate. The expense of cultivating, harvesting, threshing, cleaning and seed, for the whole piece, is twenty-two dollars. No. 63.J 63 Potatoes. — Mr Whitens Statemei}t, Of raising a crop of Pinkeye potatoes, the season of 1842. Pre- vious cultivation of the soil: In the spring of 1840, I turned over about 2 J acres of green-svsrard, on which I raised wheat. The fol- lowing season I plowed it but once, and then sowed it to barley, and worked it sufficiently with a harrow, intending it for mowing. But owing to the dry weather in the spring, the grass seed failed. It was not plowed in the fall, on account of the ground's washing; no ma- nure used. The present season plowed once, about seven inches deep, and then drawed on twenty loads of yard and stable manure per acre, and then it was spread and harrowed. I then took the horse and plow, and run the furrows just three feet apart, and the po- tatoes were then dropped in the furrows, about two feet apart; pota- toes cut, and three pieces put in a hill. The quantity of seed, twen- ty-five bushels. The quantity of land, one acre, one rod, and eight- tenths rod. The time of planting, the 3(1 day of May. Time of har- vesting, the 26th, 27th and 28th days of September. Number of bushels, 42H. The expense of cultivating and harvesting the above crop of potatoes, is fifteen dollars and thirty-eight cents. Potatoes. — Mr. Shejfer^s Statement. — 1 acre and 20 rods. The soil on which my crop of potatoes was grown, is Genesee flats, a dark clay loam. The land had lain to meadow six years pre- vious to the potatoe crop, and about one ton of hay was cut per acre, previous to the potatoe crop. 35 loads of stable and yard manure was applied in April, which was made the previous winter. The land w^as plowed once, the latter part of May; then rolled, then har- rowed thoroughly, then furrowed 3 inches deep, and 3| feet apart in- to rows, and planted the last days of May and first of June, 30 bush- els of Rohan potatoes, cut so as to average 3 eyes to a piece, and dropped in the furrows one foot apart, and one piece of potatoe in a place, after which they were covered with a hoe, 4 inches deep. They were hoed twice; the first time a cultivator was used, and then followed with a plow and hoe. The first hoeing was done when the potatoes were about 3 inches high; the second time, when the pota- toes were 12 inches high, by plowing, and after hoeing. The crop was harvested the last of September and first of October, by digging in the usual way with a hoe. Expenses of crop, $34.14. Value of the crop, 451 bushels 28 lbs., at 12i cents per acre, $56.35. The average yield per acre, on four acres, 401 bushels, 10 lbs. Beets. — Mr. Sheffer^s Statement. The soil on which my crop of sugar beets was grown, is Genesee flats, a dark clay loam. The condition of the land before planting this crop, was good; the crop previous was potatoes; thirty loads of manure were put on to the acre, the crop three hundred and fifiy bush- els. Twenty loads of well rotted manure per acre, were then applied to the land, in the fall, and plowed in. The 15th of May, commenc- 64 [Senate eel plowing a narrow land on one side of the field, rolled and har- rowed immediately, while the ground was moist; then planted in drills 27 inches apart, five pounds seed to the acre; the seed were soaked in soft water until they were sprouted, then rolled in plaster. During the season, the crop was hoed three times. The first time the plants were thinned out from 10 to 12 inches apart; the second time, the ground was hoed and all the weeds cut; the third time a light plow "svas used, and afterwards the hoe. The crop w^as harvested the last of October and first of November, by digging with a spade. Expense of the Crop. 20 loads of manure, 2s. per load, $5 00 Plowing in the fall, three-fourths day, 131 Plowing in the spring, three-fourths day, 1 31 Rolling and harrowing, 1 day, 1 75 Hoeing first time, 8 days' work, 6 00 Second hoeing and transplanting, 8 days, 6 00 Plowing, boy and horse, 1 day, 1 25 Harvesting 14 days, and 4 days with team, 14 50 5 lbs. seed, at 2s. per lb 1 25 ' $38 37 • Value of the crop, 1,026 bushels and 40 lbs., at 7 cents per bushel, $71 87 The average yield, per acre, of the above crop, is 955 bushels. RuTA Bagas. — Mr. JWConneWs statement. — 1 acre. The soil on which my ruta bagas were grown, was part sand and part clay. Two years before, had a crop of wheat, which was over- run with tares and pigeon weed. The following year, I took from it a crop of potatoes. After the potatoes came off, I plowed the land; also twice in the spring, followed by sufficient dragging and rolling. I then applied 24 wagon loads of good manure from the barn yard. They were sown 19th and 20th of May. Expense, $24.25. Product, 855^ bushels, at 8 cents, $68.44. ♦ Carrots. — Mr. Risley\s statement. The condition of the land previous to the present season, was as follows: — The crop of 1841, w^as carrots, a part for the roots, and a part for raising seed; the land had no manure put on it for the last ten years, but had been used for a meadow for the most part of the time. In the spring of 1842, there was a light covering of manure, say ten loads to the acre; land plowed twice, harrowed, and raked, and two pounds of seed sown in rows, sixteen inches apart. Sown the 1st of May, and harvested the 15th of October, and the 1st of November, and the expense of cultivation was $31-00. The pro- duct on one acre, was 985 bushels. PRIZE ESSAYS. ON THE PREPARATION AND USE OF MANURES. BY WILLIS GAYLORD, OF OTISCO, N. Y. Of all the pursuits to which mankind, from necessity or inclina- tion, have devoted themselves, there is none more honorable, — Introduc- Certainly none more useful, — than that of agriculture. To tion. pursue this business successfully, knowledge, extensive and varied, is required; for, although a man may succeed by following the beaten paths of his predecessors, occasions will frequently arise, when the end desired may be attained by methods much shorter than those usually adopted, if the farmer is able to form and apply them. It is here that science has, within a few years, rendered the most es- sential aid to agriculture. Sometimes, reasoning from well known effects to their causes, the agricultural chemist has placed in the hands of the farmer the means of producing results, always desirable, but which, under the older systems of farming, with his utmost care, he frequently failed of obtaining. Again, taking well established facts in animal or vegetable physiology as his starting point, he has ar- rived at results of the highest practical importance, and is enabled to render more certain and effective the more tardy operations of na- ture. In no department of agricultural industry, it is believed, have the labors of science been more beneficial or more apparent than in that of the preparation and use of manures; certain it, is there is no department more deserving attention, or where an elucidation of the principles and laws that govern the growth of plants, acts with a more direct and energetic influence. A definition of the term manure, may be necessary, in order to treat the subject understandingly, as different individuals use . the word in widely different senses, some in a wide, and tions. some in a limited one. A few instances of the meaning put upon the term will be given from a few of the modern writers [Senate No. 63. J I 66 [Senate who have adverted to this topic. Thus Dr. Leiber, in his German Conversationes Lexicon, defines manure to be " vegetable, animal and mineral matters, introduced into the soil to accelerate vegetation, and increase the production of crops." The Encyclopedia, published by the London Society for the Promotion of Useful Knowledge, thus defines it: — " Every substance which has been used to improve the natural soil, or to restore to it the fertility which is diminished by the crops annually carried away, has been included in the name of ma- nure." Loudon, in his great work on Agriculture, says — " Every species of matter capable of promoting the growth of vegetables, may be considered as manure." Prof. Low, in his Elements of Agricul- ture, says — " All substances which, when mixed with the matter of the soil, tend to fertilize it, are in common language termed ma- nures." Mr. Johnson, in his " Farmers' Encyclopedia," lately pub- lished, says — " A manure may be defined to be any fertilizing com- pound or simple ingredient added to a soil, of which it is naturally deficient." The definitions of Prof. Liebigand Dr. Dana, two of the latest writers on the subject, do not differ essentially from those al- ready given. Of these definitions, I prefer the most simple and com- prehensive, that of Loudon, and in this paper shall consider the term manure, as embracing every substance capable of promoting the growth of plants. Manures, by some, are classed as earthy, organic and saline; others divide them into animal and vegetable, mineral and mixed manures, ciassifica- ^""^ some speak of them as composed only of geine or hu- tion. mus and salts. Others class them as organic and inorgan- ic; but these divisions are of little consequence, as every farmer un- derstands that manure is the result of decomposition or change; and that, whether organic, that is, derived from animal or vegetable mat- ter; or inorganic, such as the earths, clay, lime, the alkalies, &c., it is only efl&cient when presented to plants in certain forms, such as de- composition, division or solution. In France, they have terms to dis- tinguish those siibstances which act mechanically in improving the texture of the soil, from those which act directly in the nourishment of the plant. The former class of substances they call amendements, and the latter ones engrais. It is probable, however, that the system which considers all manures as consisting of humus or geine, and salts, comprehending, in the latter term, all the mineral substances that enter into the growth or nourishment of vegetables, will eventu- No. 63.J 67 ally be found the most simple, and at the same time the most accurate of all the proposed divisions of manures. Thus humus constitutes the source of the carbon, forming the principal part of the structure of plants, and the salts, where they do not enter into the structure of plants, are active in preparing the other inorganic elements, and ex- citing the vegetable organs in their reception and appropriation of nutriment. Humus or geine is simply decomposed animal and vegetable mat- ter; and as from it, by the action of oxygen, carbonic gas is f'erived, to be absorbed by water and taken up by the roots, or Humus or •' t j i Geine. mixed with the atmosphere and taken up by the leaves of plants; or, as some agricultural chemists with good reason suppose, is under certain circumstances dissolved, or is soluble, and thus render- ed lit for immediate nourishment to plants, it must be considered the most important item in the production of manures. The salts, which are the most efficient in aiding vegetation, or the most active ma- nures, are those formed from the alkalies and their various combina- tions. Thus, from pure lime or calcium, is formed, by the union with carbonic acid, carbonate of lime; with phosphoric acid, phosphate of lime, the base of bones, one of the most efficient of fertilizers; with sulphuric acid, sulphate of lime, or gypsum, the value of which is well understood; and so with the other alkalies, which, in their com- binations, form substances of the utmost consequence to plants. It is well known that the outer covering of some kinds of cane, con- tains so much flint or silex as to strike fire with steel; and some of the grasses contain this substance in such quantity that their ashes will melt into glass with potasti. Now, this hardness, so necessary to their perfection, could not be attained unless this flint had been rendered soluble by union with an alkali, forming a silicate of potash, and by this solubility been rendered fit for the action and appropria- tion of the plant. If we would know what kind of food is required by plants, one of the first steps necessary is to ascertain of what the plants themselves Food of ^'^^ composed. The combinations of matter may be said to Plants. ]jg absolutely endless; but the original elements of this mul- titude of combinations, are few in number. Chemistry has detected only some fifty-five substances incapable of further reduction, or what are called simple substances; and of these, strange as it may appear, only four, except in proportions merely accidental, go to the forma 68 [Sknate tion of plants. Of these the first is Carbon. This forms from 40 to 50 per cent by weight, of the plants cultivated for food; and is there- fore most important to animals and to man. The second of these sim- ple substances, is Oxygen. The quantities of this substance are im- mense; and though we are acquainted with it only in the form in which it exists in the air, nearly one-half of the solid crust of the globe, 21 per cent of the atmosphere, eight pounds in every nine of water, and more than one-half of the living bodies of all plants and animals, are oxygen. Hydrogen is the third substance peculiar to plants. This is the lightest of known substances, and forms a small part of the weight of all animal and vegetable bodies; constitutes one-ninth part of the weight of water, but enters mtothe composition of none of the masses that go to form the crust of the globe, coal excepted. The fourth simple substance, entering into the formation of plants, is JVi- trogen. This forms 79 per cent of the bulk of the atmosphere, con- stitutes part of most animal and some vegetable substances; is found in coal to the amount of one or two per cent, but does not exist in any other of the mineral masses constituting the crust of the globe. Although not an abundant substance, the importance of it is not the less decided, and some of its functions are of the most indispensable kind. Plants then, are composed of carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, and nitrogen; the first derived from carbonic acid, the second from the atmosphere, the third from the decomposition of water, and the fourth from ammonia absorbed by water, and taken up by the roots of the vegetables. Some of the earths are occasionally detected in plants, and salts of some kind are always present. In the preparation of ma- nures, the principal object to be aimed at, it is evident, must be to supply the materials needed to furnish the carbon and the ammonia; and these are found in the greatest abundance in dead or decomposed animal and vegetable matter. It seems to be a law of nature, that the higher the grade of the animal, or the more complicated its organization, the greater the L wofNu- necessity of a corresponding degree of organization in the trition. substances used as food: indeed the manner in which the crude materials, found in the earth and atmosphere, are worked up by plants into a state suitable for conversion into the flesh of animals or food for man, exhibits the strongest proofs of benevolent design in the formation of such grades of organized matter. Man can, in- deed, live on plants, but his teeth demonstrate that flesh was to con- No. 63.] 69 stitute no inconsiderable portion of his food. As all animals receive their food, either directly or indirectly, from the vegetable kingdom, it is evident their excrements, or their decomposed bodies, must form manures of the most valuable kind; and it is to this source, the ex- crements of animals, that the farmer must look for his supply of ma- nures to restore the fertility of the soil. In treating further of manures, it will be best to begin with this, as the most important class. A late British writer on agriculture, says: — " The chief use of cat- tle on an arable farm, besides those necessary for the operations of . . -n. husbandry, is to produce manure for the land. If the nures. cattle repay their food, and the expense and risk at- tending their keep, the manure is sufficient profit. Even with a moderate loss, they must be kept, when manure cannot be purchased. The loss, if any, on the cattle, must be repaid by the increase of the corn crops. Manure is to a farm, what daily food is to an animal; it must be procured at any sacrifice." Common barn-yard or stable manure is the kind to which most farmers must look for the fertility of their farms. This consists of the droppings of the cattle, mixed with the straw used for littering in stables or thrown into the yards for the amimal to feed or lie upon, the coarser hay and weeds re- fused by the stock, and the urine of the animals kept in the stables or yards. This is constantly trampled, is usually kept moist if not wet, and is finally decomposed, or converted into manure fit for the production of crops. This is the most usual course, but it is evident that there must, in this method, be a serious loss to the farmer, of the more valuable properties of the manure. In this way, the decom- position is unequal; a part will be converted into mold while the other will be scarcely acted upon; the salts and the more soluble parts of the excrements, which are the most efficient ones, are dis- solved by the rains, and carried off by the drains, or lost in the earth; and where any considerable degree of heat is evolved, as there will be when the decomposition is rapid, or is going on in large masses, the escape of ammonia, so easily detected by the smell, shows that the nitrogen, so essential to the growth and perfection of a grain crop, is rapidly wasting. To prevent these results, and secure the whole benefit of the ma- p ^_ nure, two methods have been adopted. The first consists tion. in applying the manure fresh, or in a long state, to the fields it is wished to manure, without waiting for it to decompose. In 70 [Senate this way the manure collected in the yards during the winter, is re- moved in the spring, and applied to such crops as require it the most; and as no fermentation ensues inordinary cases, until the com- mencement of hot weather, two sources of loss at least are avoided, those of the washing away of the soluble parts, or their being car- ried off in the shape of gas. Where there exists no necessity for re- taining manures for other than spring crops, and where the crops cultivated are such that long manures are suitable for their growth and tillage, this mode of disposing of manures must be considered one of the best that can be adopted. But in many cases the formation of manures in the yards and stables of the farmer is going on the whole year; and preservation in masses, or by being scattered in yards during the hot months, would be to greatly lessen, if not mostly destroy its value. Besides, there are some crops, such as some of the root crops, in the cultivation of which experience has proved fully that rotted or decomposed manure is far preferable to long manure, as much of it is already in a soluble state, and is available to the plants at the time they need hastening the most, which is the period immediately after germination. Where the waste of manure is to be prevented during the summer months, or it is desirable to provide a quantity of fully rotted manure, then the second method should be used; and this indeed, by many excellent farmers, is con- sidered the best in all cases. In this method, the practice is to remove the dung from the stables and yards at short intervals, and place it in large piles or masses, that the proper fermentation may take place previous to its use. tion. When a pile of manure is made in this way, the fermenta- tion takes place in the quantities applied, as they are successively de- posited, and therefore does not reach usually that point in which mate- rial loss is sustained. If it is found that the heat is becoming to great, or the fermentation injuriously rapid, so as to cause the escape of ammonia, a layer of earth or sods placed over the pile, wnll retain, by combination, the escaping gases, and thus prevent the loss. It has been found a most excellent plan, one which not only greatly increas- es the quantity of manures made in this way, but adds to its quality, to mino-le with or cover the successive deposits oi' manure with earth from ditches or ponds, peat or muck from swamps, or turf from bogs or plowed lands, as such layers, consisting mostly of vegetable or animal matters, will, by absorbing the drainings of the manure, or No. 63.] 71 the absorption of the escaping gases, be converted into one of the most efficient of fertilizers. The more solid such deposits of ma- nure are made, the more slow will the fermentation be, and hence in imloading, the carts or wagons may be driven over them if necessary to expedite the work, where the immediate use of the manure is not an object. Should the dung placed in these heaps be too slow in fer- menting, it may be hastened by opening the piles, or still better by making holes in the top, into which the wash of the yards and the urine of the stables may be poured. This method has another ad- vantage. The manure from the yards, if not wanted as long ma- nure, may be removed to the fields where it is to be used, at times when the men of the farm cannot be otherwise profitably employed, and will be at hand, ready fermented in these piles, when a further transportation might be difficult if not impracticable. It is a question of considerable importance to the farmer, and one which has been much discussed, whether it was better to apply ma- Lone: or """^^ ^^ ^^^ long state always, or always allow its full decom- rotted. position before using. From his own experience, the writer has been led to doubt the correctness of either of these positions. It seems to be universally admitted that matter, to be efficient as a ma- nure, must be soluble, and it is clear that the more solid parts of farm yard manure require to be softened by putrefactive fermentation be- fore they can be considered in this state. Where, then, the influence of manure is required to be felt at once, as on the turnep, beet and carrot crops, in order to push them forward at the first start beyond the reach of insects, my experience is, that the manure should be in a state reducible to powder, in which condition a large portion of it may be expected to be soluble, and of course at once available by the plant. Where, during the fermentative process, the mass has been reduced to a black carbonaceous matter, it may be inferred that the heat was too great, and the manure seriously damaged; on the con- trary, if the mass, while perfectly fine, dry and friable, still retains its dark brown color, it will usually be found that none of the good qualities have been lost by over-fermentation. But where the manure is to be applied to crops which do not re- quire forcing forward in the early part of their growth, but demand as much or perhaps more nutriment at a late period of their vegeta- tion to perfect their seeds or roots, then experience has shown that it is best to apply the manure without any considerable fermentation to 72 [Senate the soil, Indian corn, potatoes, and the grain crops generally, are of this classj the two first particularly. The time when corn and potatoes require the most nutriment, is at the time when the ears and tubers are forming; and when ro.anures but partially fermented, or used fresh from the yard or stable, are applied, the decomposition is com- paratively gradual, and the supply greatest when most needed. I cannot recommend the application of manures of any kind directly to grain crops, as it has a tendency to give straw at the expense of the grain, and wheat so manured, is far more apt to suffer from mildew or rust, than when the manure, by application to other and previous crops, has become perfectly incorporated with the soil. In this state, that rapid growth, which is the result of first fermentation, is avoided by the wheat plant; and the substances necessary to perfect the berry are already prepared and within reach of the growing or maturing plant. Dung varies much in its quality, not only from the perfection or imperfection of the fermentation to which it is subjected, but also Quality ^^°™ ^^® animals producing it, and the food which animals re- ofDung. ceive. The richest and most effective manure we have ever used, was that from the hog yard, and produced by fattening hogs. That from cattle, fed on corn meal and oil cake, will be little inferior; and either will be found 100 per cent better than ordinary farm yard manure. The reason of this is very plain. Such animals are fed with substances abounding in the materials most needed by plants, with very little admixture of useless matter, and the comparatively small quantities of animal matter and salts added, rather contribute than detract from its efficacy. The dung of sheep is more valuable than that of horses or cattle not fattening, as the materials are more perfectly assimilated or mixed in mastication, and more fully decom- posed. Next to farm yard manures, to keep up the fertility of his lands, the farmer may most certainly rely on green crops, either fed off up- Q on the land, or turned under by the plow, and there allowed to Crops, ferment and decompose. For a plant to enrich exhausted soils, affording as it does both top and roots to a large extent, there is no plant equal to clover; and particularly where it is necessary or desirable to have the green crop fed off by animals. I prefer letting the clover grow until nearly or quite in blossom, and then turning sheep upon it. They will eat much of it and fatten rapidly; but they No. 63. J 73 will trample down more, and this, mixed witii their dung, forms in its decay a most efficient top dressing; and repeated for two or three years, forms an admirable preparation of the soil for wheat or other grains. When a crop is cultivated to be plowed in, it should be done at the time when the plants contain the greatest quantity of nutritive matter, and have least exhausted the soil in which they are growing. This, in most cases, will be when the plants have come fully into flower. At an earlier period there may be as much weight, but a larger portion of it will be mere water; and, if allowed to stand much later, the soluble matter is lost in the seed, and the ligneous part of the stem becomes more difficult of decomposition. Buck- wheat is a good plant for a green manure; its growth is rapid, and gives a great weight per acre, and two crops may be plowed under in a year. The best way of plowing in such green crops, is to pass a heavy roller over them, which lays the plants close to the ground, and greatly facilitates covering them by the plow. It is believed that corn, sown broad cast, and when just showing its tassels, cut and co- vered by the plow, would be one of the best crops that could be cho- sen for this purpose. A man or boy, in this case, would be required to follow the plow, to place the corn in the furrow for covering, at the next passage of the plow. Taken at this time, corn abounds in nutritive matter, and could scarcely fail of proving a first rate fertili- zer of the soil. A variety of decomposed vegetable matters, or those partially de- composed, are used as manures. The fallen leaves of trees are of p this class; but the instances are few in which they will repay the expense of gathering; perhaps never, in the United States, where the other sources of an abundant supply of manures are so nu- merous. If collected, the best method of using them, is to litter sta- bles, or form beds for pigs, or mix at once with other manures; as, in such ways, they absorb urine and other fluids that might escape, and together undergo decomposition. But the most important source of decayed vegetable matter, and one, the value of which is not yet by any means sufficiently understood or appreciated, is to be found in the great tleposits of this substance in swamps, low meadows, and peat bogs, in all parts of our country. On the subject of this kind of manure, there is no authority equal to Dr. Dana of Lowell, Mass. According to him, peat consists of soluble or insoluble geine or hu- mus, with a few salts. From an analysis of ten specimens from dif [Senate No. 63.] K Analysis. Peat. ] 74 [Senate ferent parts of Massachusetts, the highest and the lowest in the scale of soluble geine, is selected and given here, as well as two specimens of pond mud. This is done, as the value of neither peat or such mud is sufficiently appreciated by the farmer; and they are neglected when they might easily be made a source of the greatest fertility: Soluble Geine. Insoluble Geine. Total Geine. Salts and Silicates. 10.15 49.45 59.60 40.40 48.80 43.60 92.40 7.60 T, J A/r J ^ 5.10 8.90 14. 86. Pond Mud. ^ 8.10 6.50 14.60 84.40 "^ In his analysis of various manures, he takes for his standard, cow dung; and it is not a little remarkable that the constituents of peat and cow dung, should so nearly coincide. Dr. Dana's esti- Comparison " •with Cow mate of the several parts of peat of average quality, and of cow dung, is as follows. The peat was fresh dug, in this case; before, it was dried at 300°. Peat. Cow Dung. Water, ....85. 83.60 Salts, 1. .95 Geine, 14. 15.45 But notwithstanding this decayed vegetable matter is so rich in the organic elements of plants, experience proves that, applied in its Peat Com- ^^^ural state, it is almost valueless as a manure, compared posts. -with stable manures; and hence the reason it has been so little prized. Science has shown the cause of this result, and the means of obviating it; or, in other words, of unlocking the fertilizing powers of these vegetable deposits. To be able to give out ammo- nia, the peat or swamp muck must be fermented; and this may be effected by the direct addition of alkalies, or by making the peat into a compost with fresh manures. If alkalies are added, the quantity necessary to bring a ton of fresh peat into the same condition, so far as regards ammonia, as cow dung, would be " 92 lbs. of potash, 61 lbs. of soda, or 16 to 20 bushels of common house ashes." But the farmer will usually find the best method of using peat, w-ill be to com- bine the peat with manure, by mixing it with dung in his yards, or making it into compost. Many experiments have been made by some of the best farmers and gardeners of Massachusetts, in relation to the use of peat; and all unite in pronouncing it most valuable. Mr. Phinney of Lexington says, that " a cord of green dung converts twice its bulk of peat, into a manure of equal value to itself; that is, a cord of clear stable dung, composted with two of peat, forms a No. 62.] 75 manure equal in value to three cords of green dung." Mr. Rob- bins of Watertown, though owning a large stock, makes no use of their manures. These he sells; but keeps his farm in a high state of fertility, by mixing swamp muck or peat with spent ashes from his soap and candle factory. The proportions he uses are, one part of spent ashes to three of peat, dug up in the fall and mixed with the ashes in the spring. After shoveling over two or three times, it is spread and plowed in. The effect is felt at once; and so far the ma- nure has proved durable. According to Mr. Colman, in his Fourth Report, two thirds of the ma- nure used on the extensive garden and farm of Mr. Gushing, near Bos- Use of Peat ton, is made from meadow muck or peat. The compost, for Muck?"™^ top dressing meadow and grass lands, is made by taking the muck from the pit in August or September, where it lies to the next year. The compost heap is then made on some convenient place, by spreading a layer of muck eight inches thick; on the muck four in- ches of ashes; then another layer of muck,, and so on for five layers, making a pile five feet high, in the form of a ridge. This lies through the winter, is opened and mixed in the spring, and the next fall is spread on the land. The compost for plowed lands is made of two- thirds muck and one-third manure. Fresh manure, or that which has not fermented, is always used, and care is taken not to put in so much muck as to prevent the compost's heating. The fermentation of the manure decomposes the muck rapidly, and when this is done, the compost is fit for the land. Horse manure or unslacked lime, ac- celerates the fermentation — colder manure retards it. It is the opi- nion of Mr. Gushing and his gardener, that muck for mixing with cowdung, or for putting in hog styes, should be dug from the swamp six months before using, as the action of the atmosphere facilitates the change necessary. Muck, without this preparatory fermentation, they consider of little importance as a manure. Pond mud, although not as rich in vegetable matter or humus as swamp muck or peat, is still one of the most valuable of fertilizers, p^^^j The quantity of earthy matters it contains, is rather an advan- Mud. tagg xhan otherwise, when applied to light or sandy soils, and will rarely be found injarious on any. As a manure, the action of pond mud is more immediate than that of unfermented muck, owing to the much greater proportion of salts and silicates it contains. It is astonishing what quantities of this manure are lying worse than 76 [Senate useless in the thousands of mill ponds in our country. In the win-^ ter of 1839-40, Mr. Whalen of Saratoga co., drew from a pond on the Kayaderosseras creek 1000 loads of pond muck, and put it on a field of 17 acres; soil light and sandy, or gravelly, and reduced by skinning until it would produce nothing but sorrel and mullein. This field, planted to corn, gave him 850 bushels. The extra product from the use of this manure, he estimated at twenty bushels per acre. In the winter of 1840-41, he took from the same pond 700 loads, and ap- plied it to two other fields, and with similar results. Mr. Whalen has also, at different times, drawn 800 loads of muck from an ash swale, and found it to nearly or quite equal in its effect on vegetation, the pond mud. After the corn, Mr. Whalen has uniformly grown oats; and on these worn out lands, where he formerly would have lost his seed oats, as well as the grass seeds used, he has been success- ful, both taking well where the mud or muck had been used. For heavy loams or clay, Mr. Whalen is of the opinion that a mixture of lime or yard manure, with the muck or mud, would be indispensable. This mixture, the experience of Mr. Clark of Northampton, and oth- ers, shows, is well effected by placing the muck in the cattle yards or pig styes, to be incorporated with the manures by the feet or noses of the animals, and to act as absorbents of the urine and soluble matters that are too frequently lost. Night soil, or the contents of privies, is one of the most powerful and valuable of manures; but prejudices, combined with the difficul- Nie-ht ^^^^ formerly attending its use, have prevented much attention ®°ii' to it in England or the United States, until within a few years. In consequence, a substance of the greatest importance to the farmer has been regarded as a nuisance, and, in the vicinity of large cities, has truly been so. Now, since science has taught the mode of pre- paring it for use, its use is becoming general, and its value fully ap- preciated. According to the analysis of manures, made by Boussin- gault and by Dr. Dana, there is no manure ordinarily accessible to the farmer so rich in the carbonates or salts of ammonia as this. This will be seen by comparing it with horse dung, the value of which is well understood. Horse manure. Night soil. Geine, 27. 23. Salts, 96 1.2 Carbonate of ammonia, 3.24 15.32 No. 63.] 77 The dung of the fattening hog approaches night soil in value, more nearly than any other; indeed Dr. Dana supposes that for all the „ purposes of analysis, these may be arranged under one head. Dung, jj^ practical use, Von Thaer, on the Prussian government farm, determined by experiment its comparative value as follows: If a soil without manure, would yield three bushels of produce for one sown, manured with different substances the result was, Without manure, 3 for 1 sown. With cow dung, 7 " 1 " With horse dung, 10 " 1 » With night soil, 14 " 1 " In some experiments made by Arthur Young, and detailed in the Comparative Annals of Agriculture, the effect of this manure on wheat value of n ^^ Nightsoii. was as follows: Simple soil, per acre, 12^ bushels. Bushels of night soil, 320 37^ " " " 240 32^- " « « 160 3H " Cubic yards of farm yard compost, 60 25 " " " " 30 231 " 30 do. and 1 cubic yard of chalk, 25 " Applied to potatoes, the results were not less decisive: Simple soil produced per acre, .... 120 bushels. Night soil, 10 wagon loads, 600 " Bones, 10 " 650 " Hog dung, 60 one horse cart loads, 480 " Yard compost, 60 one horse cart loads, .... 300 " The most common method of using night soil, or at least that in which it is most portable and least offensive, is to convert it into pou- drette. This is done to the best advantage in large manu- factories; and hence they are usually established in the vi- cinity of large cities, where the original article is easily obtained. Different processes are adopted, but the most common is to slowly dry the night soil in pans, having previously mixed it with plaster or ground peat. The object in adding plaster or peat, is to prevent the escape of ammonia, on which the value of the manure is mainly depending. The dried mass is then pulverized — is perfectly inoder- rous, resembles a dry brownish powder, and may be used broad cast or in drills. In Paris, a powerful manure is made, also called pou- drette, by boiling the offals of the slaughter houses into a thick soup, making this into a stiff paste by stirring in coal ashes, then drying and grinding. 78 [Senate Urate, is a manure formed from a compound of urine, sand and plas- ter of Paris. In Paris, where the manufacture is most perfect, the Tj gypsiiiii is burnt previous to using. The value of the urates as manure, will be better understood from the annexed table: Water, 65. Urea, 5. Bone dust, 5 . Sal ammoniac and muriate of potash, 15 . Sulphate of potash, 6 . Carbonate of potash and ammonia, 5 . 100 From this, it will be seen that urate abounds in those substances most necessary to give fertility to soils. Dr. Dana remarks that a cord of loam, saturated with urine, is equal to a cord of the best rot- ted dung; and in some experiments made by the French Royal Soci- ety of Agriculture, which may be found detailed in the Dictionnaire d' Agriculture Pratique^ Paris, 1828, for the purpose of comparing it with night soil, pigeon's dung, &c., known to be very effective, the result was in favor of the urate. When mixed with dried night soil or poudrette, its effect on various crops was very great. From the experiments there instituted, it appeared that urate alone acted most favorably in moist seasons. It must be remembered, however, that night soil, when properly prepared, retains all the urine, or rather its feriilizing qualities; and the fact that urine is of itself so valuable a manure, should put farmers on their guard against suffering it to be lost from their stables and yards, as is usually done. Where the farmer is so situated that no poudrette manufactories are within his reach, he will find that by making it into a compost Use of ^^^^ swamp muck, ashes, peat or gypsum, he will have NightsoU. ^ manure that may be easily applied, and which will pos- sess great fertilizing powers. The Chinese have long been celebrat- ed for the extensive use of night soil. Their method is to make it into cakes with a rich marl, which, when dried in the sun, constitute a regular article of traffic, almost a legal tender. The Flemings were the first of the Europeans to make a common use of night soil as a manure, and hence its name of Flemish manure. There it is ap- plied directly, and without preparation, to any crop for which ma- nure is wanted; and the superiority of Flemish agriculture, and the great fertility of their soils, may be, in a great measure, attributed to their careful saving and use of matters which others have been most No. 63. 79 anxious to be freed from. In Spain, the celebrated asparagus of Sa- ragossa is grown on beds of loose gravel and sand, but a little above the flow of the tide; but these beds are heavily manured, after the cutting of the season is closed, with fresh night soil dug in, and thus their fertility is sustained, and the unrivaled character of the Sara- gossa asparagus maintained. Bones, ground or crushed, form another powerful manure; and al- though but little used as yet in this country, there are some indica- tions, such as the erection of mills for crushins; them, that their Bones. ' o ' use will soon become extensive, and our farmers be saved the mortifying spectacle, so long witnessed here, of seeing ship loads of bones exported to Europe, used by farmers there, and returned to us in the products of the soil. Col. St. Leger of Wormsworth, was the first to introduce bone manuring into England in 1775; but it was many years before their value was fully understood; and it was only in connection with the turnep culture, that they came into general use. The manner in which bones act as manures, and their value, will be best seen by a statement of their constituents. The bones of the ox, according to Berzelius, contain in 100 parts: Cartilage, 33 . 3 Phosphate of lime, 55 . 35 Fluate of lime, 3 . Carbonate of lime, 3 . 85 Phosphate of magnesia, 2 . 05 Soda, with a little common salt, 2.45 100. The analysis of Fourcroy and Vauquelin, gives: Gelatine and oil, 51. Phosphate of lime, 37 . 7 Carbonate of lime, 10 . Phosphate of magnesia, 1.3 100. Johnson, in his lately published work on Fertilizers, says: •' Dry bones contain about two-thirds their weight of earthy matter, the oth- er third chiefly of animal matter, resembling glue. Of the earthy matter, five-sixths consist of phosphate of lime and magnesia. A ton of bone dust, contains of Animal matter, about 746 lbs. Phosphate of lime, &c 1 ,245 lbs. Carbonate of lime, &c 249 lbs." 80 [Senate Bones, however, vary somewhat in their constituents, some con- taining more of the earthy, and others more of the animal parts; take those of the calf and the elk for examples, to which the teeth of the horse are added. Phosphate of lime. Carbonate of lime. Animal matter. Calf, 54. 46. Elk, ..90. 1. 9. Teeth, 85.5 15.5 It is evident then, that bones abound in matters capable of produ- cing ammonia. Dr. Dana estimates its power in this respect to be Use of ^qu^l to 8 or 10 times that of cow dung, while, if the salts are Bones, regarded, 100 lbs. of bones, contain nearly 66 times as much as the same quantity of cow dung. Experience proves that the pow- er of aiding crops, between dung and bones, is about in the propor- tion of the constituents named. It is evident that much of the value of bones depend on their cartilage. Boiling bones, as generally practiced, has but little effect in extracting the gelatine; and does not remove even all the fat or oil. Under high pressure, as in Papius's digester, the separation of the animal from the earthy matter is com- plete. The finer bones can be crushed or ground, the better or quick- er will their influence be felt; and boiling, by removing the exterior cartilage and fat, renders the crushing more perfect. It is owing to this cause, undoubtedly, that many of the English agriculturists pre- fer dry to fresh bones; as the dust made from the former, is more suitable for sowing or drilling with seeds, than that of the latter. Bone dust is the most efficient on light and dry soils. It has been found also very useful on limestone soils and light loams; but on heavy clay or wet soils, this manure does little or no good. Bone dust is one of the most efficient manures on clover, particularly the white clover; exceeding gypsum in its effects on this plant. This is accounted for by the fact, that white clover abounds in phosphate of lime; and the phosphates of bones supply it in abundance. Although principally employed as a manure for turneps, in consequence of their importance in a rotation of crops for the animals of the farm, particu- larly sheep, it is considered by many farmers quite as useful, employ- ed as a manure for potatoes, as it is for turneps. Bones are found to be more valuable, if subjected to a partial fermentation before being applied to the crops. If mixed with five or six times their weight of veo-etable mold or fine rich earth, and turned over for several times for a few weeks before using, the value is much increased. Since the No. 63. J 81 general use of bones has been introduced into England, vast quanti- ties are gathered and imported from all parts of the world. As an instance of this traffic, it may be mentioned that at Hull alone, in 1815, 8,000 tons of bones were imported; and this amount, at the same place, had increased in 1835, to 27,500 tons. Guano is another manure of animal origin, which has lately been brought to notice. It is the excrement of sea-birds; and the im- mense masses of it existing on the rocky isles of the Pacific, in the vicinity of Arica in Peru, are the accumulations of centu- ries. That, in this state, it differs from the newer excrements, can scarcely be questioned, as the action of the atmosphere must have produced many chemical changes during the lapse of years. Analy- sis shows it to consist chiefly of insoluble and soluble salts, chiefly phosphate of lime and organic matter, or salts 32 parts, and organic matter 68. A large portion of the organic matter is uric acid and ammonia; and regarded as a manure, it may be considered as a urate of ammonia. It appears as a fine brownish powder, with a strong marine or fishy smell, and gives oflf ammoniacal fumes when heated. Several ship loads of this manure have been carried to England; and the experiments show, what indeed the analysis would prove, that it is to be classed among the most efficient of manures. It has succeed- ed well, whether applied to grain, grasses, or to roots. There is no necessity of enlarging on this manure here, as it is not probable that it will ever be introduced to any extent into the United States, while we have so many easily accessible sources of fertility that have as yet hardly been touched, among us. It may be mentioned in this place, that the dung of domestic fowls is one of the most valuable of farm manures, far exceeding in power even that of the hog or horse; and though not equal to guano in ammonia, probably from there not being as much animal food used in its production, still deserving more at- tention in this respect than it has received. All animal products, capable of putrefaction or decomposition, can be converted into manures; fish, flesh, gristle, sinews, skin, horns, hair, wool, and indeed all animal solids or fluids are of this Various i n i • i i • i animal Character. Ihe man who allows his dead animals to putre- fy and waste away above ground, is guilty of great improvi- dence; and converts what might be made a valuable manure into a decided nuisance. A dead horse, covered with earth or vegetable mold, mixed with a little lime or gypsum, will, when decayed and [Senate No. 63.J L 82 [Senate converted into manure and spread on the soil, add to the value of the wheat or corn grown, not enough perhaps to buy a valuble new one, but not unfrequently more than the worth of the original animal. A more disgusting sight can scarcely be imagined, than to see the fences and trees around a farmer's yard dressed out with dead lambs or other defunct animals in the spring season. All such, should be buried at once, and thus made available in other forms. Of the substances named above, fish is the one most commonly used as a manure. In the vicinity of the sea, large quantities of fish are y.^j^ annually used in enriching the soil. This is particularly the case on Long Island and in Rhode Island. They are some- times spread broadcast on the eaith and plowed inj at other times deposited in the hills of corn; sometimes spread over the meadows after the crop is mowed, and allowed to putrefy in the open air. The stench, where the putrefaction goes on in the open air, is intole- rable; and can only be endured by those whose olfactories have been accustomed to the nuisance. This is a most wasteful practice, and should long ago have been abandoned. Treated in this way, but a small part of the actual value of the fish is realized; and it is not to be wondered at, that where the methods of using this manure are so different, widely different ideas of its value should be entertained. Fish should never be used fresh, or thrown at once upon the soil. The true way of preparing them as manure, is to make them into compost, by placing them in layers with muck, rock weed, peat, or even common loam, to putrefy. Where the soil is heavy or incli- ning to clay, where the compost is to be used, common shore sand, containing as it does large quantities of particles of carbonate of lime, will be found useful as a composting ingredient with the fish. When the fish are decayed or putrefied, the mass should be dug over, the parts thoroughly mixed, and if much ammonia or offensive gas is liberated, a covering ot earth should be given, and the mass be allow- ed further to ferment before using. In this way, fish never fail of being a valuable manure. Rock weed, eel grass, or in short any of those vegetable or animal matters that abound on the sea shore, may be advantageously used in the preparation of these composts. There are many manufactories, particularly those of skins, furs and Refuse of ^ool, where large quantities of manures of the most pow- Faetories. gj-ful kind are annually suffered to go to waste, though to a much less extent than formerly. The refuse of such establishments, No. 68.] 88 now frequently considered, and justly as now treated, a nuisance, may, by simple application to the soil, or still better by being made into compost, be used as the best of fertilizers. One of the best farmers and most successful breeders of our country was driven into the business of agriculture, in self defence as it were. He was an ex- tensive manufacturer, and the difficulty of disposing of the refuse and waste of the establishment, compelled him to purchase a farm in the vicinity of the city, in enriching which, these matters have been most successfully employed. Those farmers who formerly could not be induced to receive such refuse materials as a gift, would now, after the proof they have seen of their value, be happy to purchase them at a liberal price. The furrier, the tanner, the morocco manufactu- rer, comb maker, &c. &c. are all dealing in materials of the utmost value, when applied to the soil as manure; and the farmer little un- derstands his true interests, who, living in the vicinity of any of these, does not avail himself of these refuse matters to the utmost extent permitted. Perhaps there is no substance more rich in matters valuable as ma- nures, than the washings and refuse of woolen factories. Chaptal Manure ^^^ °^^ '^^ ^^^ ^^^^ ^"^ ^^^^ attention to this matter, and the of Wool, instances he gave of their fertilizing power were of the most convincing kind. It is but very lately, however, that any attempts have been made in this country to render the refuse of our factories available. All remember, when around every factory and every clothier's shop in the country, piles of refuse wool, clippings, pick- ings of cards, and sweepings, accumulated in masses, never thought of as of value, but considered as matter of which the owners would most happily be quit. The method of disposing of them, when they could no longer be tolerated, was to throw them into the river; to apply them to the garden or farm was not once thought of. Not long since, in one of our villages, I noticed a garden, the vegetables of which had a luxuriance forming a striking contrast to others near them, and the cause of the difference was asked. " It is all owing to the refuse of that clothier's and carder's shop," was the reply. " I saw in the Cultivator a notice of the value of such manures, and the owner of the shops gladly availed himself of my offer to remove it at my own expense. I gave my garden a good dressing, and as this is the second year, you may judge of the value of the material as a manure. It is probably the last I shall obtain, however," he added, " as the mill 84 [Senate owners, after seeing its effect on my garden, are now as anxious to save this refuse matter as they were before to get rid of it." The oily or sweaty matter on unwashed wool, is a soapy substance having a base of potash, with an excess of oily matter, with slight traces of the carbonate and muriate of potash, all valuable as manures; and as all are easily soluble in water, such w^ater should never be lost. A wool merchant at Montpelier, had his washing house in the midst of a field, the greater part of which he had, by the use of this wash, with which he watered his plants, transformed into a fine garden. The experiments made by Judge Buel and by Mr. Bement, with hog's bristles and horn shavings, were conclusive as to the value of these substances for manures. In short, as all substances of this nature are nearly pure gelatine, with a slight addition of the phosphates of lime, it is evident their decay must furnish an abundant supply of ammonia to plants, and therefore render them valuable as a manure. There is but one other manure of animal origin to which it will be necessary to allude in this place, and that is urine, or as it is commonly L' uid called, liquid manure. Analysis proves that this is a sub- Manure, stance peculiarly rich in materials required by plants, and ex- perience enforces the results of analysis; yet not one farmer in a thou- sand makes an effort to convert this mine of riches to any account, but the whole is most generally lost to him. Dr. Dana gives the fol- lowing as the constituents of cattle urine, which may stand as the type of all others, though human urine and that of the horse differ from this in the character and quantity of some of the salts contain- ed in them: Water, 65 . Urea, 5 . Bone dust, 5 . Sal ammoniac and muriate of potass, 15 . Sulphate of potash, 6 . Carbonate of potash and ammonia, 4 . 100. Compared with cattle dung, it will be seen that while that gives only 2 lbs. of carbonate of ammonia to lOOlbs.of dung, the urine gives 5 lbs. „ of ammonia in its urea, and nearly three times that amount Value of . Urine, j^ t^g other ammoniacal salts. One-third of urine is com- posed of salts, whose action on vegetation is of the most energetic and favorable kind; and yet there are thousands who call themselves pretty good farmers, who use all reasonable precaution to preserve No. 63.J 85 the solid parts of their animal manures, that have never made an ef- fort to save that which is of far the greatest value, the liquid part. But it must not be forgotten that soils must contain decayed organic matter or humus for these salts to act upon, otherwise liquid manure or pure urine can do no good. Where the wash of the barnyard and stables is saved, the loss of a large part of the urine is prevent- ed; but when, as is too often the case, this is wholly lost, not only is the urine thrown away, but a large part of the soluble humus of the manure accompanies it. It is an excellent plan, therefore, to have some reservoir for the reception of such liquid matters as would oth- erwise be lost. If this cannot be done, cover the bottom of your yards with muck, or even common loam, as this will absorb and re- tain much of the urine and liquid matters of the dung. Experience has demonstrated that a load of loam, saturated with urine, has a more powerful effect on vegetation, than the same quantity of best rotted stable manure. Human urine is richer in salts useful to vege- tation than any other, containing, according to Dr. Thompson, in 1000 parts, 42 J lbs. of salts. The slightest attention on the part of the farmer, might prevent the loss of this; and many a load of swamp muck, or loam mixed with gypsum, might, when saturated with urine, be added to his available manures. Liquid manures, or rather urine, differs much in the salts it contains, according as the food is rich or otherwise. '" White turneps give a weaker urine than the Swedish, and green grass is worse than either," according to Dr. Dana. Tur- ner and Liebig found that the urine of fattening animals is richer in salts than that of store animals. Indeed, the law so well known with regard to solids, that the richer the food the more valuable the dung, it is probable holds good in regard to the urine also. Soot is a valuable manure, peculiarly rich in humus as well as salts, and in its composition more nearly allied to the solid substance of animals, than any thing else. It contains of humus or geine 30.70, of nitrogen 20., and of salts of lime 25.31 parts in 100. It also abounds in salts of soda, potash and ammonia. Ac- cording to the analysis of Dr. Dana, 100 lbs. of soot contains as ma- ny of the valuable salts as a ton of cow dung, and its nitrogen, com- pared with that manure, is as 40 to 1. The ordinary farmer can make but little use of soot, as it is not to be had in the country in any considerable quantities; but those in the vicinity of cities may avail themselves of this manure with much profit. For the gardener 86 [Senate or the floriculturist, soot is an excellent manurej but care must be ta- ken not to use it too freely, as we have known tender garden plants at once destroyed by too liberal applications of it, particularly in a dry state. Mixed with water, in the proportion of six quarts of soot to one hogshead of water, it has been found a most efficacious liquid for watering plants, particularly those grown in green houses. Ashes, leached or otherwise, are of great value as a fertilizer, es- pecially when used on soils that are sandy or light. Unleached, the potash contained goes to form silicate of potash, and gives the supply of silex necessary lor the stems of the grasses or corn; and leached, although the potash is the greater part of it separated, the remaining phosphates of lime and magnesia go far to restoring to the fields on which such ashes are strewn, the necessary matters of which previous cropping has deprived them. 100 parts of the ashes of the wheat grain contain 32 parts of soluble, and 44 parts of insoluble phosphates, in all 76 parts. The value of ashes abounding in the re- quired phosphates, when used on grain lands, may be seen at once, as well as the folly of those farmers who waste or sell the ashes pro- duced in their dwellings. There is no substance, containing no animal or vegetable matter, which exercises a more powerful or beneficial effect than lime, in some one or all of its forms of carbonate, phosphate and sul- "^^' phate. In the common form in which it is found, that of a car- bonate, it acts in two ways, mechanically and chemically. Being less porous than sand, and more so than clay, its mixture improves soils in which either of these prevail; while as an alkaline earth, it acts chemically on such animal or vegetable matters as may exist in the soil. Lime develops its chemical action most fully when in its caustic state, or when by burning, the carbonic acid has been expell- ed, and the lime rendered what is termed quicklime. In this state, it dissolves such organic matter as may exist in soils, and prepares it for the food of plants. Humus frequently exists in the soil in a so- lid and insoluble state; lime applied to this, renders it soluble in wa- ter, in which form it may be taken up by the roots of plants. A vast deal of needless controversy has been carried on respecting the value of lime as a manure, or the quantity which should be used per acre. By some, it has been extolled as the very highest on the list of effec- tive manures; while others have decried it as of no use whatever; and both have appealed to experiments as establishing their positions. A No. 63.] 87 knowledge of the nature of the action of lime, would have prevented such seeming contradictions. " Lime in excess, forms, from the hu- mus of the soil, an insoluble salt; and may thus, when applied to a soil abounding in salts of lime, or in which it already exists, be produc- tive of injury, whatever may be the vegetable or organic matter of the soil. In this state of excess, lime converts, but at the same time locks up, the humus of the soil; when if applied in the right quantity, it would have been useful. Lime is of no value whatever as a con- verter, or produces no chemical effect in promoting growth, unless there is organic matter in the soil on which it can act. Lime is most efficient when used on soils full of insoluble humus, such as peaty matter or woody fibre, but which, from the abundance of the tannin principle contained, resist the ordinary processes of decomposition." There would seem to be no difficulty, therefore, in determining wheth- er lime can be used on any given soil to profit. Indeed there are, it is believed, none where it would not be useful, except such as are already supplied with this carbonate, or those which are wholly des- titute of vegetable or organic matter. As a general rule, the greater the quantity of humus in a soil, the greater the amount of lime which may be applied with benefit. As long as there is a store of organic matter in the soil, lime, if not in excess, is a valuable manure; but when this is exhausted, the application of lime only increases the ste- rility by destroying such efforts at vegetation as might in time, aid- ed by light and moisture, partially remove the unproductiveness ex- isting. This fact may serve to explain some of the conflicting state- ments that have appeared in the agricultural journals of our country, on the use of lime. Where humus is abundant, the quantity that may be safely used, is very great; on soils already poor, a small portion speedily exhausted the remaining powers of the soil. Lime, from its alkaline qualities, acts in neutralizing whatever free acids exist in soils, whether oxalic, phosphoric, malic, or others. It acts also in decomposing some of the earthy or compound salts formed in the soil, and thus renders the geine held by them, available to the plant; but its great and most important use is in converting the insoluble or- ganic matters existing, into soluble ones, and thus directly furnishing an abundant source of nutriment. Carbonate of lime is sometimes used pounded or broken fine; and in this state, its mechanical value is great in stiff or clay soils. Such soils too, usually abound in acids; and these gradually acting on the lime gravel, its chemical effect is slowly but beneficially apparent. , 88 [Senate Marls, which exert so powerful an influence on many soils, derive most of their value from the lime they contain; and with few excep- tions, their power as fertilizers may be measured by the per cent of lime shown on analysis. There are some marls, how- ever, which are an exception to this rule; their value appearing to depend on other matters than mere lime. Of this kind is the cele- brated green sand marl of New-Jersey, and some other points of the Atlantic coast. In this formation, which acts so powerfully as a ma- nure, there is from 6 to 10 per cent of potash; an agent, which, on light soils, is scarcely equaled as a manure. In addition to the lime which marl contains, the influence of the proportions of sand and clay, of which the balance usually consists, must be taken into considera- tion in determining the value of this substance for particular soils.. Thus, on heavy or clay lands, marls abounding in sand will be found preferable to those the base of which is clay; and on light or sandy soils, the latter will be much the most useful, the per cent of lime in both cases being alike. Marl should be spread over the surface, and pulverized by the action of air and frost before it is plowed under. When so treated, experience proves it is a most valuable manure, and a single dressing exerts an influence for many years. Of another salt of lime, the phosphate, notice has been taken when treating of bones as a manure. It will not be amiss, however, to Ph s hate ^^^^® here, that when any substance is invariably found in of Lime, ^iuj part of a plant or plants, it is right to infer that the per- fection of that part of the plant is impossible, unless the substance re- quired is within reach of the plant while growing. Thus the stems of the grasses abound in silex; some of them, the cane for instance, to such a degree as to strike fire with steel, and unless this substance, in the form of silicates, was presented to the plants, they would not be per- fect. So it is right to infer that unless soils contain the phosphates, or a supply is furnished for the use of plants, that the cereal grains could never be perfected, as the seeds of these invariably contain large quantities of the phosphates. Phosphates are found more or less in all soils, and w^hen these are deficient, bones form an abundant and accessible source for their supply. It is also found in considera- ble quantities in all animal and farm yard manures, particularly in the liquid part. Gypsum is the third principal salt of lime which exerts a powerful influence on plants, and is one of the most valuable of all our mine- No. 63.] .89 ral fertilizers. Much variety of opinion has been entertained re- _, spectinsc the manner in which it exerts its influence or pro- Gypsum or r & r Plaster, duces its effects on plants; and these opinions can scarcely be said to be harmonized, even at the present time. Davy was in- clined to consider it a direct food for the plant, as it is found, 1o some extent, in those plants on which it exerts the most power. Chaptal referred its power to its stimulating agency on plants, produced by its action when dissolved in water. Liebig ascribes its value to its giving a fixed condition to the nitrogen or ammonia which is brought into the soil, and which is indispensable for the nutrition of plants. Dana, to the action of the lime and acid of which the gypsum is com- posed, on the organic matter and silicates of the soil. He says — " It seems almost incredible that so minute a portion of a mineral can act at all; yet how beautifully is the result explained by the principle that plants decompose first this salt; the lime, for plaster is a sul- phate of lime, then acts on geine, which is thus rendered soluble; while the acid, the oil of vitriol or sulphuric acid, immediately acts on silicates." It seems very probable that no single one of these sup- positions will be found able to account in full for the action of plaster. That of Dr. Dana appears to approach as nearly to a solution as any of them, if we extend his term silicates so as to embrace those combi- nations formed by the union of the acid of the gypsum with ammo- nia, after its separation from the lime. If the action of plaster was due to its fixing ammonia alone, then it ought to be equally efficient at all times and places, which it certainly is not; or if it acted directly as nutriment, then its action would be as constant as that of rotted manure or compost, which farmers well know is not the case. Plas- ter does not act as usefully in the vicinity of the sea, as in the inte- rior; and on heavy wet soils, is scarcely felt at all. Light sandy soils, or loamy ones, are those on which plaster acts the most sensibly; and clover, lucerne, potatoes, cabbages, and the leguminous plants, such as peas, vetches, &c., are the vegetables on which it exerts the most powerful influence. It is much valued as a dressing for wheat, not so much, perhaps, for its direct action on that plant, although that is not trifling, as for its effect in securing and promoting the growth of the clover and other grass seeds, usually, in wheat countries, sown with this crop. So marked is the influence it exerts in this respect, that plaster, clover, and wheat, are always associated in the mind of the most successful wheat growers; and its use is the most extensive in [Senate No. 63.] M 90 [Senate the best ^vheat growing districts of our country. In the minds of many, a senseless prejudice has existed against plaster, on the ground that it the more speedily exhausts the soil, and that the heavy crops at first obtained were the price of ruined farms. It is doubtless true that the man who uses plaster on his farm, who takes from his soils all he can get, and returns nothing to them, wull soon find his soils worthless enough. He who intends to farm it in this way, should avoid plaster; but let any farmer alternate wheat and clover; hus- band and apply his manures; feed off his clover in his fields, or to his stock in their stalls; let him not spare his grass seeds in seeding, or his plaster in dressing, and his farm will never run down. Such men need not fear plaster. Common salt is an active and valuable manure, and has been used successfully as such, in all parts of the world where it can readily be obtained. In England, the pickings or impure salt is used for this purpose; and many experiments are on record to show that the effect is most marketl^and decisive. The following is one of a series of experiments instituted by Mr. Sinclair, to test the value of salt as a manure. The soil was light and gravelly. No. 1. Soil without any manure for 4 years. Produce per acre, 13 bushels 26 lbs. 2. Soil manured with stable dung to the previous crop (potatoes,) . 26 do. 52 do. 3. Soil with 5 bush, of salt per acre, and no other manure for 4 years, 26 do. 12 do. In the opinion of Mr. Sinclair, the effect of salt as a manure was to lessen the produce of straw as compared with other manures, and to increase the weight of the grain. Prof. Johnston has done more than any other person to extend the use of salt as a manure, by giving to the world his excellent Essay on salt used on soils, and the mass of experiments he has recorded. It appears that salt in small proportions, promotes the decomposition of animal and vegetable substances; that it destroys vermin and kills weeds; that it is a direct constituent of some plants, and therefore ne- cessary to their perfection; that all cultivated plants of marine ori- gin contain it, asparagus for instance; and that all such succeed bet- ter when watered with salt water, than when deprived of it; that salt preserves vegetables from injury by sudden transitions in temperature, salted soils not freezing as readily as those to which salt has not been applied; and that it renders the earth more capable of absorbing the moisture of the atmosphere. When salt is applied as a manure, it may be used in quantities from six to fifteen bushels per acre; al- though some have gone as high as 50 bushels. Farmers, however, No. 63.] 91 should be cautious how they venture on excessive closes, as an extra- vagant one could scarcely fail of being fatal to any crop. Legrand, in his experiments with salt, found that it gradually improved the crop of barley until sixteen bushels per acre was reached, when it gradually diminished until the amount of forty bushels per acre was reached, when vegetation was destroyed. Salt combined with ma- nure, has proved very efficient; and in the Woburn experiments, the wheat so treated exceeded all others. The most favorable propor- tions were found to be 45 tons of dung, and five and a half bushels of salt per acre; the manure plowed in, the salt sown with the seed. The experiments that have been made, would seem to indicate that a preferable mode of using salt, in most cases, would be to sow it on the land some weeks before the seed is to be put in. In this case, where lime exists in the soil, a chemical change takes place, at least partially, and muriate of lime and soda is the result. Such a change would seem to be most favorable to vegetation. Salt and lime, artificially mixed as a manure, promises to be a valua- ble aid to the farmer in those positions where the soil abounds with insol- uble silicates or geine, and where other manures necessary to Lime, produce decomposition or fermentation are not at hand. Prof. Johnston recommends a mixture of two parts of lime and one part of salt, the mixture to remain incorporated in a shady place, or covered with sods two or three months before using. Salt and lime should not be used immediately after mixing, as bad results are apt to ensue; but after be- ing well mixed in a dry state and lying as directed, it may be applied at the rate of from thirty to sixty bushels per acre, either before or at the time of sowing. Mixed with soot, salt acts with great power on roots. Mr. Sinclair mixed six and a half bushels of soot with the same quantity of salt, and used the mixture on lands sowed to carrots. The result was, that unmanured land gave twenty-three tons of roots per acre, and the manured yielded forty tons per acre; and Mr. Cart- wright found that where unmanured soil gave 157 bushels of potatoes per acre, 30 bushels of soot and six of salt, made it produce 240 bush- els per acre. Dr. Dana furnishes so beautiful an explanation of the manner in which this manure acts, that it deserves a place entire: " By mixing quicklime with common salt, its soda is let loose, the acid combines with the lime, forming a soluble salt of lime, and so long as the soda remains caustic, it has no effect on the muriate of lime, but as soon as the soda becomes mild or carbonated, decompo- 92 [Senate sition of the muriate of lime is produced, and the common salt regen- erated. Commencing then with quicklime and salt, we pass to a so- luble salt of lime and caustic soda, and from that to mild soda, and to carbonate of lime and the original salt. If these various changes take place in the midst of peat or geine, it is evident that the caustic soda acts upon the geine, and also evolves ammonia from that sub- stance; secondly, that the muriate of lime, in its finely soluble state, insinuates itself among the particles of the geine; that the soda is also equally diffused, and that when the soda becomes carbonated, it pro- duces an almost impalpable carbonate of lime throughout the whole mass, which, by its equal diffusion through the soil with the geine, acts upon the silicates, as has been heretofore explained." To pro- duce these effects. Dr. D. directs to take one bushel of saltand two bush- els of lime; to make the salt into strong brine, and with it slack the lime. Mix both well together, and let them remain ten days; then let them be well mixed with three cords of peat, shoveled well over for about six weeks, when it may be used. A quantity of salt sufficient to destroy all vegetation, may be applied to a soil with safety when a few months are to elapse before the crop is to be put on; as the che- mical changes which take place, partially neutralize its effect during this time. A small quantity mixed with the soil in each hill of corn, has been found to protect it from the wire worm and the cut worm; indeed there is no substance that insects of all kinds more dread than salt. It is probable, therefore, that further experiments will show that not the least value of salt is to be found in its preventive pro- perties against these depredators. Charcoal is a valuable manure, and applied directly to the soil in a pulverized state, produces excellent effects. It acts by rendering the soil more permeable to atmospheric air, by absorbing and Charcoal. ... n ,-i ' f i i ■ ^ ■, retammg for the use of plants the ammonia of the at- mosphere, or such as falls in showers; by rendering soils with which it is incorporated warmer; and by furnishing a constant supply of carbonic gas to growing plants. The great productiveness of what are called coal hearths, or those places on which charcoal has been burned, has long been a common remark, but this has been common- ly attributed to the ashes, burned earth, &c. on such spots, rather than the coal. The use of coal alone, however, shows that though these other matters are not without their value, the great additional fertility of these places is mostly owing to the coal. Immense quantities of No. 63.] . -93 this substance are wasted in the vicinity of forges, furnaces, ^miths"^ shops, &c. which would be of great value, were farmers to collect such refuse or dust coal, and apply them to their farms. On heavy soils in Europe, it has long been customary to pare the surface, and burn the turf so collected, taking care to incorporate as much of the clay soil as will consist with the ignition of the turf. This burnt mass of clay and ashes is scattered over the ground, and is found to make a valuable dressing on such soils. It is impossible to particularize all substances that may be used as manure. It is evident, from the definition first given, that they would embrace all animal matters without exception; all excremen- Other '■ ' Manures, titious secretions of animals, and all vegetable ingredients in one form or another, together with a few of the mineral salts, such .as the alkalies, silicates, &c. Thus, oil-cake, bran, yeast, brewers' grains, putrid meat, in short any substance that can be classed under the above divisions of matter, may be useful as manures, and this fact should induce great caution in their preservation and application. Whatever may be the present condition of a particle of matter, if it has ever formed a part of an organic body, it can again become such under circumstances favorable to such a condition. In the preceding rapid sketch of the principal substances valuable as manures, the best methods of preparation and use have also, to a considerable extent, been given. All then that would now seem ne- cessary for the purpose of this Essay, is a condensed view of the principles laid down, with such incidental topics as have been passed over, but of which a notice appears necessary. As the common farmer must always rely on stable or farmyard ma- nure, as his principal means of fertilization and renovation of his soils, Preparation it is to these, to their preparation and use, that his atten- stabiema- tion must be principally directed. It is an important ^"^^^' question for him to decide, whether he should apply his manure in a long state, that is, apply it fresh from his stables and yards before undergoing decomposition, or let it remain until the lit- ter and straw has fermented and become rotten, before using iL Some remarks on this topic have be^n made in the preceding pages, when treating of such manures, but its importance will justify their extension in this place. It has bfien said that rotted manure contains more geine or humus, weight for weight, than unrotted or fresh ma- nure. This is probable; but to make this test decisive, equal weights 94 [Senatk of (iuno- should be taken while fresh, one analyzed at the time, and the other when fermented and rotted. This course, it is believed, would show a result in favor of the unrotted. There can be no doubt, how- ever, that straW; stable litter, &,c. should be partially fermented be- fore using, and the moisture necessary for the process should, if pos- sible, be the urine of the animals or the drainings of the yards. Straw, in dung intended for a particular crop, is of little use unless, the fermentation has far progressed^, and a distinguished German far- mer has asserted that he considered straw as of no consequence in manure, except as acting the part of a sponge to retain the fluid parts of the animal manures. There are some exceptions to this remark, as when straw is applied to heavy clay grounds before rotting. Im this case, when plowed under^ it gives a degree of porosity to the' soil, absorbs part of the moisture, and acts the part of a valuablig. amend er, while it is eventually converted into a manure, or a source of carbonic gas. Where the unfermented dung of the yard or sta- ble is applied to the soil, it should be covered at once by the plow^ that the gases liberated in fermentation may not be lost^ and that the moisture necessary for fermentation may be secured. When rotted or fermented, the covering is not of so much consequence, audit may,, without loss, be scattered on the surface and mixed with. it. If used without fermenting, it should be applied to hoed or summer crops, such as corn or roots, as these are in that state while the manure is at the height of its fermentation, when forcing manures are the most useful; but if applied to the smaller grains, they are most active when matter for the perfection of the seed, not the enlargement of the straw, is most needed, and the last is increased at the expense of the first. Taking all these circumstances into consideration, there can be little question that the most economical way of making and using manures, is to convert the stable and barnyard manure into eompost, by the addition of peat, swamp muck, cleansing of ditches, wash of roads, leached ashes, or even common loam or earth, taking care, when the manure is wanted for heavy soils, that the earth used in the compost should be as light or sandy as may be; and where the soil is light, that the compost earth should be marly clay. Into such a compost heap, all weeds, straw, litter, animal matter of all kinds, night soil, &c. &c., may be thrown, and upon it all the wash of the yards and urine of the stables may be poured; and if the animal and vegetable matters as they accumulate, are kept covered and moist, the No. 63.] ^ fermentation will g-o on successfully; the alkalies and salts of the ani- mal matters will act on the vegetable part and saturate the earths used, and the whole will be converted into manure of the most valu- able quality. The labor of preparing compost,, it is true, is much Preparation greater than merely drawing it from the yard, but the qnan- compc^ tity is so much increased, and the quality so much improv- ed, that it is the most economical in the end. The only method that can compare with it, is to place these matters over the yard, and let them be composted or fermented in that place; but there will always be great waste in this way; and where turf or vegetable mokl is used for composting with the animal manure, the compost heaps can frequent- ly be made where they are to be used, and the labor of drawing ma- terials grreatlv lessened. Bommers patent manure is only compost made in a scientific and accurate manner, every part of the process so managed as to produce a perfect fermentation, without the loss of any of the valuable parts of the -constituents used. From a know- iedee of the processes employed by him, we are able to say that where his directions are followed, a powerful and valuable manure cannot fail to be produced. The fundamental principle upon which composts have been made, is that of impregnating the earths used in the process with the soluble salts and the gases, which, in the ordina- ry methods of rotting, are wholly or partially lost to the farmer. The discussions which have been carried on, as to the propriety or impropriety of burying manures in the soil, have arisen from not stat- ing the kind of manure to be used. The solid and soluble parts of manures have a tendency to sink into the soil; the gases evolved in fermentation a tendency to rise. The true principle, then, is to bury the unfermented matters no deeper than is necessary to secure the moisture required for fermentation, while the fermented or decomposed dunff. havincr no fertilizing gases to lose, mav be mixed at once with the surface earth. Some of the greatest crops of Indian com ever grown in the United States, have been produced by placing a heavy dressing of unfermented manure on turf land, and turning it under with the plow. The surface is then rolled to press the sod close upon the manure, and afterwards harrowed, to loosen the earth for the re- ception of the seed. Into each hill, a small portion of fully rotted manure or compost is put at planting. This promotes germmation, gives the young plant a vigorous start, and by the time the roots have 90 [Senate penetrated beyond this, active fermentation has commenced in the long manure, and thus fertilizing matters are furnished in the greatest abundance when most wanted by the plant. Of the mineral manures used, lime, as has been already stated, is the most important,- and under all its forms, is extensively used ia Europe and in this country. The German farmers of im . L^j^(.^g|-gj-^ Chester, and the adjoining counties of Pennsyl- vania, use lime more extensively than in any other part of this coun- try. Considerable discussion has been had at different times as to the comparative value of limes that contain magnesia,, or such as are free from it; but the value of lime as a dressing for soils, seems to be every where conceded in those districts where it has been used. It appears as the result of experience,- that lime produces the best effect on what are called stiff loams, or loams inclining to clay, and in which a good proportion of decayed organic matter is found. It is foundy too, that it operates more favorably on soils natural to oak and its kindred trees, such as walnut, poplar, &c. than on those where the beech, elm and maple constitute the principal timber.^ It is singular that the richest limestone lands, as they are called from being based on this rock, are frequently those on w^hich heavy dressings of lime operate like a charm. If used as a top dressing, lime is usually ap- plied to the sod in the fall; but the practice most approved, is to lime the corn ground in the spring, on the inverted sod.. Manure is appli- ed to the wheat crop after lime,. The quantity of lime used varies much. There is no doubt it has sometimes been used in excessive quantities; and when used on soils nearly destitute of vegetable mat- ter, can produce no good effect. On a medium soil, fifty bushels per acre may be considered an abundant dressing;, bat three or four times that quantity is sometimes used. The best method of using lime, is to take it from the kiln, unslacked, and deposit it in heaps in the field where it is to be used, not more than three or four bushels in a place; and either slack it by pouring water over it, or, which is bet- ter, by covering each pile with earth, and letting them slack by the moisture thus furnished. When sufficiently fine, the earth and the lime are mixed by shoveling over, and the mass is then scattered over the land to be dressed. The soil should be well harrowed after the application of lime, to incorporate it more completely with the sur- face earth. No. 63.J 97 It is obvious that the manuring of a farm should only be limited by the ability of the owner. On a plentiful supply of manures, is de- . pending the fertility of his soils, the amount of his crops, Manux-ing. and consequently the extent to which his labor is reward- ed. There is no expenditure on a farm, so safe as that for manure; and the labor required to increase it, is never labor lost; at least, if directed by an ordinary share of agricultural know^ledge and skill. Every source of supply should be made available; nothing capable of fertilizing should be lost. The farmer who takes from his soil more than he returns to it, is surely impoverishing it; and if he escapes such a calamity himself, he leaves to his successors a worn out farm. If he returns as much as he receives, his farm will retain its original fertility only; but the true farmer will scarcely be content with this. To increase its fertility, and the amount and quality of the crop taken from the soil, should be the aim of the husbandman. This done, his labor is lessened, his profits are greater, his farm is worth more; nor must the pleasure arising from beautiful fields, golden harvests, fine animals, and accumulating prosperity, be omitted in making up our estimate of the advantages of successful culture. Manure may be a homely subject, but on its preparation and use every thing is depend- ing. Without it, the deep green of our pastures, the golden yellow of our corn fields, and the fine beef and white loaf of our tables could not exist. To the farmer, manure must be the first thing, and it must be the last thing; with it, he can do every thing; without it, nothing. ON FARM MANAGEMENT. BY WILLIS GAYLORD, OF OTISCO, N. Y. There are very few individuals, whether farmers or otherwise, from whom expressions of admiration will not be elicited while passing or viewing a well managed farm. There is something in good Inti-oduc- & b & b tion- husbandry that commends itself to the approval of all, as indicating good sense, good taste, and love of order. It indicates habits of correct thinking, sound moral feelings, good business habits, and a man in whom confidence may be placed by his fellow men. In addition to this, it is almost inseparably connected with thrift; and [Senate No. 63. | N 98 [Senate the man who manages his farm well, can scarcely fail to do well in the world. It is true the reward of labor must in a great measure be dependant on circumstances, such as the quality of the soil or ease of culture, suitableness for particular crops, position in regard to markets, &c., but wherever the good farmmanager is placed, improvement and eventual profit follow in his footsteps. The well managed farm may not be productive of as great profit in Missouri or Iowa, as in the vi- cinity of New-York or Philadelphia; but compared with those around it, no matter where it may be, a striking advantage will always be found in its favor. To manage a farm well, requires intelligencej forethought, an acquaintance with the various methods of agri- culture; well directed economy, not stinted or parsimonious; and above all, persevering industry. It is evident, therefore, that good husbandry does not come by instinct, but must result from experi- ence, observation, reflection, and a knowledge of what has been done by others. The necessity of this knowledge, will be seen at once, when we remember that the inquirer after agricultural truth may spend a life in experiments, and at the same time not advance a sin- gle step beyond the point reached by hundreds before him; whereas, had he been acquainted with their labors, that point would have been his starting place; and his advance in that case, a decided gain. To point out some of the things likely to interest and aid the farmer who aspires to manage his farm well, will be the object of this Essay, The soils most suitable for farming purposes, are those in which sand preponderates, and which; when combined with decayed vege- . table and animal matters, form a friable loam. Such are proper for most crops; are cultivated with ease, and kept fertile with little difficulty. Heavy soils, or those in which clay preponderates, are fre- quently rich and productive, particularly for wheat and clover, if the subsoil is of the right character, or sufficiently porous to prevent all stagnant water about the roots of plants. But whatever may be the character of the surface soil, whether light or heavy, it cannot be fit for the culture of crops, so long as a retentive and impenetrable sub- soil prevents the escape of surface or spring water, and exposes the roots of the plants to the poisonous influence of water having little or no motion. The first step, therefore, in the management of a farm, is to fit it for the production of crops. This is done, if too light, by the addition of clay marls, or even common clay; if too heavy or wet, by No. 63. J 99 thorough subsoil draining, one of the most efficacious converters of soil yet devised. On light soils, the use of the roller, combined with the application of manures, will usually correct the evils that arise from that source; but where the mechanical texture t>f the earth allows too easy an escape of water, clayey earths must be resorted to. Pond mud, swamp muck, or the earth from ditches, are here particu- larly useful. t Experience proves that there is no soil mechanically • The beneficial effects of draining may be mainly attributed to two things. It renders the soil porous, and it gives to it a higher temperature. The capacity of a soil to retain water, is mostlj^ depending on its clay and humus. When water is given to a soil, all the particles of these substances become saturated, or filled; and this is the condition of good soil. If more water is added, it must occupy the space between these particles and the other earthy particles, and thus the air is excluded, or the soil loses its porosity, so essen- tial to fertility. Draining removes this excess of water, and restores porousness to the soil. In a series of experiments made by Dr. Madden, he found that in soils of precisely the same quality, and the same external temperature, but one drained, or in a proper state of moisture for vegetation, and the other filled with water, there was a difference in tem- perature of 6.| degrees in favor of the tlrained soil. The experience of every farmer who has tried ilraining, will confirm these experiments. For practical illustration, the writer may be permitted to refer to the farm of E. Marks, Esq., which received the first premium for farms, offered by the Onondaga Agricultural Society in 1842. A large portion of this farm was naturally hea\-y land, level, with a re- tentive subsoil, and black muck surface. Part of it was so swampy^that previous to his taking possession, no attempt had been made to cultivate it. The first operation of Mr. M., was to thoroughly drain this wet and useless part of his farm. This was done by a skilfully constructed network of imder drains, which have been gi-adually extended until a large portion of his heavy soils have been drained, and with the best results, as heavy crops of roots, corn, and wheat, are now taken from those parts where before nothing but coarse natural grasses could be made to grow. [See Cultivator, Vol. viii., page 83.] f There is no more important or decisive character of good or bad soils, than their ca- pacity to absorb or retain water, as this in a great degree influences their fertility. The following, collated from Prof. Schubler's numerous experiments and tables, will show some of the most important differences in the most common earths, in this respect ; as also in that of retaining heat : Kind of Earth. Weight of a cubic foot : Water evapo- rated in 4 (lays. In grs. Dry. Wet Calcareous sand, . . Silicioussand, Gypsum powder, . • Sandy clay, Loamy clay, ...... Brick, or stiff clay, Pure grey clay, . . . Garden mold, Arable soil, Slaty marl, 113.6 111.3 91.9 97.8 88 80.0 75.2 68.7 84.5 112.0 141 136 127.6 129.7 124.1 119.6 115.8 102.7 119.1 140.3 146 160 136 105 110 95 100 121 131 130 Diminufn in volume in 1000 pts. by drying. Water ab- sorbed by 50 squ're inches of surface of dry earth injronnding tem- 72 hours ; w't perature at 61", in grains. in hours and minutes. no change 60 89 114 183 149 120 35 Time required by 30 cubic in- ches of earth at 144° to cool to 70", the siir- 3 0 1 28 35 41 49 52 23 33 8 hrs. 30 min. 3 " 20 " .34 « 41 «c 30 " 24 " 19 " 16 « 27 26 2 2 " 2 « 2 « 2 " 2 " 2 " 3 " 100 [Senate suited for cultivation, however heavy it may naturally be, which can- not be rendered fertile, by freeing it from all unnecessary moisture; and of all the various processes which an improved husbandry has in- troduced into the management of the farm, there is none more impor- tant than draining. An important matter in farm management is the size of the farm. It cannot be denied that the tendency in this country is to large farms, Size of ^^^^^^ t^^^ small ones; not that large farms may not be as well Farms, cultivated as smaller ones, but that the present system here prevents the application of capital, (labor, &c.) which is necessary to render farming profitable. The consequence is, that the labor, the manures, and the seeds of the farmer, are spread over too much sur- face, and the land occupied is but half tilled, manured or seeded.* How much land an able bodied man can properly cultivate, is a ques- tion rather difficult to answer. One thing, however, is certain, that * It does not seem to be generally miderstood what a great amount of produce can be taken from a few acres of well cultivated land. I have selected from a large number of instances now before me, a few which will place this matter in a clear light. In none of these cases was there anything which may not be equaled on any well constituted and well cultivated soil. David Wedgewood, Esq. of Greenland, New-Hampshire, gathered in the fall of 1842, the following products from 1| acres of land : 274 bushels of potatoes. 19 " " apples. 6 " " green peas. 4 " " red cherries. 86.^ bushels of corn. 5j " " beans. 5 " " currants. 4 " " rare ripe peaches. The value of these products, at the average market price, was $120. Another instanse is, that of the Model Farm of Glasnevin, near Dublin, Ireland, of 52 acres. On it are kept 22 head of cattle, and 3 horses. It supplies, on an average, 90 per- sons during the year, with farm produce, grain, mUk, butter, vegetables, potatoes, meat, besides a number of private families. A large quantity of grain, and various vegetables are carried to market. The manager realizes a handsome sum, after paying various rents, taxes, &c., to the amount of jG400. In 1837, Jonathan Jenkins of Kent, Delaware, took from 38 acres divided into 5 fields, the following products : 250 bushels of oats. 150 " " winter wheat. 46 " " spring wheat. 325 " " yellow corn. 35 tons of clover hay. 15 tons of wheat and oat straw. 140 bushels of Irish potatoes. 15 " " sweet potatoes. 40 " " turneps. Pasture for 4 cows. At the higi: prices of that year, these products were worth 1,692 dollars. This was originally a very poor, Light soil ; but labor and manure had brought it to such a state that the annual clear profit on the 38 acres, was equal to the interest on $20,000. Mr. Hoyt of Deerfield, Mass., in 1833, took the following produce from 3^ acres of land : Hay, 3A tons, $42 00 Wheat, 11 bushels, 16 50 Clover, 1 ton, 4 00 Corn fodder, 10 00 Corn, 120 bushels, $96 00 Potatoes, 117 " 23 40 Apples, 60 " 7 50 Pumpkins, 1 caitload, 2 00 The value of the product at the then market price it will be seen, was $201 .40, No. 63. 101 the most highly cultivated farms, and those that yield the greatest profit on the capital invested, belong to those called small; that is, those ranging from forty to sixty acres each. Considerable observa- tion, and an experience of some thirty years, has convinced us that unless under very favorable circumstances, thirty acres of land in cul- tivation will furnish employment to one man, and one boy of an age sufficient to drive a team for plowing, and unless a suitable portion of this is in meadow and pasture, even this thirty acres will not be pro- perly tilled. Where sixty, acres are in cultivation, two men and two boys, or three men, will find abundant employment; yet how often is the labor of three men spread over from 100 to 150 acres, and the result is such as might be readily anticipated. In England, it is es- timated that one span of horses will do the work of 50 acres of til- lage land, but it must be remembered that the plow can be kept mov- ing there the whole year, with the exception perhaps of a month or two of the most severe weather — and one hand, called the plowman, is exclusively devoted to this business. Here, M'ith our limited time for the use of the plow, it is believed one team to 30 acres would be nearer the truth than the foreign estimate; certainly would this be the case where the team was used, as is generally the case in this country, for both the plow and the road. The proper division of farms, with reference to cultivation, is an important item in farm management, and a proper rotation of crops Division ^^ almost impossible unless attention is in the first place paid of Farms, ^-q ^]^jg point. In the reraaks to be made, it wall be suppos- ed that the farm contains one hundred acres, of which eighty are un- der culture, leaving twenty acres for woodland, buildings, gardens, &c. This eighty acres is either naturally, or has been artificially, brought into that condition which renders it suitable for any of the cultivated crops. As a general rule, it may be stated that a soil which will produce good wheat and clover, will be fit for any other crop of grain or roots, and the first thing to be done is to bring it in- to that condition. This course has been already explained; and this being done, the division into fields of proper size, by good substan- tial fences, must be attended to. The objection to large fields is, that they are not favorable to rotation; that to small ones is, that too much land is occupied by fences. Where the animals of a farm are only cattle and horses, and these kept in stalls throughout the year, as they are in many parts of Belgium, France and Holland, fences 102 [Senate may be dispensed with, and the only divisions those made by the crops themselves. But the mixed husbandry of this country, which is found the safest for our farmers, prevents the adoption of this sys- tem here, and renders perrtianent divisions of farms necessary. Ten acres is found to make a very suitable sized field, and the eighty acres under cultivation will make eight fields of this size. If the soil is properly constituted, any one of these lots may be made to pro- duce either wheat, corn, barley, oats, rye, peas or roots, at the plea- sure of the manager or the wants of the farm. A proper rotation of these and other crops, however, is demanded of every farmer who would keep np the fertility of his soils, and not suffer the desire of present profit to lead to future exhaustion. It is much easier by skil- ful management, to keep up or add to the fertility of a soil, than to restore an exhausted one to productiveness. The necessity of a rotation of crops, appears to exist in the nature of plants themselves, some preferring some one of the materials or ^ , ,. elements of the soil, and being unable to perfect themselves Rotation - ^ ^ ^ of crops, where this element is not present; while by others, this sub- stance is mostly or entirely rejected. Thusthe silicates are indispensa- ble to the growth of the grasses, and lime to the perfection of wheatj while but a minute portion of the former is required for the soft coated plants, and of lime but little is wanted for the production of the bul- bous roots. The application of manures too, in their result on crops, would lead to the propriety of rotation. Fresh or barn yard ma- nures, do not seem proper for direct application to grain crops. They require to have their first or fermentative action given to crops in which the rapid growth of the plant is of more consequence at first, than the perfecting of the seeds, of which nature are corn and roots.* * Some plants contain more azote or nitrogen than others, and in some this substance is contained in the roots, and in others in the seeds. Thus, wheat and peas contain far more azote than turneps or potatoes. To increase the supply of starch in a plant, the quantity of azotized manure must be increased, and it mu>t be present at tlie time when most required by the p^ant. Roots in general have a large system of leaves, do not con- tain a large portion of azote, and rely for their development mainly on a large extent of leaf surface. The great object to be aimed at, then, in the manuring of roots, is to furnish the means of rapid growth at first, as on this the amount of crop will be depending. This is more the case with the turnep and carrot than the potatoe, as the former are not I'equir- ed to produce seed, while the tuber of the potatoe is in one sense a seed, and consequent- ly requires azotized materials for its perfection. On the contrary, the grains are cultiva- ted for their seed; and as this is the most highly azotized portion, they require not so much manure to act quickly in developing leaves, as one that will furnish supplies of azote to the last, or during the formation of the grain. Hence it is, that while fresh manures are the best for roots, com, &c., or those plants which have large leaves, thoroughly decom- posed ones are to be preferred for the cerealia. [See Madden on Manures.'] No. 6S.] 103 For the peifection of the seeds of the small grain plants, it appears that manure produces the best effect when it has had time to decom- pose, and the salts it contains opportunity for forming new combina- tions necessary to the new plant. But whatever theory may be adopted to explain the propriety of rotation, the existence of the ne- cessity will not be denied by any farmer who has paid attention to the effects resulting from a succession of the same crops on the same soil, or a rotation of crops. The methods and the courses of rotation are very varied; but they should be made and pursued with reference to a definite object. If grain is the principal object, then a larger portion of the farm each year must be embraced in that culture; if cattle husbandry, then more must be added to the meadow and pas- ture. In the farm under supposition, grain will be the principal ob- ject; one-fourth part, or twenty acres, being annually in wheat, and the rotation will be arranged accordingly. PLAN OF ROTATION ON EIGHTY ACRES Field. First year. Second year. Third year. Fourth year. No.l.... 2 Wheat with Clo- ver seed Pasture Pasture Meadow Fallow Wheat Oats&c. with clo- ver Pasture Corn, roots, with manure Wheat with clo- ver seed Meadow Fallow Wheat Oats&c. with clo- ver Pasture Corn & roots with manure Wheat with clo- ver seed Pasture Fallow. Wheat. 3.... 4.... 5 Meadow Fallow Wheat Oats and barley with clover. Pasture. Corn and roots 6.... 7.... 8.... Oats and barley with clover seed. Pasture Corn & roots with manure with manure. Wheat with clo- ver seed. Pasture. Meadow. The nature of this rotation will be seen at a glance. Of the eighty acres, twenty each year are in wheat, twenty in pasture, ten in mea- dow, ten in summer fallow, ten in oats and barley, and ten in corn and roots. The manure is given to the corn and root crop, which would manure every field once in eight years. This, although better than is done on most farms, is not enough; and exertion should be made to give a heavy compost dressing to the meadow each year; or if deemed preferable, to the oat and barley field. It will be seen that to give twenty acres of wheat, ten acres of it follow the corn and root crop. If the corn is of the right kind, planted early and tended pro- perly, there will be no difficulty in removing it from the ground by the middle of September or before, and having the wheat sown by the 104 fSENATE 20th of the same month. In this country, the ground can rarely have a crop of roots taken from it, and be sown to wheat the same season with much prospect of success. That part of the corn field, there- fore, occupied by roots, (potatoes, turneps, carrots, beets, &c.) be it three or be it five acres, may be sown with spring wheat and grass or clover seeds, as the other part, so as to give the annual twenty acres of wheat, and not break in upon the regular course of rotation. Ten acres in winter and spring wheat, and ten acres in oats and barley, are yearly seeded to grass. Clover is preferred for this purpose, as a better renovator of the soil than almost any other plant, and fur- nishing more hay or pasture per acre than any other grasses do. There should be a mixture of white clover with the other seeds, as this will give a thicker bottom, and add greatly to the value of the pasture or the hay. In all cases where grass seeds are sown, a dress- ing of plaster, two bushels to the acre, must be given, soon after the plants make their appearance. On the clover, it will act like a charm, giving the young plants a vigor which enables them general- ly to resist drouth and the effects of the first winter on the roots. The stock kept on the farm, will be two span of horses, four cows to furnish milk and butter, and one hundred sheep. Half a dozen good pigs are fattened annually. Sheep, on a wheat growing farm, are preferred to other stock, as scattering their manure more liberally and equally, and trampling dovv^n and cutting up with their hoofs more completely that part of the clover which grows coarse, and is unpalatable to stock generally; thus rendering its decomposition more certain and rapid. Twenty acres of pasture will furnish a supply for this quantity of stock; and the hay, straw, and roots, an abundant supply for winter. Where the soil is clean and free from weeds, the summer fallow may, when the land is brought in good condition, be dispensed with, and some valuable crop be substituted. As this crop is to precede wheat, the pea will be found an excellent substi- tute for a fallow; the clover seed being turned over in the spring, roll- ed; harrowed, and the peas sown upon it. When the peas are remo- ved, a single plowing, well executed, will fit the ground for the re- ception of wheat. There are few farms, however, in which a fallow as a cleaner of the soil, is not required in such a rotation. In this course of cropping, each field is in clover one-half of the Course of ^"^^5 receives one dressing of manure and two dressings of Cropping, plaster during the rotation, or indeed more of each if the farmer chooses, and has only one crop of each kind, wheat excepted. No. 63.] 105 on it during the eight years.* In England^the following course is prac- ticed with much success, and with some variation might do well here. First year turneps; second, barley; third and fourth, clover; fifth, wheat; sixth, beans and peas; seventh, wheat. For the turneps and the beans substitutes would have to be provided. Corn might take the place of the first, and peas that of the last. In the wheat grow- ing districts of this country, the rotation of crops is very simple. It is first wheat with clover seed; second, meadow or pasture; third, meadow or pasture plowed in July; fourth year wheat. Sometimes the plowing takes place one year earlier, making a wheat crop every third year. But this cannot be recommended, as such a course can- not fail to exhaust the soil, however fertile in the outset. It is well known that Belgium exceeds all other countries in its products on a given quantity of land. The following, from the excellent work on Flemish Husbandry, will show at once a favorite course of rotation, and the manner in which the Flemish farmer manures his lands. This was naturally a stiff clay loam, but by cultivation and manuring it has been converted into a soil, fine, mellow and brown, resembling the best garden mold: 1. Potatoes, with twenty tons of dung per acre. 2. Wheat, with three and a half tons, and fifty barrels of urine. 3. Flax, with twelve tons of dung, fifty barrels urine, and five cwt. rape [oil] cake. 4. Clover, with twenty bushels wood ashes. 5. Rye, with eight tons dung, fifty barrels urine. 6. Oats, with fifty barrels urine. 7. Buckwheat, no manure. "With us, the urine so liberally and profitably used by the Flemish husbandman, is mostly if not wholly lost; and though, as a stimu- lant, its powers are mostly exerted on the first crop, its effects on the • The following course is a favorite one in some of the best cultivated districts of Penn- sylvania; corn, then oats, then wheat, then rye, then clover and timothy. One oat field and one clover field, fallowed for wheat. Manure is applied to the wheat; lime and plas- ter are also used freely. The crops of two farmers in the vicinity of Lancaster, will illus- trate this course ; the first is of 40, and the second of 200 acres : No. 1. Acres. Produce. 5 Corn, 300 bushels. 10 Wheat, 340 do 5 Oats, 300 do 5 Rye, 100 do 10 Hay, 30 tons. 5 pasture. [Senate No. 63.J O No. 2. Acres. Produce. 30 Corn, 1,500 bushels. 40 Wheat, 1,200 do 30 Oats, 1,£00 do 60Hay, 90 tons. 40 pasture. [See Mr. Miller's Report.] 106 [Senate soil, as an alterative, are very favorable. The course of crops would not answer here, such is the difference of our seasons; but it is be- lieved a profitable lesson might be derived by the American farmer, from studying the Flemish system of manuring. It is perfectly idle for any individual to undertake the management of a farm, without a proper supply of implements with which to per- ^ T form the labor of the farm. There should not only be Farm Im- •' piements. enough of them, but they should also be of the best kind, for experience shows that there is a gain every way, in using only the best implements. It is easier for the animal, for the man; the work is better done, and as a necessary consequence the crops are better and more valuable. The number of each implement will, of course depend on the size of the farm, and the teams and laborers employed. Of all agricultural implements the plow is at the head, and in none has such decided improvements been made within a few years, as in this. Much controversy has been had as to the best plow of the two principal kinds, the one that lays the furrow flat, or the one that lays it lapping on the last. This matter may be said to be wholly de- pending on the nature of the soil. If this is light or sandy, the fur- row should be laid flat; if heavy, or inclining to consolidation, the fur- row should be lapped; and the reasons are self-evident. On the light soils, there is no danger of surface water; and the more compact a sandy surface can be made by rolling, treading of animals, or other- wise, the better it is for the crop; while on a heavy or clay soil, it is directly the reverse in all things. This should be left as porous and light as possible; and lapping the furrows does much to accomplish this. In selecting plows, then, the farmer must be governed by the nature of his soil. In only one instance is a flat furrow admissible on heavy land; it is when the turf is manured before it is turned over; and where a crop of corn or spring grain with grass seeds is to imme- diately follow the operation. In this case, the turf should be laid flat. There are few farms on wh'.ch there is not sufficient variation in the soil to render one or more of each of these plows necessary in their management. In addition to- these, a subsoil plow may be deemed indispensable, where a thorough system of farm management is intended. Although not in as general use as it should be, the sub- soil plow is deservedly winning its way into favor with the agricul- tural public; and as an implement for changing the character of heavy dense soils, it certainly is unrivaled. Perhaps it may be well to No. 63.J 107 place together the implements required on a farm, remarking that the statement will be for one team and one man, unless the contrary is stated. The prices are affixed, but this can only be considered an ap- proximation, as prices vary much with the kind and quality of the implement: 1 Plow for laying flat furrows, $12 00 1 Plow for lapping furrows, 12 00 1 Subsoil plow, 12 00 for the farm. 1 Cultivator, 5 00 " 1 Drill barrow, 8 00 " 1 Roller, 5 00 " 1 Hand hoe — steel plate, 0 75 1 Farm wagon with hay rack, &c 100 00 " 1 One horse cart, wdth racks, &c 50 00 " 1 Set farm harness for horses, 30 00 " 1 Chaff or straw-cutter, 30 00 " 1 Shovel and one spade, 3 00 1 Dung fork and 1 hay fork — both steel, 2 00 1 Double harrow, 10 00 1 Grain cradle, 4 00 1 Scythe and snathe, 2 00 1 Fanning mill, 20 00 for the farm. 1 Hand cart or wheel-barrow, from $3 to 10 00 " 1 Mott's furnace and fixtures, 50 00 " We have not included a threshing machine, as it is doubtless better to empley an ambulatory or moveable one, where they can be had, than to incur the expense of purchase, fixtures, &c., on an ordinary farm. There will also be a multitude of minor articles to be used about the farm, house, barn, stables, &c., the whole of which can- not be estimated at a less expense than one hundred dollars- The expenses, therefore, of implements on a farm of 100 acres, including only the most common and indispensable ones, will not fall short of $500; and they may easily be made to exceed a much larger sum than this. Manures have already been spoken of incidentally, but tliey are too important a part of farm management to be passed over lightly. The necessity of attention to manuring, is founded on prin- ciples too plain to require extended elucidation. There is no soil, however fertile, which contains more than a given quantity of vegetable or animal matter in a decayed state. The pure earths will not support vegetable life, and every plant grown in a soil, makes a greater or less draft on the organic matters in the earth. The con- lOS [Senate sequence necessarily i&, that a continued course of cropping must eventually exhaust this fund of matter, and leave the land unproduc- tive, a result perfectly consonant with experience. To prevent this result, the plants and vegetable or organic matter^ taken from the soil, or its equivalent, must be returned to it in the shape of manure. When this is done, there is no such thing as exhausting a soil, or rendering it unproductive. Farmers talk about lands becoming unfit for the production of crops, for which they w^er€ once excellent. Why is this] Simply because some substance which existed in that soil, to but a limited extent, but which was essential to the perfection of the crop grow^n, wheat for example, had been exhausted by crop- ping, and therefore the grain could not be perfected. It is evident that if as much, or more of this substance had been returned to the soil in the shape of manure than had been taken from it in the shape of crops, the fertility would not only have been maintained, but even increased. There are no farmers that manure so heavily as the Fle- mish ones; and there are no farms, which as a whole, approach so near the state of rich garden mold as these ; and in no department of farm management in the United States, is there such culpable waste of money as is shown in our neglect of manures. It is unnecessary here to go into an elaborate notice of the different kinds of manures. Ex- cept in the immediate vicinity of cities, the farmer must rely princi- pally on stable and barn-yard manure; making use occasionally of lime, marl, gypsum, or such other articles as the soil may demand, or his ability permit. Of the mineral manures, gypsum or plaster is most used, and is certainly one of the most valuable of the whole class. It is therefore to the preparation and use of stable and barn-yard manure, that the farmer must look for his supply of manures; and in this, much of the skill of farm management consists. A much greater quantity of manure will be saved where animals are fed in stables, or soiled as this mode of feeding is called, throughout the year, than where they are allowed to run at large in pastures during the summer months, or in open yards during the winter. To increase the quan- tity of manure and its value, the stables, yards, pig-pens, and cow- houses, &c., should be furnished with regular and ample supplies of straw litter, as this will absorb and retain a large portion of the urine and fluid matters which might otherwise escape and be lost. A large supply of swamp muck, or peat, should be always provided to be No. 63.] 109 roade into composts* with the stable manure, night soil, urine, &c., collected on the farm. This is done by placing the materials in piles of the requisite width and length, two parts of the muck to one of the manure, in separate layers, to the height of live or six feet, and wa- tering the mass with what urine, wash of the yards, &c. can be col- lected. In this way the muck or peat will undergo fermentation with the stable manure, and be converted into manure of the best quality. This method is practiced by many of the best farmers in New-England, and with the best success. Another method of adding to the quanti- ty and value of manures made on the farm, is to cover the bottom of the yards on which the cattle and sheep of the farm are to lie, w-ith swamp muck to the depth of 12 or 16 inches. In foddering, straw and the litter of the stables is to be spread over this yard covering, to be cut up and trampled upon by the animals, and assist in ab- • The best place for a compost heap, is the barn yard; and the best materials, swamp muck or peat and stable manure. The muck should be dug so long as to be drained be- fore using, and then drawn and piled in a convenient manner for using. The heap may be made by a layer of muck of the requisite length and width, arid six inches in thickness; then ten inches of stable manure, then six Jnches of muck, then five of dung, then six more of muck, and another layer of manure, and so on until the pile is about four feet in height. To every twenty loads of manure, it is an excellent plan to add a load of ashes; and a layer of muck should always cover the heap. In the fei-mentation which ensues in the heap, care must be taken that the heat does not rise too high ; from 100° to 120" is about right. The high temperature forces the germination of all seeds in the manure, and thus destroys them. The heap should have the urine of the stables thrown upon it, or the wash of the yards, or lime rubbish in foul water may be used. In making the compost heap, layers of straw, weeds, &c. may be mixed with the other materials, and aid in the fermentation. In Sprengel's late work on Manures, the following is given as a preparation for com- post, that has in Germany been secured by patent : Twenty inches of straw dung, or else straw, dry leaves, weeds, potatoe stems, turf, muck, or marl. This is to be wetted with dung water, or with common water, and covered with night soil, poultry dung, street sweepings, pulverized bones, oflfal, kitchen slops, &c. One-fourth of an inch of coal or wood ashes. Three inches of good earth mold or marl. Eighteen inches of horse, sheep, or cattle dung. The heap is again wet with dung or common water, and then covered with a layer of pond mud, ditch scrapings, mold or muck, or marl. One-fourth of an inch of coal or wood ashes; and then a second course of strawy dung, ashes, mold or marl, horse, sheep, or cattle dung, with a final covering of mud, muck or marl. From two to three weeks in summer, and from four to six weeks in winter are re- quired for the fermentation. If on any part of the mass the heat is too great, it is again covered with earth or mud, and wetted with water. If any part does not ferment, holes are made, that the air may reach these parts. When the mass is properly fermented, and the substances decomposed, it is well wet with water, worked over, put up in heaps from six to eight feet high, and covered with rich earth ten or twelve inches thick. After stand- ing a few days, it is carried to the fields and harrowed in with the grain. 110 |"SENAT]r sorbing^ what urine and fluid animal matters may fall upon it. Such muck spread in the fall, will be found in the spring, when wanted for the corn lands, an efficient manure. Pigs are the very best manufac- turers of manure if they are only furnished with means. The pig yard should have its supply of muck for them to root in and work over, and into which a liberal supply of weeds, pea-straw, or indeed any vegetable matter may be cast with profit. The pens should be kept clean, and the matters scattered over the yards. If they do not incline to work for a living, sprinkle some dry corn or peas over the muck, and they will soon manifest symptoms of industry, and the habit once acquired is not easily lost. In regard to the application of manxires to soils, a few simple prin- ciples, well considered, will furnish the best guide. 1st. The ma- . ,. . nures should be placed in that position where they can of Manures. ^^Qst effectually contribute to the nourishment of the plant. 2d. They should be placed where their decomposition, (if used in the fresh or long slate,) can be completed with the least waste of nutritive matter. To effect what is indicated in the first principle named, the manure must be in the immediate vicinity, or in contact with the seeds. For this purpose, as seeds are deposited near the surface, the manures should be so applied, and deep cover- ing must be considered unsuitable; or if thoroughly decomposed, lit- tle is lost, if no covering at all is given.* To effect the last object named, no fresh or long manures, should be used without covering. All fermenting manures give off more or less valuable matters in the shape of gases, which, when they are covered with earth, are re- • The effect, or the relative value of several kinds of manures for the potatoe crop, is very Avell shown in the following experiment made by Young. Manures that afford the most nitrogen, are the most useful; hence those abounding in animal products, are supe- rior to others : Kind of Manure. Quantity used per acre. Produce in bushels^ Simple soil, 280 Dung, 32 cubic yards, 400 Wood ashes, 40 bushels, 400 Slacked lime, 160 do 380 Rotted straw with some an- imal manure, Urine and soap suds, equal i quantities, I Barley straw, ii tons, 300 Potash, 340 pounds, 280 Dung, 32 cubic yards, ? ^qq Salt, 160 pounds, S Dung, 32 cubic yards, } ^ ^q Lime, 160 bushels, S Dung, 32 cubic yards, } _ _ 520 Urine, 480 gallons, .... i " * ' 32 cubic yards, 400 1440 gallons, 240 No. 63.J 111 tained for the use of plants, but if not covered, are dissipated and lost to the farmer. A little attention to the question of the condi- tion of the manures used, might have prevented many of those con- troversies that have arisen on the point whether manures are the most eifectiv€ covered or merely spread on the surface. Manure, fully fermented and rotted, gives off no gases; and as the humus it contains is soluble, if mixed with the earth containing the seeds, or if only spread on the suiface, they are sure to receive the whole benefit of its application. On the other hand, if the manure is ap- plied unfermented and uncovered, a certain loss of nutritive matter ensues to the farmer. The fact then seems to be, that fully rotted manure may be covered or not, at the pleasure of the user; while the unrotted should always be covered; but no manure deeply. All soils intended for seeds, should be mellow, deep and fine, be- p e aration of ^°''® *^^ seeds are sown or planted. They should be Soils for Seeds, mellow, that the roots of the plants, as well as the young shoots, may penetrate them readily; they should be deep that the roots may have ample range for pasture and for security against drouth; they must be fine, as the power of absorption and conduct- ing moisture is mainly depending on this circumstance. In addition to these, they must be rich; that is, they must contain an abundant supply of matter for the formation of the new plant. All wet soils are cold and heavy. Draining will make them warm, light or fria- ble, and the plow then will make them mellow and deep. It is be- lieved more injury results to the farmer from an excess of water in his soils, than from all other causes combined. On such, manures are comparatively inert; and cultivation only renders them more dead and unfertile. Draining is the first, and the great step in the pre- paration of the soil for crops; this done, all the rest is simple and easy. On the plow, the farmer justly relies for the preparation of his soil for crops, and it can scarcely be used too efTectively, never if the soil is in that condition which alone can justify the expecta- tion of first rate crops. The use of the plow makes the soil mellow and fine, and if well managed, will give a depth sufficient for the growth of most cultivated plants. If farmers were generally sensi- ble how much of their success was depending on the preparation of their soils, on the plowing, cleaning, manuring, &c. there would not be so many failures, and the quantity and quality of our harvests •would be materially changed for the better. When the soil has been 112 [Senate brought into the condition described, that isy when it is made deepy fine, clean and rich, the cultivation becomes much more easy, as less- labor with the plow will he required to fit it for crops, than previous- to such preparation would have been indispensable. A single plowing" of such lands, inverting a turf or clover lay, followed by the roller and harrow, will make a better bed for the reception of most seedsy than repeated plowings of ordinary lands, and ensure a better crop. It should always be remembered, that if the earthy constituents of a soil — the sand, clay, lime, &c., are present in their proper pro- portions, it is scarcely possible to make it too rich for the perfec- tion of grains; but where this proportion does not exist, excessive manuring will generally be found to give abundance of straw, with little or inferior grain. Much, it is believed, is gained by the farmer, in the management of the farm, by paying particular attention to his seeds, and their preparation for germination. Good perfect seed, is as ne- Choice and r ^ i • c i i i r i preparation cessary lor the production oi a healthy periect plant, as is a good conditioned, well formed animal for the production of good stock. The substance of the seed forms the first food of the young plant, and if this is vitiated or defective in quantity or quality, its influence will assuredly be visible in the plant produced. Many of the diseases of plants may be prevented by preparation of the seed. Thus smut, which is one of the frequent causes of injury to wheat, is effectually prevented by a thorough washing in brine, and drying in new or caustic lime.* The attack of the wire worm, birds, &c., on corn newly planted, is in a great measure checked by rolling the seed in tar, and drying it with plaster or lime. There are • There is, much to the disgrace and loss of our farmers, large quantities of smutty wheat annually produced in this country. Nothing is easier than to prevent this, and where proper precautions, in the preparation of seed are usetl, smut is unknown. An experiment recorded in the " Annals of Agriculture," made with very smutty wheat gave the following results : No. 1, sown dry, no preparation, had on the piece of ground,. ... 377 smutty ears. 2, washed well in clean water, plot same size, 325 " 3, " in lime water, " " 43 " 4, " in a lye of wood a-jhes " " 31 " 5, " in a brine of salt and arsenic, " 28 " 6, steeped in lime water 4 hours " 12 " 1, " in lye 4 hours, " 3 " 8, " in arsenic 4 hours, " 1 «* 9, " in lime water 12 hours " 6 " 10, " in lye 12 hours, " 0 « 11, " in arsenic 12 hours, " 4 " 12, " in lime water 24 hours, ** 0 " 13, " in lye 24 hours, « 0 " 14, " in arsenic 24 hours, « 5 " No. 63.] 113 frequently great failures and complaints in regard to the germination of beet, carrot, and onion seeds, which may be prevented by soaking in water and garden mold, of a proper temperature, until the germination has commenced, and then sowing or planting them in the usual man- ner. One thing, however, must be remembered, and that is, if seeds once brought to this condition, are afterwards thoroughly dried, whether in the ground or otherwise, a failure must be expected, A spoonful of common salt strewed around a hill of corn, a few inches distance from the plants, will protect it from the cut worm, as it also will cabbages and other garden plants attacked by them. The tur- nep fly is the most formidable enemy the root grower has to encoun- ter; but all trouble from this source is avoided, if the seed previous to sowing is fully steeped in train or blubber oil. These are only a few of the instances in which much benefit is gained by attention to the seed; to the experienced cultivator, many other instances wall readily suggest themselves. In the after culture of crops, much, in- deed it may be said every thing, is depending on their being kept clean or free from weeds. Every thing growing, not belonging to the crop under cultivation at the time, however valuable it may be in another place or at another time, is a weed, and must be treated as such. Where cultivated crops are grown for a particular use, a mix- ture of seeds is sometimes admissible; as when peas and oats are sown for fodder; but where perfection in a plant is expected, there should be nothing to lessen its hold on the soil, or detract fiom its nourishment. The value of any grain is much enhanced by its being free from admixture with any other; and the man who allows what are commonly called weeds, to grow in his corn, root or grain fields, cannot be said to have practiced the first and simplest elements of agricultural success. One of the most vital, yet most common examples of mismanage- ment on the part of farmers, is to be found in their selections of stock Choice of ^°'' ^^^'^^^ purposes and for rearing. If there is one truth Stock. jjjQj.g self-evident than another, it is that the best breeds and the best animals always pay best on the farm, and that the at- tention of the farmer should be directed to such in stocking his farm. The ditference, in coming to maturity, in weight, in ease of fattening, and in other respects, is so much in favor of the improved breeds, that the farmer may be said to exhibit a culpable neglect who does (Senate No. 63.J P 114 [Senate not, as apportunity offers, introduce such upon his farm.* There is another rule of much importance in the stock management of the farmer, and that is, never to keep more animals of any kind upon it than can be kept well* for although it is a great error to suppose, as some do, that there is more in the keeping of animals than in the breed or any thing else, still much of the value and consequent profit does depend on the keeping and treatment they receive. It may not be possible to avoid occasional casualties in the management of stock, but it is certainly a very bad sign when a farmer carries a wagon load of hides to the tanner in the spring, or has a large lot of pulled wool, gathered from sheep that became defunct in consequence of starvation. All animals require less food during our winters, and will maintain a better condition, if kept in warm, dry, ventilated stables or yards, where they are protected from the cold and storm, than when exposed to the changes and vicissitudes of the weather. Diseased animals should always be separated from the sound ones, as there are many diseases destructive to the stock of the farmer, that are decidedly con- tagious. This is particularly the case with sheep; and good ma- nagement requires that flocks should be frequently examined, to insure the health of the whole. It is not enough that animals should have plenty of good food. They should have access to salt at all times; horses should once a week have a handful of ashes with their • In no way is the great improvement in animals, by attention to breeding, more con- clusively shown, than in the average advance in weight, during the last 40 or 50 years. The records of the Smithfield market in London, put this matter beyond a doubt, giving the following result for a series of years : Year, Average weight of cattle. Average weight of sheep and lambs. 1810, , 26 stone, 6 lbs 2 stone, 0 lbs. 1830, 39 " 9" 3 " 8" 1840, 46 « 12" 6 " 6" In the United States, the advance has not perhaps been quite as decided; but the follow- ing statement by C. E. Norton, Esq. which has appeared in the agricultural papers, will show we are not in this respect, far behind. They are transcribed from an old record; and New-England can fui-nish many such. The animals were killed in Nov. 1790 : Animal. Weight. Hatch ox, 361^ lbs. Perkins ox, 511 " Hussey cow, 321 " Emeryoxen, J ^i;:::::::::::::::;::::::::::::;::::::::: ^i :: Some animals killed in the same town in 1841 : Animal. Weight. Cogswell cow, 772 lbs. do yearling heifer, 562 " do 2 year old heifer, live weight, 1,174 " No. 63.] 113 provender, and if kept in stables, a few carrots or apples three or four times a week; hogs require charcoal, rotten wood, or other simi- lar matters, occasionally; and the sheep grower will find a great advantage in frequently spreading over the bottom of the troughs from which his sheep take their salt, a little tar, and sprinkling the salt upon it. It must be remembered that domesticated animals are not in the state of nature, and require a treatment in some respects founded on their state of subjection. Where a farm is subjected to a regular course of rotation, the for- mation of pasture and meadow land follows as part of the system, -. , , and no difficulty is experienced. But there are many Meadow and j r j pasture. farms in the country, where, from the nature of the soil, or from location, rotation is not deemed proper, and more attention is given to grazing than to grain. In such, the management or occa- sional renovation of meadow and pasture land, becomes an object of much consequence, as every farmer is aware that in a course of years the cultivated and valuable grasses are apt to run out, and have their places occupied by the more hardy, but coarser indigenous and com- paratively useless grasses. In all such cases, re-seeding the land with the cultivated grasses becomes necessary; and several ways have been recommended for doing this without going through a series of cropping. One of these is to sow the requisite quantity of the de- sired grass seeds over the deteriorated turf, and then with a sharp toothed heavy harrow, incorporate the seed with the soil by repeatedly passing over it. In this case, if a dressing of fine manure is added, the seeds will be found to spring more freely, and occupy the ground more quickly. Another method is to turn over the turf in the spring, lay it smooth, apply a dressing of manure, and plant it to corn. This crop is cultivated without hilling; at the time of the last hoe- ing, the grass seeds are sown over the corn, and covered with the hoe, care being taken to leave the ground as level as possi- ble. The seeds spring up, and protected by the corn from the sun, get such root that they rarely suffer when the corn is removed in the fall. This method has been very successful on light lands, or such as were subject to drouth, and on which spring sown grass-seed is liable to suffer from this cause. A third method is, to turn over the defective meadow or pasture in the fall. In the spring give a dress- ing of manure, and sow to spring wheat, oats, or barley, as the cha- racter of the soil may indicate as most suitable. On these the grass 116 [Sekat e seeds are to be sown, and lightly harrowed in. This method fre- quently succeeds admirably. There is another mode of renovating pastures or meadows, which has of late been introduced into some parts of New-England, and it is said with great success. In this way the land is plowed, or the surface inverted in August or Septem- ber, the soil made fine by harrowing, and the grass seeds are then sown alone, or without any crop. If the land is much exhausted, or poor, a dressing of compost manure harrowed in with the seeds, is found very useful. The young plants generally stand the winter well, and the next season shows a fine growth of the valuable grasses. Where soils are so situated that they cannot well be plowed, the first method may be used with great advantage, but where the turf can be inverted, it will be found advisable to do it in all cases, as the roots of the coarse grasses decomposed will furnish nutriment for the new ones, even where no manure or compost is added. There can be little doubt of the propriety of taking a crop of some kind at the time of re-seeding, certainly if a dressing of manure is given. It is very certain, however, that a crop without manure, will only stili further exhaust the soil; while re-seeding without cropping adds the decomposed roots of the grasses already in the soil to its elements of fertility; consequently in already impoverished soils, seeding without cropping may be advisable. The practice of fall feeding meadows, so commonly pursued by our farmers, is a most injurious one, if the feeding is as close as it usually is. It is necessary for the perfection of the roots of all the grasses, and consequently for their durability, that leaves should be permitted to exist in full vigor at some time, and as the first ones formed are each year cut by the scythe, it ap- pears rational that the succeeding ones should perform their functions undisturbed. In addition to this, if the second growth is left, it forms a good protection for the roots during the winter, and in its decay furnishes precisely the material the future growth and vigor of the plant requires. No farm can be well and successfully managed, that is destitute of good fence; and there are few signs less equivocal than that of farmer's fences. Of fence there many kinds, such as Virginia or worm Fences. . fence, stone waU,-post and rail fence, post and board fence, turf wall, hedge fence, &c. Of these kinds the stone wall, wherever suita- ble materials are to be had, is decidedly the best. It occupies as little ground as any, and is the most permanent. The vporm or rail No. 63.] 117 fence is most common, and the worst of all. In its construction there is a great waste of timber; it decays early, and it renders use- less for culture no small part of a farm. In a farm of 100 acres fenced into suitable sized fields by worm fence, from one-fifteenth to one-twentieth of the whole is occupied by them. Besides, the cor- ners not being reached by the plow, are nurseries for weeds and vermin. Hedges have not proved very successful in our climate, particularly when made of plants used for that purpose in other countries. With our own we may hereafter succeed better. A fence, the posts of which are heart locust wood or red cedar, with pine boards, will last for many years, and in value and durability be next to stone.* Turf walls, on moist or clay lands, have in many instan- ces proved excellent and durable structures, but on rich or loamy soils, the turf does not acquire sufficient firmness to resist animals. But whatever may be the kind of fence, it must be kept in repair, or much of the labor spent on the farm will be lost. Unruly animals, broken down fences, destroyed crops and quarrelsome neighbors usually go together; good management of the farm avoids them all, A very important thing on a farm is its woodland, and particularly is this the case in this and the other northern states, where it must be exten- Wood- lively relied upon for fuel. There has been great, not to say lands, criminal negligence, on the part of the land-holders and farmers * Few are aware of the cost of dividing a farm into suitable sized fields. So great has this become already, in some parts of our country, from the scarcity of materials and cost of procuring them, that the necessity of adopting a mode of husbandry which shall dis- pense with fences, seems imperative. In Belgium or France, where there are no fences, all animals, not taken care of by shepherds, &c., are soiled, or kept up the whole year. Tlie cost of difiFerent kinds of fences, in ordinary cases, has been estimated as follows : Kind of Fence. Cost per Rod. Worm, or common rail fence, $0 75 White cedar fence, post and rails, "^ 5 rails high, three lengths to 2 [-Cost of setting and making not included, 0 91 rods, ) White pine rails, 2 inches by 8, '» chestnut posts, 4 rails higli, 3 [- " " "0 64 lengths to 2 rods, ) Four and a half feet stone wall, from $1 to $2.50 per rod, 1 75 Hedge fence, Virginia thoi-ns, 21 to a rod at 4 years old, cost per rod, 0 40 In the AdiU-ess of Mr. Biddle, before the Philadelphia Agricultural Society, in 1842, are some statements and calculations that place this matter in a foi'cible light. He says he has heard of a farm surroimded by a cedar fence, which would actually sell at auction for more than the farm, itself ; and another farmer assured him that the fencing of his farm of 300 acres cost him .?5,000. Mr. B. estimates the cost of fencing tlie improved lands of Penn- sylvania, at not less than $100,000,600; and as much of it will not last more than from ten to fifteen years, the annual tax on the State, for fences alone, is from five to eight millions of dollars. 118 [Senate in this matter. Not content with clearing of its timber more land than they could possibly cultivate, they have gone on to destroy and waste in a manner which has already left many districts of our country almost bare of wood for fencing or for fuel. It seems to have been forgotten that a tree does not spring up like a mushroom, but is the work of a century; and while little pains have been taken to preserve and plant, the ax has plied its work of destruction in- cessantly. On every farm of 100 acres, from 15 to 20 acres of land should be kept in wood. This will not be more than sufficient for ordinary building purposes, for fences, and for fuel; and it will leave for cultivation, far more land on every farm, than is usually cultivated well. Many seem to think that when they reserve a piece of woodland, if the timber is spared, all is done that is required, but it is not so. The timber should be cut with system, and not at random. The land should be kept fenced, and all animals excluded, or the young growth of timber, on which every thing is depending, is destroyed. Too many of our farmers allow their wood- lands to be fed, and though some profit may be derived from this source, and their woods cleared, yet there is a serious loss in the end. Oak and chestnut lands are not so much injured by cattle and sheep, as maple, elm, beech and basswood lands, yet all suffer more or less. Ten acres kept fenced, will produce in a given number of years, at least one third more timber than the unfenced, and the last must eventually be destroyed. This is as certain as it is that con- tinual cropping and no manuring will exhaust fertility in any soil. But it is not enough that a regular piece of woodland should be reserved. There is scarcely a farm or field, on or around which large numbers of trees may not be advantageously grown. Planting trees should be the yearly business of the farmer, not fruit trees merely, but forest trees; and the man who neglects to do this, neglects one of the simplest elements of success. Every vacancy in his wood lot should be kept filled; the roadsides planted with trees, and clumps or scattering trees in his pastures or fields will add far more to the beauty and value of the farm, than they will detract from the crops cultivated. All trees may be transplanted with success, if sufficient care is taken during the operation, and if the soil into which the tree is removed, is in a proper condition to receive it. It is only necessary to remove so much of the earth with the roots, that the finer fibres shall not have their hold on the soil No. 63.J 119 broken, or the rootlets dried by exposure to the air. That farmer has an opportunity for profitable employment, who has on his farm a single suitable spot not yet occupied by a tree. The garden must not be overlooked in this brief outline of farm management. The farm garden, well managed, contributes more than any other part to the comfort of the family, and in no small degree to the profits of the \«hole. The garden should be the miniature of a well conducted farm, as the latter is or should be but an extended garden. In it should be found all things suitable or necsssary for cultivation, and all arranged and kept with the greatest neatness. That farmer labors to little profit, either on his farm or in his garden, who allows the weeds to perfect their seeds before he commences their extirpation. One hour, while weeds are young, will do more for cleaning the land, than a day after the seeds are matured. A garden requires a great depth of soil, freedom from all surface or stagnant water, great richness, and perfect exemption from weeds. On soils so conditioned, labor will not be expended in vain. There are very few farms on which the dairy or the making of butter and cheese, does not come in for a considerable share of the labor and the profits. A good cow will produce during the season, at least twenty dollars in butter or cheese, or both. Great neatness is required in every department of the dairy, from the milking of the cows to the sending the products to market. A large portion of the butter sent to our markets is of an inferior quality. This must be owing to the making, as there are no finer or sweeter pastures than those of this country. Milk houses should be so situ- ated as to preserve, as far as possible, the proper temperature; and above all, should be kept free from all matters which afford unplea- sant odors. They should never be connected with the kitchen, as they usually are, as the fumes from the cookery will certainly affect the quality of the cream. In working the buttermilk from the but- ter, the hand should never be used. It will convert a part of the butter to oil, and small as this part may be, its bad influence will per- vade the whole. The great secret of making first rate butter, may be comprised in few words. Perfect neatness in every part; churn- ing the cream while sweet; using salt of the best quality, and not be- ing too liberal of that; never allowing the hand to come in contact with the butter; completely freeing the butter from the buttermilk; 120 [Senate packing in close sweet vessels, (those of stone are the best,) and sto- ring in a place where the air is cool and pure. This paper will be closed with a few remarks on farm buildings. That there is a sad neglect of attention to this matter, is evident to all. Our farm building-s are too often large, inconvenient. Farm '^ ... Buildings, and unfavorably located. No attention is paid to the posi- tion of the farm; the great object seems to be to get as near the road as possible. Our farmers seem to have something of the feeling that ac- tuated the English stage-driver, who, when dying, requested to be bu- ried as near the road as possible that he might have the satisfaction of hearing the carriages pass. The general situation of the farm, the ease of working it, the moving of the crops and manures, ready ac- cess to water, good ground for yards and buildings, and a healthy spot, should all be considered when fixing on a location for farm buildings. How often do we see farm houses fixed in the edge of a swamp, or at a distance from water, simply because the road happen- ed to pass at that point; thus endangering health and incurring con- stant inconvenience to gratify an idle whim. In building, utility should always, as far as possible, be combined with good appearance, and when a correct taste governs, this is easily done; but convenience must never be sacrificed to show. Whatever is built, let it be done well. Slightness and cheapness are the two last things to be con- sulted in farm buildings; firmness and durability are the essential requisites. In managing a farm well, there must be economy, there must be labor. The head must be intelligent and the hands active. The master's eye and the master's influence, must be every where, that all may move harmoniously, and the desired results be certainly produ- ced. No more work should be laid out, than can be done well and in time. No more land must be cultivated than can be so manured as to preclude the possibility of its growing poorer. The farmer must labor, but there is no necessity of his being a slave; and he should never for a moment forget that honest industry, vvhatever may be its nature, is, and always will be, honorable. PLANS OF BUILDINGS. DESIGN FOR A FARM HOUSE AND OUT-BUILDINGS. BY JOHN J. THOMAS, MACEDON, N. Y. Figures 1, 2, 3, represent the farm house — fig. 1, the elevation, partaking of the Italian style — fig. 2, the ground plan, and fig. 3, plan of the second floor. A form nearly square is given to the build- ing, for the sake of economy, requiring far less external covering for the space enclosed; at the same time the outline is somewhat broken, to prevent heaviness and monotony of expression. About half is sur- rounded with a veranda, under which lathing and plastering may Elevation — Fig. 1. take the place of clapboards, and thus save expense. The whole building may be considered as composed of two parts or wings, ex- tending from front to back, the ridge of their roofs also in the same direction, connected by a center building with the roof at right an- gles to the two former. The two wings are chiefly occupied as par- lor and family room in front, and kitchen and nursery back; and the center part as a library, (for books, minerals, maps, astronomical dia- grams, &c.) lighted by a sky-light in the roof, through a circular opening, surrounded by a railing, in the second floor. This opening [SenateNo. 63. J Q 122 fs ENATE will admit of thorough ventilation of the adjacent rooms below, if de- sired, or it may be closed by a sash of glass, the light softened by a translucent varnish. The kitchen is lighted with one very broad Ground Plan— Fig. 3— Scale, about 20 feet to an inch. window. A. A. are chimneys, and admit of open fireplaces for the parlor, nursery, kitchen and family room. If a hot air furnace is used, by placing it under the center of the library, the heated air may be easily conducted to all the rooms above. The nursery entry opens on the large veranda, enabling children to take fresh air in all weathers. A back entrance to the parlor may be easily made from ISXJS WXIS 13X11 13 XW j iQf 1 Second Floor— Fig. 3. — B—j I3xie I the same entry if wished. The bed-room adjoining the nursery, is covered with a lower roof, separate from the rest of the roof, and cor- responds with the roof of the porch. The eaves are 5 feet above the second floor; and 4 feet additional No. 63.] 123 rise in the roof, gives ample height for the upper rooms, which may be six in number, and allow sufficient space for closets. The dairy should occupy the coolest part of the cellar, and be en- tirely separated from other parts by walls. The best and cheapest material for the floor, is a coating of two inches of water lime mortar. The size of this house will appear too large to many, but it is not larger than the houses of a large portion of our farmers, after piecing and patching ; costs much less, and appears far better. It is much ea- sier to pass from one room to another on the same level, than to pass a flio-ht of stairs; hence the aim has been to have as many of those in common use on the same floor. This also contributes to economy in erection — as calculation will readily show. A one story house, 10 feet high and 40 feet square, will enclose 1600 feet of floor; a two story house, 28| feet square and 20 feet high, will also enclose 1600 feet; but the latter will require 650 feet more of siding, which will cost more, with painting, than the addition in shingling the former. A careful and liberal estimate, made from full bills of cost of seve- ral houses actually erected by the writer, places the cost of this build- ing, if made plain and of wood, at about $1,400, at the average price of materials, teaming, labor, &c., in central and western New-York. This cheapness is owing principally to the cottage form, compact ar- rangement, and the diminution of siding and paint under the veranda. Elevation of the Farmery— Fig. 4. Figure 4, is an elevation of the farmery, and fig. 5 is a plan of the farmery, house, and adjacent grounds. The farm buildings form near- ly a hollow square, the barn in the center of the further range. In fig. 5, the barn cellar only is shown, being on a level with the stables on each side. The further part is for roots, and is fill- ed through two windows with hopper-like troughs, in- to which the cart is dumped. The nearer part is for straw, to be used for cutting and for littering. From the intermediate space, passages 4 feet wide run in Floor R Strata Fig. 6. front of the stables on either side, for feeding. Fig. 6, shows the upper floor of the barn; A. unthreshed grain; R. corn crib; 124 [Senate C. granary, the bin for oats with an opening below for feeding horses ; this opening closed by a sliding board. A door opens from each of the last, to facilitate loading of wagons from them in the yard Plan of Farmery, House and Grounds— Fig. 6— Scale about 40 feet to 1 inch. below; the bay for straw extends upwards as high as the top of the granary, over which a floor is placed for holding unthreshed grain above. The dotted lines^show the wagon way for entering No. eS."] 125 and passing from the barn floor. This way should be wide enough on one side to place the horse power of a threshing machine. A band may extend from this horse power through a hole in the floor, and drive the straw-cutter, root-slicer, &c. below. The hay for horses and cows, is kept in the loft over the stables, from which it is conveniently thrown down into the passage in front of the animals. E. shed for sheep, with racks at right angles to the pas- sage R. from which they are filled with hay thrown down from above; e, sheep yard; F, piggery;/, pig yard; G. room for boiling roots; I. poultry house; P. passage from manure yard o. to back part of farm. K. K. calf house; L. work shop; M. house for plows, harrows, horse rakes, rollers, &c.; N. wagon shed. H. house for keeping store wood during seasoning, wood seasoned two or three years being much better than for a shorter period; and a rough boarded out-build- ing, being also cheaper than a well finished painted one in contact with the house. The manure yard o. should be about two feet be- low the surrounding buildings, to which the cleanings of the stables are to be taken daily in a large boxed wheel-barrow, and straw and marsh muck supplied as needed. The yard should be well supplied with water as convenience may dictate. Ventillators, made of square board tubes, should be placed over the stables and run up through the roof. This plan may be changed, without altering the general arrange- ment, so as to contain more or less grain, more or less hay, stable room, &c. according to circumstances. The hollow square affords shelter to the yard from wind, an important consideration for our cli- mate. The extent and expense of the buildings, are not greater than are often seen, when convenience of arrangement is entirely set aside; and the labor of preparing food and feeding animals, double M'hat it should be. The wings, sheds, poultry yard, garden, &c. may be re- versed, according to aspect and exposure to winds. PLANS OF FARM BUILDINGS. BY D. G. MITCHELL, SALEM, CONN. First is the ground plan of all the buildings proposed, (Figure 1.) Entering by the porch at the extreme left of the diagram, we find a hall lighted from the west, with a flight of stairs leading to three good sized chambers. A door at the right, opening upon a snug 126 [Senate library or parlor, or business room; immediately before the entrance we open upon the sitting room — the dining room — in short, the fa- mily room, the farmer's sine qua non. To the left, are passages to 3 5: Q jS ii5 Q < O Cl >-j "1 — -- \.y' ml TS g ^1 ^ CQ I ^ =^1 Co fSl TTTT i- t Ground Plan of all the Buildings.— Fig. 1. the library or parlor again, to closet and through back entry to bed room. Before opens the way to kitchen. Passing out of the kitch- en to the left, we enter upon the porch, running the length of kitchen and dwelling; following on to the right, and turning to left, we enter No. 63.J 127 a spacious wood house. Through this we reach the door to kettle room, (the eye must follow the plan as well as expose,) and the pota- to cellar, with a little slide window. Ascending (steps are marked on chart,) to the farther end from that on which we entered, we find ourselves on a rude veranda, formed by the projecting eaves of the poultry house and granary; along this, doors open upon hens, eggs, and grain; while on the other side, below you by three or four feet, are the pigs again. The cutting room claims attention next. It sure- ly is not far to carry fodder to horses aT^d oxen on either side, and it is lighted by good sized window over top of sty, which, by the way, is a leanto attached to barn. Upon the barn floor is a trap-door, and above it a slight tackle; the trap-door opens upon a mammoth cel- lar for roots, and the tackle brings them to the mouths of hearty beeves. But on, Hy gang-way to extreme end of barn, we pass stalls on left, and bay to the right, under edge of which is an opening to the rack in the open cellar below, to throw fodder to the young stock. Passing down a step or two at end of gang-way and through large shed, we come upon another gang-way, (built to walk on,) on one Barn, out Buildings, and part of Dairy from the west. — Fig. 2. side of which is a rack under an open shed, on the other a bay. Passing up a step or two at the end, is a door to shearing room; above it a lathed and plastered wool room, (and I should have remarked, that over the kettle room is a grand large workshop.) Out at the front of this temple of fleeces, and we are on the ground again, and with a glance at some well built sheds, whose outline is on the f)lan, for tools, carts and etcetera. Look at my picture of them, (fig. 2.) barn and all, from where you stand. 128 [Senate Passing along a smooth gravelled way by dairy and kitchen, and all, see again a view of the house in perspective, (fig. 3.) View of House from the southwest. — Fig. 3. The laying out of the grounds is here, (fig. 4.) Plan of Buildings and Grounds. — Fig. 4. A word as to specifications and estimates. The first, further than I have given by my outlines, I consider useless, as each one's need will suggest deviations from any rule laid down. All that is essen- No. 63.] 129 tial to the unity of the plan is the preservation of correct proportions. The eye of taste will guide in this matter; the eye without taste, will never see the lack of precision. Let those wishing fuller specifica- tions, first resolve the dilemma. The estimate could be made, but how should it be made'i For brick, stone, wood, stuccoed, plain or ornamented '? Shall it be made in view of the superintendence of an intelligent proprietor, saving, by a thou- sand means, what to the indifferent would swell the outlay by thou- sands? $2,500 would finish the buildings enumerated cheaply, — $3,500, well, — and $5,500, elegantly. Nearer than this, in view of contingencies, it is impossible to come. The style of building will admit of much more cheapness, con- sistent with beauty, than an ordinary farm-house; and it will admit of an ornateness, in the hands of taste and wealth, to please the most lavish. The poor man may cover the chestnut of the frame, taken from his own grove, with plain boards, well battoned ; within, he may lath and plaster, cheap as lime and sand. The wealthy may hang black oaken wain- scotings, wrought into the rich forms of Gothic wildners — arching his polished jambs — crowning his doors with vine leaves; without, he may have hewn stone labels, and elegantly cut tracery, and oriel windows of many colored glass, with all the et ceteras that blend so glori- ously in the old abbeys (I have seen their portraits,) of olden time. The advantages of the plan laid down are, first, that the house and yard are effectually protected from cold winds by the out-buildings; and there is a most gracious shelter from northeasters about the kitch- en door. Secondly, every cool breeze of summer has full play upon the east, west and south of dwelling. The effluvia and noise, and of- fensive sights of barnyard, are effectually shut off from the house, though near enough for every convenience. The maid may empty her pail of swill, (I like the Saxon,) without wetting a stray lock or a dainty slipper. The farmer, too, in sickness or in storm, may see to the health and provisions of every animal, without encountering the weather. The woodhouse is in grateful contiguity with the kitch- en; the piggery, with potatoes and kettle; the shop overhead takes advantage of the chimney for a winter day's work. The poultry yard is near the piggery, the cattle yard, the granary, and (best of all) the cook; the granary is convenient to the pigs, the poultry, the horse and the cattle. [Senate No. 63. j R 130 [Senate A word in anticipating objections. ' The house is too near the noise and effluvia of the barnyard.' I plead guilty in a measure; but on reference to the plan, it will be seen that the woodhouse and shop, and lane, intervene, and prevent all unpleasant connection. Again, summer winds blow in general, (in this climate,) from the dwelling, carrying in opposite direction disagreeable effluvia. But after all, the farmer who is ashamed of his cattle yard, or its odors, had best set his house from them, a goodly distance indeed! ' But the buildings are too closely united, a fire would prove disastrous.' True, but get insured, and keep insured. Industry will pay for the policy. DESIGNS OF FARM HOUSE AND OUT-BUILDINGS. BY T. M. NIVEN, NEWBURGH, N. Y. Gentlemen — I submit for your consideration the accompanying design of a genteel Farm House, of moderate pretensions and cost. It is gratifying that this subject is at last receiving that attention, in part at least, which its importance demands. Elevation. — Fig. 1. In past years, the idea of a farmer's dwelling with any pretensions to taste, carried with it, to his mind, extravagance and ruin; and this false notion was often fostered by the mechanic, who while able to put his work together in a substantial manner, yet never had an idea No. 63.] 131 of design other than what his father and father's father practiced in days of yore. Principal floor— Fig. 2. Vestibule'^ PARLOUR II XII . /5X Ik VERANDAH 0=L- The result of this has been, in very many cases, that our affluent and intelligent agriculturist inhabits one of those " shingle palaces" so inconvenient in their internal arrangement and so absurd in their appearance — the just object of ridicule. Many, very many of our beautiful landscapes are marred and deformed by these wooden wens on the fair face of nature. And these uncouth edifices were gene- rally erected at double the cost of a more beautiful and convenient dwelling. Another prevalent absurdity is the choice of material; for even in districts where good stone or brick are abundant, how often is the glaring white clapboard substituted therefor, than which nothing can be worse as regards taste or economy. A radical change in the ru- ral architecture of our country is " a consummation devoutly to be wished." Chamber floor— Fig. 3 This design is for a house 28 by 30 teet; first story Si feet high; chamber story 7 J feet high, with a wing. The principal floor of main building is about 3 feet above that of wing. The dairy rooms I would place in the basement of main house, occupying all the area under the parlor and sitting room. For butter making, this is alto- 132 |Sen/>'i e A\\\\- gether preferable to having the dairy rooms above ground, being cooler and less liable to sudden changes in temperature. For this I have the judgment of some of our best Orange county butter ma- kers. A small private cellar under the library, and another under the vestibule is intended. The root cellar I would construct under the wing. The passage way in the wing may be used as an eating hall, except in very cold weather. The door A. (fig. 2,) opens upon the stair which descends into the dairy rooms and cellars adjoining. Door B. opens upon the landing-, from which four or five steps con- duct to the main floor. Door C. opens upon stairs leading to sleep- ing apartments of the farm servants, and door D. to stairs descend- to vegetable cellar. A door on the landing of principal stairs will connect with attic of wing. If the small room marked office^ is used for that purpose, it would be proper to have a door opening from it into passage way in wing. .- The roof of the main building, I would recom- mend to be of tin or zinc, for many reasons ; shin- gles however maybe used, (except in the gutter at the eave,) where they are much cheaper or more abundant. The roof of this building it will be seen, projects pretty boldly about 2 feet over the line of the exterior wall. This not only secures a good, dry, and well sheltered house, but it gives the dwelling at once something of a superior air. This construction of the roof will be easily understood by mechanics, as it is formed by employing rafters of suffi- cient length to project 20 or 22 inches over the face of the wall B. These may be ceiled on the under side, so as to show the slope of the rafter, (fig. 4.) or the finish may be made to show a flat ceiling under the projection, as in fig. 5. In either case the appear- ance of support is increased by adding plain brackets (C.) about 4 by 5 inches and nearly as deep as the projection of the roof. Fig. 5. IIIHIHIIl[,[im' W,iiliiTMiilii il'iliMM'iiniiMii lllMII' Section of Verandah.— Fig. 6. No. 63.J 133 The roof of the wing should project rather less, and 12 or 14 inch. es will be sufficient, and the brackets may be omitted here. The gutter, it w^ill be perceived, is formed at the edge of the roof, and in this, tin or zinc had better be used. To carry out this building properly, working plans, details, and a full specification might be necessary, which can be furnished upon application. The estimated cost of this building is $2,000 in Orange county, either of stone or brick, probably a little less of wood. In other places it would be more or less, according to the price of materials. Elevation of Farm Buildings— Fig. 7. —1 B - J A. A. in front. £ p £ BARN Ptmo ©* Tank Mairare YAiRB H H G X i - ■ • ■ ■ ■ n m m m ■ m --■ fc ■■ J Ground Plan of Farm Buildings— P'ig. 8. -Horse Stable, with hay and oalloft above and wagon house 134 [Senate B. — Open shed with fowl house over it. C — Shed for calves with small yard (D.) attached. E. E. — Hay houses, with accommodation for cattle underneath. F.— Barn, 50 feet by 35 feet. G. — Piggery, with enclosure, (H.) with gallery above opening from granary, by which the feed may be distributed. I. — Receptacle for farming implements, with granary and work shop above, also having accommodation for boiling hog feed. SASN -^YASO I I t < I ! I Jl "«>.l \(^l^- /m KITCHEN GARDEN CULTIVATED GROUNDS. li i^p/; fa ■.•7 ^ ' ^ tl",^ .' L JC _J. ir r "• FLOWER GARDEN. 1^\ ^m SI ■ ®* \ \Orchard /(9>h m: :• 1. zj.^.-rr.... Plan of Buildings and Grounds— Fig. 9. No. 6S.] 135 The number of windows in front of barn may seem strange to those who have not reflected upon the subject, but I am persuaded that ventilation in buildings, containing large masses of grain in the straw and hay, is of the first importance. In all these windows I would have coarse fixed blinds. It also adds materially to the looks of the building. CORRESPONDENCE. REPORT OF CORRESPONDING SECRETARY. James S. Wadsworth, Esq. President of the JV. Y. S. Agricultural Society : Sir — The Corresponding Secretary of the New-York State Agrl" cultural Societyj would respectfully report: That in pursuance of the directions of the Executive Board, he has followed up a similar course of inquiry to that instituted by him the preceding year, for the purpose of collecting agricultural information of value to the farmers of our State. Communications have been addressed by him to agriculturists, emi- nent for experience and skill, in this and other countries, to collect such information 5 and in our own State particularly, a strenuous ef- fort has been made to obtain a detailed view of the systems of hus- bandry practiced in the different sections of its extended territory. To ascertain the defects and advantages of those systems, with the view of correcting the former by a more general diffusion of a know- ledge of the latter, and by other means, is one of the first objects of this Society. The first step to so desirable an end has been but mea- surably secured, owing to the failure of those addressed, to prepare the necessary answers. Amidst the cares and perplexities of a period of unexampled pecuniary disaster and agricultural depression, it is not perhaps singular that a want of leisure and a want of spirit should unite to interrupt the execution of such a task; but surely there is no time when the husbandman is more imperiously called upon to make diligent efforts to cheapen and render more available every process of tillage — to add to the value of his products and animals — in a word, to adopt correct, safe and economical systems, than when the prices he receives for his products are lowest. And he, who, from his supe- rior experience, more extended observation, scientific acquirements, or skill in tracing effects to causes, is competent to point out the steps No. 63.] 137 to such improvements, should never refuse to impart the knowledge of them to those who are less fortunate or less sagacious. The undersigned cannot withhold the expression of his deep disap- pointment that the promised aid of many of our most skilful agricul- turists has not been received. From citizens of other states and coun- tries, such aid would be regarded as a generous expression of comity; but when the farmers of our own State are called upon by a Society whose gratuitous labors are exclusively for their own benefit — not to unlock their purses, but simply to communicate the results of their observation and experience — they are not, in the judgment of the un- dersigned, at liberty to regard their compliance in the light of a fa- vor, which may be granted or withheld. Considerations of comity merely, are merged in those of philanthropy and duty. In addition to the benefits which now spring from those more or less complete surveys of our agriculture, there is little doubt that they will be re- ferred to in after times, by those wishing to trace the early history and the progress of our agriculture. And it is pleasant to believe that when the substitution of higher and improved systems of husbandry shall enable our country to sustain the dense population which will one day inhabit it, our posterity will revert with gratitude to the la- bors and efforts of those who were the pioneers in those improve- ments. When the power of the official, the glitter and influence of mere talent, shall have long since been forgotten, he will be honora- bly remembered who has labored to confer substantial and tangible benefits on his fellow men. Reports have been received, and are hereunto annexed, in relation to the agriculture of Cayuga, Chautauque, Chemung, Cortland, Gene- see, Oneida, Onondaga, Queens, Richmond, Seneca, Washington and Westchester counties, all of which will be found valuable, and some of them models of what such reports should consist of. Communications have also been received from various other States, abounding in valuable facts and suggestions. Those designed for publication will be found hereunto appended. During the past year, communications in answer to those of the undersigned, have been received from England, Ireland, Scotland, France and South America, expressing that interest in our efforts which animates the leading and philanthropic agriculturists of all na- tions, in every effort to elevate their common calling. These com- munications, though not designed for publication, have in several in [Senate No. 63.] , S 1S8 [Senate stances contained promises of subsequent contributions on important agricultural topics. Among these, a paper on the agriculture of France, from a highly distinguished source, has been one of the most anxiously looked for. The undersigned has delayed his annual re- port to the latest proper moment, in the hope of being able to for- ward with it, documents of so much value. In this, however, he has been unfortunately disappointed. The undersigned has also made an effort through the American Minister to Spain^ to obtain some knowledge of the agriculture of that unfortunate country, as well as of the sister kingdom, Portugal. Desolated by war and ravaged by intestine commotion, as they have been for the last half a century, little is perhaps to be learned from them in relation to improved processes of cultivation; but in one im- portant department of husbandry, and one of essential importance to our own country, i. e. wool growing, both have been for ages con- spicuous. It is a question of importance to some sections of our country whether the hardy fine wooled sheep of Spain are yet to be found in their purity, and can be obtained for importation in their native country. The time should, and it is to be hoped will soon come, when the boundless prairies of our western States, instead of affording subsistence alone to their present wild denizens, will sustain myriads of these useful animals; supplying our own markets and those of the world with their valuable product. The adoption of the shep- herd system will render this perfectly feasible. The Spanish shep- herd, feeding and protecting his charge on the bleak heights, and amid the wild fastnesses of the Pyrenees, the Cantabrians, the Sierra Mo- rena, and the Sierra Nevada, shows that this department of husbandry can be profitably conducted under far more disadvantageous circum- stances. The undersigned regrets to say, that owing to the difficulty expe- rienced in obtaining the address of the eminent German agricultu- rists whose fame has reached this country, communications could not be addressed to them in time to obtain answers prior to his present report. It was therefore left for the corresponding officer of the en- suing year. Many portions of Germany, and particularly Belgium, afford fields of agricultural exploration, second in interest only to that of England, our mother country, and while the systems and practi- ces of the latter are daily placed before us in agricultural publica- tions, those of the former are comparatively unheard of and unknown. No. 63.] 139 As has already been stated to the Society, the undersigned has ad- dressed communications to sources supposed to be the proper ones, in South America and the West India Islands in relation to the cultiva- tion and acclimation of certain plants, the successful culture of which would be a great desideratum to this and other States. His inquiries have not reached their destination, or have failed, except in a solitary instance, to secure the attention of those to whom they were directed; as, with the exception stated, no replies have been received to them. Respectfully submitted. HENRY S. RANDALL, Cor. Sec'y of the JV. F. S. Ag. Society. AGRICULTURE OF CAYUGA COUNTY. BY A. HOLLISTER, CATO FOUR CORNERS. In answer to your first interrogatory, the condition of agriculture in Cayuga county, I would say, that it is improving in the northern section of the county, by a more careful system of plowing and fitting the ground for crops, also by laying under drains and otherwise re- claiming the low swails. Wheat is our staple crop, although much corn, oats and potatoes are raised. In fallowing our ground, three plowings are had, with dragging between plowings. We market our produce on the canal at Jordan and Weedsport. Our horses and cattle are not much improved. We have some good Devonshire bulls. This breed have proved good, as their stock is hardy, though rather small. We have lately got a bull Irom the Patroon's stock, bred by Mr. Prentice of Albany; and his calves are very good. How they will hold out is yet to be determined. We use the Cayuga county plow, improved by David Rockwell, which I think the best one in use. I have tried nearly all the plows in use between Albany and Rochester. I use a harrow made in Rochester by a Mr. Huntly, which is a very good article. It is a double drag rather than a harrow. The drags generally are the double square ones, which are very common every where. Land is worth from $30 to f50 per acre in this county. Our timber is beech, maple, bass-wood, white-wood, elm, and such other limber as usually grows up with these. To make our agriculture profitable, a smaller number of acres ought to be occupied by each farmer, and better manured, plowed deeper, and a great deal more draining done. The soil is a loam, based generally on a clayey bottom and hardpan; the soil about 12 inches alDove the sub-soil, and the clay or hardpan about 3 or 4 feet below the surface. It is a fine soil for either wheat, corn, grass, oats, or any of the ordinary crops raised in this part of the country. I cannot say which is the best breed of cattle, nor what is the best 140 [Senate method of raising them. I have raised a great many cattle on my farm, but not with that care and attention that others have, having turned my attention principally to raising grain for 38 years in the town where I now live. I have generally summer fallowed my ground, but have raised some wheat after barley, and that is the case with most of our farmers in the north part of the county. The south part used formerly to raise large quantitiesof wheat, but have not of late raised as much. For information in relation to the south part of the county, I would refer you to Humphrey Howland, Esq. near Aurora. In feeding hogs, I have used potatoes boiled with barley and apples to good advantage; and in fatening cattle I have used corn ground in the cob. Our principal grasses are clover and timothy. Our rotation of crops is wheat from sward ground, corn after wheat, then sow^ed to barley or oats, then the land suffered to lay one year, and then sow to wheat and seed down. I have raised wheat every other year on two pieces of land on my farm for 24 years. I sow clover and timothy seed each spring after my wheat is sown, about 8 lbs. to the acre, and put on some stable manure. On one piece of 60 acres I have grown wheat as stated above, and used no stable manure. I use some lime, ashes and plaster on corn ground. Equal parts put in the hill when plant- ing, about a gill in each hill, and the second hoeing put on about the same quantity. I have sowed lime on my meadows, but not enough to test the utility of it. I have also sowed it on my wheat in the spring. Our principal manure is from our straw and barn-yard ma- nure, which in my opinion is best. Our most profitable roots are potatoes. The worm or fly takes our ruta baga and beets. They have destroyed 2^ acres of roots for me this season, which 1 had to put to buck-wheat, which I call a sorry crop on our valuable wheat lands. I will give my opinion as to the quantity of the wheat crop, in our part of the county this season: it is about k short of what we expected. On the 1st of July it appeared considerably shrunk; corn backward and rather thin; perhaps not more than I of a crop. Oats are fine, barley pretty good, potatoes excellent, and grass an ordinary crop. Our farmers are seeding this fall about their usual quantity of ground, but it is badly prepared, on account of the wet season. Not more than one-half is now sown, and the ground is uncommonly wet. As to wintering cattle, I would say that I have found it decidedly best to stable them. For some years I have stabled all my cattle, from 35 to 50 head, by tying them up at night, giving them hay, and putting them in the yard to straw stacks in the day time. I think I save a vast deal of fodder, and my cattle winter well. My sheep I put in a large yard, with good shelter, made for them by putting up posts and long poles on them, and rails for a roof, and covering them with straw. I have troughs made with boards nailed together, to feed oats, potatoes, or other roots in, and I let them go to water when they wish. I like the Merino, crossed with South Downs, better than any I have seen. But little butter and cheese are made for market in the north part of this county. Our swine are the Berkshire mixed with the Leicestershire; and those we have in our vicinity are a good breed of hogs. No. 63. J 141 AGRICULTURE OF CHAUTAUQUE COUNTY. BY T. B. CAMPBELL, OF WESTFIELD. Chautauque county lies on the southern shore of Lake Erie, bound- ing on the lake about forty miles; it is bounded on the east by the county of Cattaraugus, extending from the lake to the State of Penn- sylvania, a distance of near forty miles. The whole county was, when in a state of nature, covered with a heavy and dense growth of timber. That part of the lantl bor- dering on the lake was first settled, it being better adapted to the culture of grain than the southern portion. There is a ridge passing through this county, nearly parallel with the shore of the lake, at an average distance of some five miles from the w'ater, and at an ele- vation of from five to eight hundred feet above the surface of the lake. The great leading road from the eastern to the western States, passes through this section of our county, at about equal distance from the foot of the ridge and the lake shore. Along this main road, the land is good, and well adapted to the raising of wheat, corn, oats and flax; and it being the first settled part of the county, con- siderable attention has recently been manifested by the farmers in the improvement of the advantages so bountifully bestowed upon them by nature. Yet even in this section, it must be admitted that our farmers are much behind some other portions of the State, where the natural advantages, quality of soil and climate are far inferior. The timber in this section was originally chestnut, oak, maple, beech, hemlock, and almost every variety, with the exception of pine. Black walnut and butternut were to be found on all the streams and valleys. The soil is generally a gravel and loam, extremely easy to till, and produces abundant crops of grain, particularly corn. Wheat does well, and perhaps may continue to, unless over cro])ping shall be pushed too far. This soil is well adapted to the culture of clover; and I have no doubt but the introduction of the system of rotation of crops, and the use of clover as a manure, will be attended with the best results here. Those who have tried it, are entirely satisfied to continue the process, and consider it a great improvement. The high lands of this county are different from those described above. The timber on them is generally beech and maple; the cli- mate more frosty, and in the winter generally more subject to snow. The soil is rich, but rather wet, consequently well adapted to grass and the growth of stock, butter and cheese, &c. The southern tier of towns in this county, bordering on Pennsyl- vania, are timbered with pine to some extent, and the soil more loamy than the middle section. The products generally of Chautauque county, and on which the agriculturist depends for profit, are cattle, horses, sheep, wool, but- ter and cheese, and in the north part in some measure, pork, grain and fruit. There is, perhaps, no portion of the State, or even of the United States, where cattle, horses and sheep, are more healthy 142 • [Senate and do better, than in this county. Although much remains to be done to improve the breeds, yet many of our best herdsmen are al- ready doing much towards an object so much called for. The Dur- ham cattle for beef, and the Devons for work, are the most approved here, and a cross of those breeds with our native cows, has been found to produce the best of stock. The stock of sheep has been much improved within the last few years, by the introduction of the South Downs; a cross of that breed with our native ews produces the best and most profitable kind of sheep for our climate. In relation to horse?, there is no kind of stock so much neglected, or in w'hich improvement is more called for in this county. I hope the time may be not far distant, when this subject shall receive that attention its merits demand. In relation to the feeding and fattening of cattle, the usual practice is to let them run in the common pastures in summer, and after the winter commences, stable them and feed on roots and corn ground with the cob, which is, in my opinion, the most profitable way of feeding corn to all kinds of stock, except swine. The high lands of this county (or the beech and maple land,) are very natural to grass; and white clover will appear in all places as soon as the land is cleared. The land is rich, and I believe would produce good crops of winter wheat, if the farmer could pursue some course of cultivation that would prevent the destruction of the wheat by the frost of winter. This seems to be the only obstacle in the way; the first crop after the land is cleared, is generally abundant, but after the land has been plowed, the crop of winter wheat is ex- tremely hazardous. Fruit trees are generally good and productive in this county, par- ticularly in the north part. Near the lake the jjeach may be found in abundance, but not on the high lands of the southern section. There is not much attention bestowed on the cultivation of fruit as a source of profit. The blight in pear trees is becoming general, and in all probability will continue. AGRICULTURE OF CHAUTAUQUE COUNTY. BY JABEZ BURROWS, OF MAYVILLE. The county of Chautauque consists mostly of high land, except the tier of towns bordering on Lake Erie, which consist of a rather dry, gravelly soil — very productive of most kinds of grain — particularly wheat, corn, oats, &c. But I think the wheat crop begins to fail; I should judge, from over cropping; but residing myself on the high land, others are better acquainted than I am with the facts. The greater part of the county is high land, say from six hundred to one thousand feet above the level of Lake Erie; and the soil is a rich, moist loam, rather wet than otherwise, very natural to grass, and par- No, 63.] 143 ticularly so to white clover. A small patch cleared any where in the woods, within the course of two or three years, will exhibit a complete bed of white clover, without any culture or seed. I con- sider Chautauque a first rate grazing county, well adapted to dairy- ing and the raising of cattle, sheep, &c. It is not adapted to the cul- ture of winter wheat, as winter grains are apt to be thrown out in the spring by the frost, and there appears to be a lack of the necessary proportion of lime in the soil. Spring wheat succeeds much better, producing, say on an average, ten to twenty bushels per acre. Corn generally succeeds well, particularly the earlier kinds. Potatoes, oats, and barley do well. Flax is a very profitable crop with us. You will seldom see a poor crop of flax, either in growth, seed or coat. The seed itself,! consider equal in value to a fair crop of spring wheat. Rye and buckwheat do not succeed well. Our soil on the hio-h land, after going down from eight to sixteen inches, consists mostly of a hard subsoil, though not impervious to the plow, and I should judge contains a portion of lime. I have no doubt but the use of the subsoil plow would make an important improvement in our crops, although I have not known it tried. Sheep and cattle do well and are very healthy. I have never known a distemper among sheep except in one instance, where I bought a flock that had been kept in a poor johnswort pasture. They were attacked with swell- ed lips and sore mouth, and I lost near one hundred; but an applica- tion of tar to the mouth and lips checked the disease and cured the sick. Our produce consists chiefly of cattle, horses, butter, cheese, pork, wool, &c. Our wool is generally of a middle grade. The finest Saxon sheep do not do as well as a coarser grade. A cross of the South Down with the Merino, or our finest native sheep, do best for our climate. They make a hardy race and are good breeders. The South Down take fat so easily that I think they will become valuable for the olein and stearine factories, especially while our meat market is so poor. AGRICULTURE OF CHEMUNG COUNTY. BY E. C. FROST AND A. J. WYNKOOP. Henry S. Randall, Esq. — Having had the honor of receiving your printed circular, and living in different towns, we unite in the following answer in relation to Chemung county. There is much of interest connected with the early settlement of the luxurious valley of the Chemung. While western N. Y. was yet in possession of the barbarous sons of the forest. Gen Sullivan, and those under his command, when on their expedition against the con- centrated remnant of the Six Nations, in 1779, were highly pleased with the picturesque and fertile valley of the Chemung, or " Big Horn," the Indian name of this beautiful river; and on their return 144 " [Senate from destroying the orchards and cornfields of these -warlike tribes, pictured this valley in such glowing colors, that it attracted the at- tention of the older settlements, and soon emigrants from the eastern counties in this State and from the lower counties in Pennsylvania, took up their abode in the beautiful but wilderness valley of the Chemung ; and now the sturdy settler's axe echoed from hill to hill, w^here previous to Gen. Sullivan's expedition, nought was heard save the savage war whoop, or the panther's fearful cry. These early settlers endured great privations and encountered many difficulties, during their first few years residence in this then vast wilderness. Among the most prominent was the want of mills; these hardy pioneers had not only to hew, or split from trees, the floors and coverings of their log cabins, but were compelled to have recourse to the pounding block, to prepare the first corn raised for food. The nearest mill at this period w^as at Wyoming, a name and place immortalized in the early history of our country, by the bloody massacre of its inhabitants. The rivers afforded the only highways through this almost unbro- ken wilderness, and the only means of access to this mill, was by the slow and tedious navigation of canoes, which were pushed by the men more than one hundred miles against a strong current, to bring a scanty supply of the staff of life to their famishing families. To obviate these difficulties, Maj. Wynkoop, one of the earliest settlers of the town of Chemung, w^hich is the most eastwardly in the county, in the second year of his residence here, from the moun- tain rock roughly broke out millstones, and erected a flouring, or as it was more familiarly called a "grist-mill." This was a source of much joy and comfort to the people, and greatly facilitated the set- tlement of the country. The pioneers, following the route of Sullivan's army, commenced the settlement here, which soon extended up the river; the alluvial lands, which were very productive, were of course first selected, and consequently the settlement was confined to the valley, which opens from one to two miles wide. The alluvial lands are under a tolerably good and improving state of cultivation; the hills adjoining the river are high, and upon their face somewhat barren, but gradually recede and are mostly suscepti- ble of cultivation; the back lands are high and rather broken, pro- ducing fine wheat and grass, and admirably adapted to grazing. A con- siderable portion of this town has but recently been settled, and there arc lands yet in market, which offer inducements to settlers of enterprize. The buildings of the original settlers, along the river, are chiefly replaced by tasteful farm houses, denoting prosperity. It was in this town that Gen. Sullivan first commenced hostilities with the Indians, and burned a small village from which the Indians had fled; they were pursued by the division under the command of Gen. Hand, and brought to an engagement at a narrow ridge called Hogback hill, from which ambuscade they were soon driven, and the division returned to Fort Sullivan. It is not strange that the No. 63.1 145 -* « original occupants of this fertile valley, where corn grew almost spontaneously, and game and fish were abundant, should have left it with great reluctance. The town of Elmira lies west of, and adjoining Chemung, being- separated by Butler's (now Baldwin's) creek, at the mouth of which stream, on one of the largest alluvial flats along the river, the celebrated battle of " Newtown," between the forces under Gen. Sullivan, and the Indians commanded by Brant, took place; they gallantly defended their fair inheritance, and for a brief period check- ed Sullivan in his onward march, but were defeated and dispersed with considerable loss. On this battle ground, one of the earliest and most prominent settlements was made, and at this day, when overlooking the splendid fields and luxuriant crops that are usually to be seen on this battle field, we cease to wonder that those who had perhaps for ages, in peace and quiet here raised and gathered their corn, should have fought with a bravery not common in savage warfare, in its defence. The next prominent settlement was Newtown, now " Elmira," (the county town of Chemung.) In 1794, lots were laid out and the village commenced by Guy Maxwell and Samuel Hepburn, on the north bank of the Chemung river, which is here intersected by the Chemung canal. Elmira is beautifully situated upon a fine gravelly plain, and is now a highly promising village, containing about three thousand inhabitants, and from its fine, healthful and advantageous situation, being surrounded by a rich and highly cultivated country, bids fair to become an im- portant inland city. It is the chief market, not only for this, but for the adjoining counties, both in this State and Pennsylvania. The facilities of water communication secure to this town the salt and plaster trade of northern Pennsylvania; large quantities of these indispensable articles are annually sent to the latter market, down the Chemung and Susquehannah rivers, in arks cheaply constructed for that purpose. When the Elmira and Williamsport Rail-Road shall be constructed, this will become a great mart of exchange; Pennsyl- vania furnishing iron and coal, and receiving therefor salt and plas- ter. Elmira, lying on the north side of the Chemung, has not as much alluvial land as most of the towns through which the river runs. The plain upon which the village stands, extending to the north line of the town, is highly productive and under good cultivation; this land was covered originally, chiefly with pitch or yellow pine, and in the early settlement of the country was considered worthless; but since the discovery of gypsum in the lake country, which is general- ly used upon lands of this description, being a loam with gravel in- terspersed, these have proved to be the most valuable lands in the country, and are preferred by many experienced agriculturists to the alluvial lands. With the aid of one bushel of plaster to the acre, a fine burthen of clover is obtained, which soon makes them highly pro- ductive; the wheat and hay grown upon these plains, as also upon [Senate No. 6.3. J T 146 [Senats the bill lands, is usually of a better quality tban that raised on allu- vial lands. The eastern part of Elmira is billy, but generally productive, and rapidly improving. New Town creek, or as it was called by the In- dians, " Kauga," the river, and smaller streams running through this town, afford an abundance of water power; indeed there is no want of water power in this county, and Yankee enterprize and capital will find here abundant and profitable employment. The Chemung canal, running through this town and county from north to south; the navigable feeder, extending from its junction at Horseheads, (now by a misguided taste called Fairport. This place is made memorable by the circumstance of Sullivan's causing his pack horses to be killed here on his return from the pursuit of the Indians, in the expedition above spoken of. This name, connected as it is with the early history of the country, should not have been changed,) through part of Elmira and Big Flats, to the rapidly growling and important village of Corning, in Steuben county, at its western termination, af- fords great facilities for marketing all the products of this luxurious soil; indeed, the immense coal trade, the rapid and healthful growth of the latter town, connected as it is by the Blossburg Rail-Road, with the vast and inexhaustable coal fields of Pennsylvania, would justify the conclusion that Corning will of itself, at no distant day, furnish a market for much of the surplus products of this region of country. Big Flats. The name of this town, situate in the southwest cor- ner of the county, is sufficiently' descriptive of that portion lying im- mediately adjoining the river; the alluvial and table lands being ex- tensive and very fertile, and generally under a good state of improve- ment. The hills immediately adjoining the river are high and rug- ged, but nevertheless are chiefly susceptible of cultivation, at least for grazing purposes. As you depart from the river, the country, although broken and hilly, produces fine wheat and grass, is well wa- tered, very healthful, and is rapidly settling; the navigable feeder of the Chemung canal and the Chemung river passing through it, af- ford great facilities for marketing its surplus products. Southport. This town lies on the south side of the river, opposite Elmira, and contains probably some of the most choice lands in the State; the alluvial and table lands are from two to five miles in width, highly improved, and chiefly devoted to the growing of grain, which yields a bountiful harvest, particularly corn, oats and potatoes; the back lands partake largely of the qualities above described. Veteran is adjoining Elmira on the north, and directly upon the ca- nal; the soil has more clay in its composition, (as have all the north- ern towns;) produces fine wheat and grass, and fruit in greater abun- dance than the river towns; it is rolling, and chiefly under a good and improving state of cultivation. The canal and Catharine creek running through this town, afford an extensive water power, on which there is in operation many lumbering and manufacturing establish- ments; and the flourishing village of Millport has sprung up since the completion of the canal, where a few years since it w^as a dreary No. 63. J 147 , wilderness; active enterprise and prosperity are the leading charac- teristics of this town. Catliu lies directly west of Veteran, and contiguous to the Che- mung canal; the settlements are generally new, but rapidly progress- ing; the land produces well and is advantageously situated, markets being easy of access. This town is broken and hilly, but generally well adapted to the growing of wool and stock; lands are cheap and plenty yet in market. Dix is north of Catlin and west of the canal, extending to the head of the Seneca lake, and adjoining Steuben county; is high and roll- ing; part of this town is under good cultivation, and is productive; it is favorably situated with regard to markets. Tlic growing village of Jefferson is in the northeast corner of this town, from which steamboats depart daily for Geneva. Catharine is situated east of Dix and north of Veteran, and is in form of a basin, embosoming the little romantic Lake of Cayuta. Johnson settlement, the first of importance, was commenced in 1795, chiefly by emigrants from Fairfield county, Connecticut, who brought with them the industrious habits and intelligence characteristic of their native State. The buildings and other improvements are of a neat and permanent character, and denote the prosperity that every where follow the industrious and economical habits of the New-Englanders. This town is well adapted to the growing of wtieat and grazing. The flourishing village of Havana is located nearly upon the ground where stood the Indian village of Catharine, the former residence of the Indian Queen Catharine Montour, from whom the town of Cath- arine derived its name. This Indian village, at the time of Sullivan's expedition, contained thirty houses; the Indians were much attached to these their favorite hunting grounds. Deer and other game were abundant, and the fine salmon trout taken in profusion from the inlet, had strong attractions for a people whose chief object in life was the enjoyment these luxuries afforded. The scenery, viewed from the high lands in Catharine and Dix, looking down upon the villages of Havana and Jefferson, (both of which are flourishing towns, the former being the chief market town of the northern part of Chemung and the adjoining towns in Tomp- kins county — and from the latter is shipped much of the produce from p^its of this and Steuben counties,) and the chrystal and never frozen waters of the far-famed Seneca, bordered on either side by sloping fields as far as the eye can reach, foiming together a landscape of surpassing beauty, which can only be appreciated by being seen. The reasons why the waters of the Seneca are never frozen, is wor- thy of scientific investigation. It is generally supposed that this beautiful lake, which is navigable the whole winter, is supplied by subterranean springs, thus keeping the water too warm to freeze. Reflection has convinced me that this cannot be the cause; but the fact that would be opposcMl, at lli(> sam<> tinn; taking care to have suiVicicnt pow(>r fairly t(t r^tir up tlu> soil." No. 63. J C41 " I will here explain the principle of the subsoil plovr, because I have found that many persons, although seemingly acquainted vritli it, have not the proper notion of the principle on which it is based. The grtrat principle is that there are many subsoils, vrhicb, though capable of being converted into a good soil, yet il" brought up and mixed with the active soil, will so far deteriorate it as to make it for some time sterile. It therefore occurred to me that the great point would be to stir up the < :' - '. still retaining the good soil on the surface. Stirring up the > would, in the drst place, very much facilitate the escape of the water into the drains; and second- ly, in consequence of the passage of the water tlirough tlie stirred up subsoil, and the attendant admission of air. it would be so acted upon as to be converted into gooil soil, while at the same time I was hav- ing all the advantages of working the active soil as before.'^ Having treated of the process and noticed some of the advantages derived from subsoil plowing, I will now endeavor to give a descrip- tion of some of the implemeiits made use of for that purpose, three of which are of European, and one of Americaii manulacture. In proof of the estimation in which subsoiling is held in England, I would state that no less than eight subsoil plows were entered for competition and exhibition at the Fair of the Royal Agricultural So- ciety, held in Bristol in July last. jte. The subsoil plow is not anew invention, but was in use in England more tban hfty years ago, and recently brought inio prominent notice by Wt. Smith of Deanston, Scotland. lu Dickson's Report of Lan- cashire is the following notice of the ^* Miner or deep-stirring plow:" " There is another tool of the plow kind, somewhat similar in con- struction, which was introduced into the country about the same pe- riod as the 'Trench plow.* It simply consists of a plow share firm- ly fixeil to a strong beam by means of a strong sheath and handle, without any mold board. It is usually drawn by four or more hor- ses, being made to folJow in the furrow of the common plow, so as to penetrate into, loosen and siir up the under soil, without turning it up, to the depth of from eight to fourteen inches below the track in which that plow had gone." The above figure represents one of Smith's subsoil plows, and the following description of it is taken from Mr. Morton's prize essay, published in the *' Farmer's Magazine," (London) of Julv last. Mr. Morton says, ** Smith's subsoil plow consists of the ordinary frame- work of a plow; without the moldboard. made strons enough to stand [Senate No. 63.] F* 242 [Senate the shocks and the strain to which an implement requiring the force of four or six horses to work it, must be subjected. The framework is of iron, and about 15 feet long. A sole-plate, on which a feather shaped or pointed sock slips, is attached to it by means of two up- rights or curved coulter. The height of the plow, when held in a working position, from the sole-plate to the beam, is about 22 inches. It is thus enabled to go to a depth of 20 inches. From the furrow side of the sock a spur projects, over which the mass of subsoil cut by the coulter and share is raised and broken, and falls down again." Ruggles, Nourse & Mason's Subsoil Plow. — Fig. 2 Now the American subsoil plow made at Worcester, Mass. by Messrs. Ruggles, Nourse & Mason, differs from Smith's in several particu- lars. The handles and beam are made of wood, reduced in length, and in fact the whole implement is reduced in size, which makes it much lighter, and can be turned in the same space as the plow which precedes it. In place of the spur, as on Smith's, this has an in- clined plane, which raises from the feather of the share, and extends back to the heel of the plow. It is about three inches wide, lies against the upright, and raises to the height of six inches behind. By means of a slat in the point of attachment, it can be raised or lowered at pleasure. With this inclined plane the soil is raised, pulverized and partially mixed, leaving it in a loose, friable state, without bring- ing it to the surface. By this simple contrivance the draft has been so much reduced that two common sized horses are amply sufficient to work it in a stiff loamy soil, from 8 to 10 inches below the bot- tom of the furrow of the plow that precedes it, but it must be free from roots and large stones. The greatest improvement, however, and especially at the present time, is the price at which they are of- fered, being less than one-fifth of the price of the imported article. One of ^Smith's was imported in 1840, by Messrs. Ellis & Bosson of Boston, at an expense of about $80. D. D. Campbell, Esq. of Schenectady, imported another about the same period, or soon after. I have tried one of the Worcester subsoil plows, and can say I was much pleased with its performance, and more particularly with the ease in which the horses performed their work. Now, if the first No. 63.J 243 plow turns up a furrow six inches deep, and the subsoil plow pene- trates and loosens the subsoil ten inches below the first plow, we have at least sixteen inches of loosened soil, which in the common method of plowing, and allowing that the plow lays the furrow two inches higher than the depth of the cut, we have then but eight inches of loose soil for the bed of the plant. The expense of cultivation, by subsoil plowing, must be necessa- rily much increased by the present mode, as it requires an extra hand and team to go over the same ground, and at the same time of the first plow; and to diminish the expense of the operation of subsoil plowing, and to adapt them to the wants of the small farmers, several attempts have been made in England, to combine the two implements in one. The first of these, by Mr. Pusey, called the Charlbury Sub- soil Plow, of which the following is a figure: Charlbury Subsoil Plow— Fig. 3. " It combines in one implement," says Mr. Morton, "both the plows used in the operation of subsoiling. It not only stirs the sub- soil, but opens the furrow in which the subsoil plow works. It con- sists in the attachment of a strong tine, similar to those used in Bid- die's Scarrifier, to the common plow, in a position in which it acts after the furrow slice has been turned." "This implement," continues Mr. Morton, " doing all the work, requires, according to an experiment recorded there, less force to work it than the subsoil plow, (!) doing only one portion of the operation. It cannot, however, be soetficient in thoroughly stirring the subsoil as the original implement." The other attempt at diminishing the ex- pense of subsoil plowing, is by Mr. Armstrong of Stirlingshire, for which he received premiums from the Stirlingshire Agricultural So- ciety, and from the Highland Society. The following is a description of it as given by Mr. Smith, at an agricultural meeting. It appears that the inventor has adapted the principle of Wilkie's turn-west plow to Smith's subsoil plow; and if I understand the principle of it, it is just what the American farmer is in need of, as one hand with one team can perform both operations. '' The general frame work is that of a subsoil plow rather under the medium size, and to it is attached a hinged mold-board, similar to the mold-board of Smith's hill-side or turn-west plow. By means of this arrangement, the plow can be used for removing the furrow preceding the operation of the subsoil plow, and when the furrow has been removed, the mold-board being moved upon its hinges, from its 244 ■ [Senate working position, rests over the beam of the plow, whilst the instru- ment is used for subsoiling in the bottom of the furrow just removed. Thus the operation of removing the furrow and subsoiling, can be al- ternately performed with the same implement, by the same plowman, and the same team of horses, by a single movement of the mold-board, which is done in an instant by the hand of the plowman at each turn- ing. The additional weight of the mold-board serves to keep down the plow whilst subsoiling in different grounds. The judges consi- der this implement well contrived, and as being an important boon to the small farmers, and as certain to give great facility to the extension amongst them of the admirable system of subsoil plowing," ON SOILS AND THEIR MANAGEMENT. BY DAVID THOMAS J AURORA. Geologists inform us that soils were chiefly derived from the wear and tear — the disintegration and decomposition of solid rocks. In some tracts of country, the soil is nearly identical with the rock that immediately underlays it, or partakes largely of its nature; but such occurrences are rare in this county, (Cayuga.) So extremely active was the deluge that swept over and rounded our highest hills, that many a square league of stony strata was entirely buried by materi- als that drifted from other parts of the country, and which have no resemblance to the rocks they cover. Favorably for the southern parts of our county, that deluge came from the north, sweeping over a limestone region, and depositing in its course over our barren state, the rich collection it had made. And here let us stop to consider: if that flood had come in an oppo- site direction, bringing along the unproductive detritus of the moun- tains, instead of our fertile fields and flocks and herds, we might have witnessed nothing more inviting than scrub oak plains, and a few wandering deer. Like other floods, however, its deposites were irregular, as its ve- locity was increased or retarded — as it whirled into eddies, or rushed onward in its course. Pure clay, indeed, can scarcely be found in this formation; but all the varieties of loam, whether clayey, sandy, or gravelly, occur; and some deep beds of both sand and gravel, are so pure as not to discolor the water into which they are thrown. Such instances however are rare; and the grinding and mixing of so many substances by that deluge, have been eminently beneficial to our farms. No soil is fertile, says Humphrey Davy, " that contains as much as 19 parts out of 20, of any one material or constituent." On the contrary, soils that contain mixtures of many things, are gene- rally very fertile, — provided that clay, lime and sand, form a large share of the mass. When you see therefore, old mortar, the sweepings of the smith shop, or leached ashes, thtown into the highway, you may No. 63. j 245 safely conclude that the owner is greatly in want of instruction. These are excellent manures, and permanent in their effects. Perhaps some would ask, why are different things necessary to con- stitute a fertile soil] Allow me to answer in the language of Dr. Jackson's Geological [Report on Rhode-Island: "Chemical science arranges all bodies as electro-positive, or electro-negative. The elec- tro-positive are always the alkaline or basic substances, while the acids are always electro-negative when brought in contact with mat- ters of the positive class. If a soil is wholly positive or negative in its nature, it fails to be fertilej and when one power greatly predo- minates over the other, it is not in its most favored condition. Silex is regarded as an acid, and alumina, lime, magnesia, iron, and the al- kalies, are its opposites." According to this view, the soil may be considered as a vast gal- vanic battery. " It is rendered nearly certain," says an eminent wri- ter, " that manures act by the salts they contain, acting when brought in contact with the earths in producing galvanic currents," and of course stimulating the plants in their growth. On this subject, how- ever, I give no opinion of my own, because I can comprehend much more clearly the neutralizing effects of acids and alkalies, and the absorbent powers of the different materials. This view may regulate our practice quite as well as the former; and indeed there seems to be nothing discordant between them. It is not many years since the existence of acid soils was denied or overlooked. The talented editor of the Farmer's Register in Vir- ginia, was the first to point out the error or oversight; and the subject is now better understood. He furnished no evidence indeed of the presence of uncombined acid; but the circumstantial evidence was very strong and pointed; and in my judgment he fairly made out his case. Since the publication of his " Essay on Calcareous Manures," other writers of great respectability, have either adopted his views, or furnished additional and positive proofs of their correctness. The question may occur, why is not an acid soil as fertile as any other ? It is more fertile than any other for such plants as the Red Sorrel; but not for the plants which are the chief object of the far- mer's culture. These generally require a neutral soil — that is, one in which lime, under some form or other, occurs in considerable quan- tity. Although clay, according to Dr. Jackson's classification, is arrang- ed as an alkaline earth, yet as such, it is so feeble that when united silica or sand alone, the mass becomes acid, and unfited for our usual crops. On such lands, Indian corn assumes a yellow sickly aspect, even when it is not injured by stagnant water. And what is the cure? Apply lime enough, and then, says an accurate observer, " the young corn takes immediately a deep, healthy color, before there is any perceptible difference in size. The crop will produce from fifty to one hundred per cent more the first year, before its supply of food can have possibly been increased."* And why ? Because the poison which has paralyzed it, was destroyed. * Essay on Calcareous Manures. 246 [Senate It is well known that when magnesia occurs among quick-lime, it is often injurious to the land. Such a mixture is called hot limey from its burning alkaline quality, — the magnesia not combining so speed- ily as lime does with carbonic acid, which would render it mild. Eesides the lime, having a stronger attraction for that acid, will ei- ther be served first, or take it from the magnesia till it has got enough. I have seen spots of earth, where large heaps had been thrown down to slack, remain barren — as free from vegetation as this floor — for two or three years, although the ground had been carefully scraped over when the heap was removed. Yet such is the stuff to which the southeastern part of Pennsylvania owes much of its fertility. Formerly when I lent a hand to that pro- cess, it was considered that 30 or 40 bushels to the acre were as much as the land could bear without injury. It was found, however, that rich land would bear more than poor land; and in process of time they discovered that 100 bushels to the acre might be safely and pro- fitably applied to pastures or meadows. The lime was slacked in large heaps; and then from a cart or wagon on a calm day, it was scattered with a shovel evenly over the grass. It fell among the de- caying leaves, which in warm weather yield carbonic acid, and it be- came mild without injuring the crop. Some years ago, I published an account of this simple method, be- lieving it superior to that of any other country; and you may judge of my surprise to see it stated in a work of high authority, bearing the date of 1840, that magnesian limestone is unfit for the purposes of agriculture. Lime, however, possesses other properties besides that of neutrali- zing acids. One of the most remarkable, is the power to absorb pu- trescent manures; and to hold the fertilizing essence till it is wanted by the crop, through every vicissitude of the seasons, and through in- definite periods of time. There it is locked up; and nothing at com- mon temperatures but the energy of a growing plant, can unlock it.* Lime has therefore been styled the basis of all good husbandry. It stores up the manure that is not immediately wanted, for future use — a kind of save all. When the supplies from the barn yard are spread and plowed into a soil that is nearly destitute of lime, the growing crop catches a part of its virtue; but a very large part escapes, and very little will be left for the benefit of those that succeed. I had been used to such soils until I removed to my present farm; and was then agreeably surprised to see how much more durable were the ef- fects of stable manure. My fields were limed by the deluge. Unwholesome vapors and villanous smells are also absorbed by lime; and some places, once remarkable for insalubrity, have been changed in their character by liming or marling the fields around them. Nuisancps are converted into manures. A striking illustra- * The following extract from Liebi^'s Organic Chemistry, is cited as a parallel case : " An abnormal production of certain component parts of plants, presupposes a power and ca- pability of assimilation, to which the most powerful chemical action cannot he compared. The best idea of it may be formed, by considering that it surpasses the power of the strongest galvanic battery, with which we are not able to separate the oxygen from carbonic acid." p. 184. No. 63.J 247 tion of this principle is contained in the following account from the Essay on Calcareous Manures. The carcase of a cow, killed by accident late in the spring was laid on the ground, and covered by about twenty-five bushels of bro- ken shells mixed wuth forty-five bushels of earth chiefly silicious. After the rains had settled tlae heap, it was only six inches thick over the highest part of the carcase. The process of putrefaction was so slow, that several weeks passed before it was over; nor was it ever so violent as to throw off any effluvia that the calcareous earth did not intercept in its escape^ so that no offensive smell was ever per- ceived. In October, the whole heap was carried out and applied to one-sixth of an acre of wheat; and the effect produced, far exceeded that of the calcareous manure alone, which w^as applied at the same time on the surrounding land. The same valuable work contains a caution to the farmer which may save him from a dangerous error. " He is not to suppose that calcareous earth can enrich a soil by direct means. It destroys the worst foe of productiveness, [acidity] and uses to the greatest ad- vantage the fertilizing powers of other manures; but of itself it gives no fertility to soils, nor furnishes the least food to growing plants." In other words, it is the strong box for the treasure, but not the treasure itself. Lime also possesses the property of making sandy soils closer and firmer, and clayey soils lighter. It is a mean between two extremes. I was conversing several years ago, with a farmer from a sandstone district, who expressed some surprise that forty bushels of wheat could be raised to the acre. " I don't believe," said he, " that our land could be made rich enough to produce such a crop — it would lodge." I am entirely of the same opinion, unless lime be employed. Stable manure is too stimulating — the stem grows too rapidly — it is succu- lent and weak. Whether the lime by combining with silica assists in stiffening the stalk or not, we may be certain at least, that it yields nourishment as the plant needs it; and that every part will be healthy and properly developed. Professor Emmons says in one of his Geological Reports, that the most fertile soil formed artificially, by the mixture of different earths, yielded on analysis, 37 per cent of carbonate of lime. As it is known, however, that lime in some soils, soon ceases to be a carbonate,* it is probable that the real quantity of lime was even greater than what was indicated by the analysis. I have seen soils of remarkable fer- tility, that naturally contained a very large proportion of lime ; and there is no danger of having too much when it is properly applied. In drouth, how are plants supplied with water? After a show- er, the soil may be wet enough for a time; but when the sun and wind dry the surface, the moisture rises up from below by capillary attrac- tion, as the melted tallow^ rises up through the wick of a candle to supply the deficiency above. It is from this circumstance that our crops over deep beds of sand, suffer less in dry w^eather than where * Essay on Calcareous Manures. 248 [Senate the subsoil is hard and impermeable, showing the benefit of deep and thorough plowing. In either case, however, as the supply begins to fail, and the soil grows drier, its finer parts absorb moisture from the air; and the plants are constantly nourished by this invisible fountain. But the different constituent parts of the soil, act with different degrees of energy.* Of the earths, the silicious is the weakest, and the aluminous the strongest, while lime holds an intermediate posi- tion. Not one of these however would do by itself. We want sand, because no soil consisting entirely of impalpable matters, is fertile;! and we want it to keep the soil loose, so that the air can enter its pores, and give up the water which it holds as vapor. Without such assistance, stiff clay or aluminous earth would absorb but little- moisture from the atmosphere, because it cakes and shuts out the air. Lime is also a valuable auxiliary in rendering the soil more absorbent, independent of its other indispensable qualities. But the soil, however it may be tempered and constituted, can never be absorbent in a high degree without culture. Some crops indeed require more of this quality than others. Thus Indian corn requires more than wheat; and wheat more than the grasses of the meadow. But vegetable and animal matters are more absorbent than the earths; and culture only can properly introduce them into the soil. Even when there, frequent stirring is necessary to keep the ground loose and the pores open, for the free admission of the air and the easy passage of the roots. Our coats sometimes become spotted with mud. We apply the brush, but-the bristles pass over without effecting its removal. What is the reason ? The clay which was suspended in the water, forms a glaze or crust. It is just so with the interior of a soil which has laid long unstirred. The clay forms a crust round the inside of all the little cavities, preventing the free circulation of air, and the in- troduction of moist vapor. The fertilizing principles are excluded. The celebrated Tull, observing the extraordinary effects of high culture, concluded that plants fed on mellow earth, and Duhamel adopted the same notion. Their philosophy was coarse^ but their practice was fine. If we were to follow their example, making plenty of fine earth for the plants — not to feed on, but to drink from, our crops might be greatly increased. One of the chief errors of our husbandry is to cultivate too much land, because it is only half done. Half the quantity with double the work on it, and double crops would be found more profitable. I have long believed, however, that no part of the system re- quired reformation more than our management of manures. Manure has been called the wealth of the farmer. When it is taken out in the spring, it is commonly scattered over the ground in large lumps; the plow comes along and covers them or not, as the case may be. If covered, they intercept the ascent of the moisture from below, especially in dry seasons. If not covered, they lie wasting on the * Davy's Agricultural Chemistry. t " Sand gives little absorbent power."— Agric. Chemistry. "Sand is incapable of absorbing moisture from the atmosphere, or of retaining any valuable vapor or fluid." — Essay on Calcare- ous Manures. No. 63.] 249 ground — of very little value. Indeed, some excellent farmers have satisfied themselves that strawy manure is unprofitable for summer crops. I am far from holding that opinion, however. The error consists in not applying it to the soil in the best manner. In the spring of 1840, I had no ground for field beets, but a small lot where corn had grown for two years in succession. It was unfit for such a crop without manure; and I had only fresh manure from the stable, which has long been considered most unfavorable to the beet. My necessity however prevailed against opinion; and I took the responsibility. From each line where the beets were to grow, two furrows were turned so as to leave a wide dead furrow. Into this the manure was thrown from the wagon, each fork full touching the one just behind it, till the row was completed. It was well covered by turning two furrows together over it, which held it down while the harrow was passing four times in succession, breaking, pulverizing, and mixing it intimately with the soil. Again two furrows were turned together over the row, and the harrow passed twice more — in all, six times. By this process the ground was reduced to a fine tilth; and if there were any better beets in the county, I did not see them. To me, it was a most instructive experiment. I have often seen manure applied to corn fields, but never in any case where it was so completely incorporated with fine earth. Even in the driest part of that season, the ground was always moist and mellow. I am satisfied that we have been too saving of our harrows. Thirty years ago, there was a method of plowing in this country, called " cut AND COVER." It was plowiug, not to the shares^ but the halves — the furrow slice covering the space where a furrow ought to have been. I am apprehensive that our ideas of harrowing were learned in the same school. When grain is sowed, is it not the prevailing opinion that it is harrowed enough when the seed is covered '? I had a narrow land harrowed sixteen times in one day, and was satisfied that the labor was well applied. For beets, or corn, or potatoes, what would be the effect of plow- ing in a heavy dressing of stable manure, harrowing twice, and re- peating the operations of the plowing and harrowings four times more, adding each time to the depth of the soil? I have not yet performed the experiment, but the nearer I have approached it the finer has been the crop. Thorough culture would seem to require that every little lump should be broken, so that the roots could wander freely in every direction, and that every drop of summer shower, should be caught and retained for future use. Hard land and thin soils have some re- semblance to a dish bottom upwards. An instrument for pulverizing the soil was invented a few years ago in Virginia by Thomas B. Gay. It is called the Drag-roller, for it operates just as a roller would that does not turn but drag. Take a hollow log, six or seven feet long, split it in two, and one-half would serve for this instrument. The greater the diameter, the easier it would run; and be less liable to clog by gathering clods before it. Three feet would be better than two, though either would answer^ [Senate No. 63.J G* :260 ' ISs.nA Frame two pieces of scantling into it^ connecting them in front j an(i to this fixture the team is to be attached. Do you believe that clods as big as a man's fist, or as big as his head, are more useful to the crop than stones of the same size ? I do not. But if we can break them — grind them to dust — and leave them on the land, they would do as much good as other mellow earth ^ of the same bulk. Now in warring against the clods, this instrument is formidable; and most so before they become thoroughly dried. On the same day therefore that the plow turns them up, let the drag- roller grind them down, and let me suggest that lumps of barn yard manure would escape not much better. Stable manure, however, is often saved for the wheat field; and at any time during the summer^ either before or after harvest, it is ta- ken out and thrown into heaps, where it lies wasting until seed time. It is then thrown round into large lumps as before mentioned, the plow covering some, while others too big to cover, stick up over the field. If the wheat is harrowed, perhaps some of these pyramids are upset or demolished; but often the harrow serves them as the plow did — gives them a shove and passes on. Now it seems very clear ta me that manure applied in this way, is comparatively of little value. There is another class of farmers w^ho manage things differently. Soon after the warm weather commences in spring, they collect all the manure of the barn yard into large heaps; and work it over, two or three times in the course of the summer, so that the straw may moulder and be more easily mixed with the soil. This advantage — the only one that I can discover, is indeed secured, but at a heavy expense. The best part of the manure passes off to visit their neigh- bors, or roam at large through the atmosphere, leaving the worst part, though still of some value, for the owners. The praise of industry is theirs, and the reward of working for nothing and finding them- selves. Another set of farmers, more enterprising still, make up all their barn yard manure into compost. This is done by successive layers of manure, rich earth and lime, together with any refuse stuff, animal or vegetable, that may be at hand — to be turned and mixed several times in the course of the season. Such manure is always valuable; but with a little more knowledge, its value might be much increased. Let us consider this subject. From a heap of fermenting manure, a vapor continually rises, very diflferent from the exhalation of a pond, as our noses might testify. Perhaps some may think that such thin diet as that would be of no consequence to a plant; but I can assure them it is the best part of the manure. Humphrey Davy filled a three-pint vessel with a bent neck, from a fermenting heap of stable manure while it was hot, and turned the beak among the roots of some grass. Nothing but vapor left the vessel; yet in less than a week the grass grew with much more luxuriance than the grass in any other part of the garden.* The value of this vapor is therefore evident; but how shall we save * Davy's Agricultural Chemistry. No. 63.] ' 251 it ? In Ihe first plac'se, the fermentation should be very gradual. Make the heap in the shade, or on the north side of a building, and manage it just as you would manage a coal-kiln. The more the air is excluded, the slower and better will be the process. Now cover> ing it with earth will have this effect; but vapor w^ill rise even when it ferments slowly, and therefore marl may be freely scattered through the heap as it is made; but no quick lime. Lime, indeed, should form an outside covering for the whole pile (when marl is not at hand,) but it should be carefully prevented from coming in contact wuth stable manure or any animal matter. It must not touch them. It spoils them. A layer of earth should be interposed, and then the lime would be highly useful in catching and retaining the fertilizing vapor as it rises. I believe there is no difference of opinion on this subject among che- mists. Humphrey Davy speaks in the plainest language against mix- ing quick lime with common dung as injurious; and other eminent men fully accord with the doctrine. On the outside of the heap, however, quick-lime in a few weeks would be carbonated, and after undergoing this change it might be safely mixed with the compost. A fresh coiit may then be applied. But some farmers may not wish to apply their barn-yard manure in the spring, or make it into compost; they may perfer using it after harvest, and yet not have it wasting in the mean time. In that case I w^ould advise that it be thrown inward where it lies thin, just so far that this work conjointly with the work of covering it, shall amount to the least labor. Then cover the whole with straw or earth to pro- tect it from the sun, and cause it to be trodden down by the cattle as firmly as possible, to exclude the air and prevent fermentation. Some of you may recollect when forking up such matters after harvest, that the straw in spots was bright and unchanged. That was where it was well trodden. All change is attended with loss; but as some change may be expected, strew lime or marl and plaster plentifully over it, to absorb or arrest the fertilizing vapor. The effect of plaster (composed of lime and sulphuric acid) has long been a source of wonder; for it was a wonder how one bushel could add more than twenty times its own weight to a crop of clo- ver. Inquiring minds, of course, have been busy in trying to explain the mystery; but I doubt if all the properties of this manure are un- derstood even at this day. Humphrey Davy was inclined to think that plaster was a necessary part of the woody fibre of some plants, analagous to the bony matter in animal structures. The plant could not do without it, though it wanted but little; and hence so small a quantity had such a powerful effect. " Plants which seem most be- nefited by its application," says that eminent chemist, " always af- ford it on analysis." When this theory was announced some thirty years ago, it was re- jected in this country, where the effects of plaster were much better known than in England, but if he could have shown that it enters into such plants in any definite proportion, some of the arguments 252 [Senate against him might have been refuted. It appears, howeTcr, that be never pursued the inquiry with much interest. Judge Peters of Pennsylvaniaj had done more than any other per- son to extend the knowledge of this manure, and to favor its intro- duction. He had been very diligent and minute in his inquiries, and though not a professed chemist, became satisfied that sulphric acid was the active ingredient in plaster. He showed from the observa- tions of Berard, that lands near Catanea, in Silicy, abounding in vol- canic matter, including sulphur,* v/ere very fertile^ and from an ex- periment by the same person, that brimstone, pounded, sifted and mix- ed with ashes, had a surprising effect on lucerne and clover. Sulphu- ric acid, greatly diluted with water, had a similar effect. As a further confirmation of the eflfect^ of sulphur or sulphuric acid, when Chancellor Livingston was traveling in Flanders, he saw the farmers preparing pyrites for manure. This mineral is a combi- nation of sulphur and iron, and when partially burnt is employed in the same manner, and for the same purpose as we use plaster. Dr. Chapman of Pennsylvania, found a similar result from sulphuret of barytes. Last summer, a new work called Organic Chemistry^ by Profes- sor Liebig of Germany, was first published in this country, and it has been considered by those best qualified to judge, as constituting a new era in agriculture. It is not my intention, however, to detain you with any of its details, except his explanation of the effect of plaster on growing plants. Ammonia is an essential part of the food of plants. It affords all vegetables, without exception, with the nitrogen that enters into their composition. It is very volatile, but sulphuric acid (furnished by the plaster) can prevent its flight, and fix it in the soil. This can only be done, however, when the plaster is dissolved. The sulphuric acid then unites with the ammonia, and the carbonic acid of the ammonia unites with the lime. Such is the purport of Professor Liebig's explanation of this great mystery. If he is correct in ascribing allJ the effect of plaster to this new combination, its importance in the economy of our farms, must be evident. All our fields, pastures and meadows ought to be strewed with it, and in accordance with his suggestion, it ought to be scattered in all our stables, and over all our barn-yards. The quantity required is not great, and many experiments may be institut- ed at a trifling expense. I ought to say, however, that this theory appears insufficient for explaining all the phenomena in connexion with the use of plaster. Why is its effect on clover so extraordinary, and on wheat so insigni- ficant? Judge Peters, after using it forty years, said he never found it beneficial on winter grain; and others, after long trials, thought it * A late traveler writing from Italy, says of the peasants residing in the neighborhood of Vesu- vius— " If their houses are burned, they return, when the lava^cools, to build new ones, and culti- Tate a soil inexhaustibly fertile." t " The evident influence of gypsum upon the growth of grasseS) depends owlt upon its fixing in the soil the ammonia of the atmosphere."— Liebig, p. 145. No. 63.] 253 did little for the natural grasses. All these, however, are powerfully affected by stable manure — by the very ammonia* which that manure yields. And what do we observe? Clover of luxuriant growth, and close along side of it, wheat without any indication of benefit re- ceived, though both have been plastered alike. Again — Professor Liebig informs us that every shower of rain or fall of snow, brings down ammonia to the ground where the plaster ought to arrest it, and the plants that feed on it ought to be more thrifty; but we have much testimony to show that on many fields no trace of such improvement could be discovered. These facts may not be inexplicable, but they appear to me at present, quite sufficient to hang a doubt on. I am aware that we have statements in regard to the use of plas- ter, of the most conflicting kinds, so that with some few exceptions, what one denies another affirms; but would this be so if it acts sole- ly in the manner described by Professor Liebig? A simple cause might be expected to produce a uniform effect. For instance: Pou- drette is a simple cause, and as far as I have understood, it operates with uniform eflfect, whether on clover, wheat or cabbages. On some soils, indeed, plaster is uniformly inefficient — not the trace of any effect is perceptible. This inertness has been more fre- quently observed in the tertiary formation near the sea coast, and therefore it was ascribed to the salt vapors. Plaster, however, succeeds well in many places on the coast, and fails in others far beyond the sea breeze, so that the cause seems to reside in the soil and not in the air. There are several substances that decompose plaster, besides the carbonate of ammonia. Carbonates of potash and soda have the same power. In the hands of the chemist, plaster and common salt readily change into sulphate of soda and chloride of lime; and Judge Peters said, " I ruined a bushel of plaster by a handful of salt — it was unfit for either cement or manure." Some of the oxalates also effect its decomposition. When this happens, the plaster no longer exists, and most of these results are not known to be of much value as manures. Such fail- ures, however, rarely occur on calcareous soils, or on such as contain a due proportion of lime. There plaster generally proves beneficial; and even in England it has succeeded on such lands. Many years ago, in the southeastern part of Pennsylvania, some farmers thought it would supersede the use of lime; but it gradually lost its effect, re- gaining it, however, when the land was limed. Wherever plaster proves of no use, therefore, try liming. On a small scale, it may be done at a trifling expense, and may lead to the most beneficial re- sults. And remember that plaster must be dissolved before it can do any good. Sometimes there is not rain enough for this purpose in sum- mer, and therefore there is always a risk to sow it late in the spring. Let it be done early. * " Animal manure acts only by the formation of ammonia."— Liebig,X,136. 254 [Senate I have now arrived at my last paragraph. From bogs or deep swamps, manure may be manufactured to a great extent. Three parts of peat and one of stable dung are mixed together and fermented through the summer. It was used in England* many years ago, and has been found in New-England, equal to the same bulk of stable manure, and more permanent in its effects.! THE SEVERAL VARIETIES OF WHEAT, AND THEIR RE- SPECTIVE VALUE. BY RAWSON HARMON, JR., WHEATLAND. I propose 1o give a short description of several varieties of wheat that have been cultivated in western New-York. The first wheat cultivated was sown in the fall of 1788, on lands then owned by In- dian Allen, and before it was harvested, became the property of Peter Sheffer. Esq., the present occupant. The amount sown was two bush- els on about two acres. The variety sown was called the " Z,m&ow," or " Velvet Bald." The product was sixty-two bushels of fair qua- lity. This was the only variety cultivated for several years. Its cul- tivation was very limited. In 1794 the " White Chajf'' bearded was introduced. The straw of this grew small and very thick on the ground, the heads short and well filled with a red berry. This was a hardy variety, and admitted of being sown late, and producing a fair return, the bran thick. These two varieties soon gave way for the " Red Chaff Bald^'' now called the old Red Chaff. This variety was well adapted to the Genesee Valley. In 1803 Peter Sheffer, Esq. of this town, harvested forty acres grown on the Genesee flats, that produced sixty-two and a half bushels per acre. The same season this variety sown on the oak openings in this vicinity, was nearly destroyed by the Hessian fly. Its long and well filled heads, its white and beautiful berry, gave it the preference over other varieties for more than twenty years, and some farmers in this vicinity continue to cultivate it. The bran is thin, and it yields flour of superior quality. For the last fifteen or twenty years it has been more subject to blast and rust, than some other va- rieties, and more inviting to the fly. On the new improved Oakland it succeeds much better at the present time than on old or long culti- vated fields. In 1833 I harvested 67J bushels from one bushel sow- ing of this variety from one and a fourth acre. The " White Flint " wheat was introduced into this vicinity about twenty years since. This is a white chaff bald wheat, white berry, of a flinty appearance; the straw is smaller and grows thicker than the old red chaff, and the heads shorter. This variety was but little * Davy's Agricultural Chemistry. t Jackson's Teological Report on Rhode Island. No. 63. J 255 cultivated for several years, and then sown after corn, or on ground not in good condition for a wheat c^rop. It was more hardy, and the straw somewhat softer and more subject to fall down on strong soils than the old red chaff. It was not subject to shell or scatter in har- vesting, and was very hard to thresh with the flail, or to tread out with horses, so much so that many objected to it on that account. On the introduction of threshing machines, one objection to its cultiva- tion was obviated, and after being sown some years the straw became more stitT, and not as subject to fall down, and the heads are now longer than when first introduced. It has now become the favorite variety with most of the wheat growers where it has been introduced. Its large white berry and very thin bran, makes it more valuable for the millers than any other variety. It is a solid, heavy grain, and tells well in the half bushel, frequently weighing sixty-four pounds to the bushel. The yields from this variety are not as heavy per acre as from some other varieties. When the seasons are the most favor- able for heavy crops for a term of years, it wull produce more per acre than any other variety cultivated in this section of country. It is not uncommon for it to yield thirty or forty bushels per acre. The Hessian fly has not been as destructive to it as to many other varieties. Flour may be obtained from this wdieat that will com- mand the highest price in market. Of late years it has become much mixed with other varieties, so much so that it is seldom found in its original purity. " Velvet Beard,'''' or " Crate Wheat^'' is an English variety, and was introduced into western New-York about fifteen years since. This is a red chaff, bearded, with red berry; it is a strong hardy va- riety. The straw is large, with long, heavy heads, and long, stiff beards. It is best adapted to strong soils, and has produced some heavy crops; in one instance fifty-six bushels per acre. It has not been very extensively cultivated; its long beards and red berry not meeting with favor with the farmers. The bran is thick, and the flour from this wheat is of a yellowish cast, of fair quality. " Indiana Wheat^ (by some called large flint,) was introduced into this vicinity about the time that the velvet beard was, and has not been very extensively cultivated. It much resembles the old red chaflf in its growth and appearance, except that the chaff is white and it shells more freely, and has the same objections existing ao-ainst it. Within the last ten years there has been several new varieties introduced into this vicinity. None as yet appear to succeed as well as some of the old varieties, most of them not having proved hardy enough for this climate. " Kentucky White Chaff',''^ bearded, better known in western New- York, as ".Hutchinson," or " Bearded flint," or " Canada flint," is a variety which was introduced by Mr. Hutchinson of Cayuga county and has been very extensively distributed through this State. It is a hardy variety, and is said to be three or four days earlier than the flint. With me it has ripened at the same time under the same cul- ture. The berry of this variety is short and plump, and as white as the flint, the bran somewhat thicker, and it produces flour of a high 256 [Senate quality. The straw is coarse and stiff, heads short and clumped, with long beards. It is very easily shelled out, and if it is not cut rather green, there is a loss in harvesting. This variety is a favorite with many. Where it has been cultivated the longest, it is admitted that it will not, on the average, yield as well as the white flint. It re- quires to be sown one-third thicker than the flint. It tillers out but little. '■''Tuscan^'' is an English variety, and has been cultivated for seve- ral years. It is not hardy enough to stand this climate well; the straw is large, heads long, and bald chaff, large white berry, bran thin, flour of superior quality. This would be a valuable variety if it would endure our winters. It might do well at the south. " White Provence''' was introduced from France. I have had it under cultivation for several years. It tillers out more than any that I have cultivated; the straw is fine, of common length; heads bald and heavy, with a very long white berry; bran somewhat thicker than the Tuscan; flour of superior quality. It is a hardy variety. The only objection that I have to it, is its fine straw and heavy head, which takes it down, so that it is difficult to cut it with the cradle. " Belle-vire Talavara'^ is an English variety. Its cultivation has been very limited. The straw is large, heads very long, chaff white, berry large and white, bran thin, flour of superior quality. If this variety proves hardy, it will become valuable to this section of country, " White Virginia May'''' somewhat resembles the white flint in its growth; straw not as large, the berry of a reddish cast, and very flinty, weighing from sixty-three to sixty-six lbs. to the bushel. This is the earliest variety that I have cultivated, ripening from six to eight days earlier than the common varieties, and has produced well where the common varieties have sufferred severely by rust. When sown late it has not produced as well as some others, not having time to tiller out, seldom producing more than one or two straws to a root. From 1800 to 1810 this was the favorite variety in the vicinity of the Chesapeake Bay, but now has lost its former quality, or is superceded by some more hardy and coarser varieties, that produce flour of a superior quality. The above are all winter varieties. I have culti- vated several varieties of spring wheat, but none of them will com- pete with winter wheats. The Italian is the most productive. The Tea wheat is of the best quality, much resembling the white flint in berry. The Italian is a strong red berry, bran thick, flour of not as fine quality as the Tea. No. 63. j 257 THE BES r BREED OF CATTLE— CROSSING. BY J. H. HEPBURN, JERSEY SHORE, PA, Among the subjects of inquiry embodied in your letter, I find the following: " Which is the most profitable breed of cattle '?" In an- swering this inquiry, it will be necessary to treat it in its broadest ac- ceptance, and pay no regard to the limited appUcation it would re- ceive, were its answer intended to apply to a particular district of country, where particular situation and particular qualities of soil and keeping would necessarily dictate the true answer to suit those pecu- liar circumstances. Taking it then in its broad meaning, a ready and short answer, if the times in which we live were less inquisitive and more easily satisfied without the why and the wherefore, would seem to some to be the best method of treating it. Leaving the communi- ty, for whose benefit particularly the answer is intended, to test and prove whether it is correct and true in all its bearings, I might say the Improved Durham Short Horn is the best breed of cattle for our country. So much has already been said and written to prove this assertion to be correct, that it is difficult to say or write any thing at this time of day, new upon the subject; so much so, that the person who un- dertakes to do it to any extent, will many times find himself repeat- ing the sayings and writings of others who have preceded him, and by whom it would appear almost the subject has been exhausted. This reflection would be nearly sufficient to deter most persons from an attempt to write at this day to enlighten or interest the communi- ty in this question. However, if much has been said and written up- on this subject, there are still very many persons yet to be convinced as to what is their true interest in the character of the stock they keep; and if in other countiies those arguments, and a publication of tlie practical results of experience has resulted in good, it is only an additional stimulant to try their publication here, in hope of the same effect. The subject however might be greatly varied, and with addi- tional interest to our community. I may enlarge the particular an- swer above given, as I proceed, and include with the Durham family that breed of cattle that can be produced by the Improved Durham Short Horn bull being crossed with our best common cows, (thus en- abling our farmers, whose profits would not enable them to procure the breed in its purity, to partake largely of the benefits resulting from the introduction of the Durhams among us;) stating at the same time some prominent faults in the management of the Durham bull and his progeny thus procured^ that call pretty loudly for correction. The great desideratum with the farmer and the grazier — for they are so intimately connected in our country, that where you find the one, you always have the other — in the selection of his stock of cat- tle, is to procure a breed that will yield him the greatest profit, both in the dairy and in the shambles; in other words, he wants a breed of cattle that will yield him the greatest return for the food consumed [Senate No. 63.J H* 258 [Senate by them in the shortest possible time. This, from the experience I have had in my own stock, and from the observation I have been able to make on the stock kept by others that have come under my notice, can be procured from no other breed of cattle than the Dur- hams, to the same extent. I have been so well assured of this from my own practical experience, that I am confident the greatest impedi- ment to the universal use of the Durham with all our farmers, arisen from their carelessness in not making themselves acquainted with the science of breeding. They do not consider that if they would have a good breed of cattle, they must have something to start with that has been fitted by care and attention to do that which they want done. They cannot produce a herd of Durham cattle from using a Durham bull with their common cow, and then going on to breed from half- blooded bulls and their old stock of cows. This course has been with many men an error that has proved fatal to their hopes. Many per- sons who have for years been the owners of large herds of cattle, have yet to learn the ABC of the science of breeding; and are even unacquainted with the meaning of the term " blooded" as applied to cattle. If they would call your attention to any particular animal in their collection, they will praise it for being the possessor of some pe- culiar excellence in their estimation, without even once mentioning the hereditary properties of the family from which it is descended; not knowing that to make good properties in the cow genus, permanent- ly valuable, they must have received them from their ancestors; and by a course of judicious breeding, have been fitted to transmit them again to their offspring; and that then, and only then, are they enti- tled to the application of the term " blooded." It is often amusing to hear the remarks and fancied profitable results that are to accrue from the " blooded calf'' that the farmer has obtained from a beauti- ful Durham bull that may have been driven through the country, and has accidentally come in contact with a diminutive, homeless, half- starved cow when she was in heat. When the progeny of this half- breed has been produced from some of his relatives on the side of the dam, to listen to the regrets and expressions of deep disappoint- ment, that the Durhams thus produced were no better than the old breed, after they had been carried through a similar course of starva- tion, upon sour skimmed milk and bleached corn-stalks, was enough to make a man — feel for his country. It has often been urged against the Durham cattle, as a very weighty objection to them, that they require more care and more attention to their keeping than the common stock of the country. This may be true in very many in- stances. For many, I was going to say the majority of farmers in our widely extended country, keep their stock in such a manner, that if it should happen to be made the subject of written communi- cation, and their names mentioned, would call forth a blush of the deepest crimson to their faces. Those who keep their cattle at pas- ture in the highway through the summer, when it requires their ut- most vigilance and activity to procure a " half fill" through the day and night, and in winter, shelter them upon the lee side of a pole fence, with an allowance of one sheaf of musty well bleached corn No. 63.J 259 stalks, or a handmll of straw, and keep them well littered with snow and ice, should never procure a Durham stock. Let them slick to something that has reached a point so far down in the scale of dete- rioration that they cannot get worse. To the man who is disposed to attend to the comlorts of his domestic animals as they should be at- tended to, 1 would hold a different language, and endeavor to prove to him that for this opinion, he is contradicted by the actual experi- ence of so many who have tried it, that it behooves him to lose no time in testing the matter for himself; as every year that he defers it, is adding largely, or at least proportionably, to his losses on the score of his stock of cattle. Admit the Durham requires care and a gene- rous supply of fodder, so far as it has been my lot to see them, I have never seen them lose upon this. Those that 1 have seen and knew to be kept well, always improved; and it has as yet always been the pride of those who owned them to make them do so. How far a sys- tem of privation would affect them, remains to be tested; but to those who have extended a liberal hand to them, they have invariably made a rich return for all their care and attention. Instances are not rare of animals of this breed who have attained the greatest known weights in the shortest known time. In addition to the numerous published cases of this kind, I may add one of my own. I had a bull calf sired by my bull "Sam Patch," out of one of my cows, that was dropped on the last day of March. He ran with his dam in the pas- ture, which was early and fine, until the first of September, when he was weighed in the presence of a number of witnesses, and drew, to their great astonishment, five hundred and eight pounds. Neither he nor his dam were allowed any thing in addition to grass, but salt, which they had as often as they would take it; and he had access to no other cow than his dam, from whom he could have had a supply of milk. I may also add, that this is not the only case 1 could men- tion, and I mention this one particularly only to show that I have, in addition to what some others have given to the public, some particu- lar data to go upon for what I say. How different are these weights and this return made for care and attention, from what I should have received from any other breed of cattle that we are acquainted with; and what a rich return to those farmers this would be, who, to carry on their operations profitably, rear a considerable number of calves annually. Indeed this early maturity, this great capacity to acquire such a ripeness of their good points as to carry such weights, while they are rapidly growing, constitutes one of the most valuable quali- fications of the Durham. Where dairy properties are in request, I feel free to say, without the least hesitation, the good qualities of the Durham stand pre-eminent. So far as my own experience goes, I have tested this matter to my satisfaction ; and on this point I speak after full examination, though my experience has not been very long. There is no qualification claimed for the Short Horn, that has been more caviled at than this same milking property. But it does appear to me, and certainly is, in those animals that I have known of this breed, a quality that without great injustice being done them, they cannot be deprived of. It is admitted, I believe, without hesitation, 260 [Senate that the early improved Uurhams were not generally so large milkers as they have become since the attention of the breeder has been turned to this point. Beef was the first object, and to get the greatest pos- sible amount of that in the animal was the desideratum, and the dairy was too much overlooked^ but in process of time the opponents of the Short Horns themselves brought them rapidly into notice, for this very quality. When attention was called to it, and selections for breeders made from those that were good " at the pail," the truth of the breeder's axiom, " like will produce likej" was triumphantly proved; and in a short time the Durham cow, selected and bred for that quality among her other good ones, stood as pre-eminent in the dairy as she had before for the shambles. And now the grazier, the dairyman and the butcher, all hold the same deep interest in her, a truth that can apply to no other breed of cattle, as a breed, in the wide world. All that is required to produce deep milking Durhams, is to breed for them. One of the strongest arguments in favor of the superior excellence of the Durham, is fairly deduced from the fact, that whenever the common cow, ragged and angular and defective as she may be, is served by a Durham bull, the progeny is at once decidedly superior to the dam in every respect; and if the bull should be descended from a family characterized by deep milking, the calf, if a heifer, never fails to have that quality developed to a very great extent. So great indeed is the development of this property, that many persons are to be found, who in view of it, declare they would rather have the half breed than the whole. But this is easily accounted for. They consult an injudicious economy, and do not so much consider what they really want, as what they are willing to pay for. Great is the mis- take of that man who prefers half bloods to full bloods, and who, for the purpose of getting them, purchases a half blood bull to commence with. However, such cases of short sightedness are by no means rare, and nothing but a proper knowledge of breeding, a desire to obtain which must be induced by increased interest in this subject, by diffusing a history of its benefits among the community, can or will effect this. There is a want of principle among many breeders, on a small scale, that has been practiced to a considerable extent, that I have no doubt has done much towards retarding the increase of the Durhams in our country. I allude to the practice of selling grade cattle for full blood ! ! The community have in many instances, (some to my knowledge,) been cheated in this way, and a great amount of prejudice excited by the disappointment experienced in the progeny of such bulls, where they have been used to better the stock of a neighborhood. There is, however, a pretty sure remedy for this evil if the pur- chaser will only apply it. Let him in the first place, take the pains to inform himself what a good bull should be, in his appearance and the manner in which his points should be proportioned and develop- ed, to make up the form of the whole animal. Then upon inspection of his pedigree, and acquiring a knowledge No. 63.] 261 of what valuable properties have been hereditary in the faniily from which he is descened, he will be able to discover exactly whether he is getting such a bull as he wants or not. This may sound strange to many, to be told that so much care and pains, and perhaps ex- pense, "must be taken in selecting a bull to breed cattle from. Let it be so; I have yet to learn, that in the ordinary course of affairs, any thing valuable or really worth possessing on account of its in- trinsic good properties, is to be obtained without such care and cost and labor. It is an error into which many cattle raisers have fallen, that they suppose, that if they once become possessed of a really good bull, the business is done with reference to producing a supe- rior herd of cattle. Acting upon this principle, the community have frequently commended individuals for the spirit displayed in the purchase at a large price, of some celebrated Durham bull, when in truth by their course of management with that bull, their conduct has gone farther and done more towards extinguishing a right spirit in young breeders who were observing them, than whole volumes written in opposition to the Durhams could have done. They have used their bull for a year or two, and when perhaps the first bull calf they have obtained from him and some favorite common cow, (accidentally in their possession, not particularly se- lected and that may not in reality be even a third rate animal,) is old enough for service, the full blood bull is disposed of, and they con- tinue to breed from this bull calf and their old stock, just as it may happen. They still consider themselves improving their stock, while it is evident to those who closely observe that they are retro- grading. If all our cattle raisers were men of acute observation in this matter, the thing might, under certain regulations, guided by a habit of closely studying their stock, be brought to do ])retty well at the end of many years, but this unfoitunately is not the case. The general cattle raiser must depend for his choice bulls and cows upon the scientific breeder who studies his business and devotes his time and his attention to the work, and the country generally will find their account in making it the interest as well as the pride of such men to keep up a stock of such animals for the market. It is not so easy a matter to form, — if I may be allowed the ex- pression,— a new breed of cattle, as many persons who are but little, if any, versed in the science of breeding, suppose. It requires a degree of acquaintance with the habits and charac- teristics of the animals, and an amount of management and skill and indomitable perseverance that falls to the lot of few men to possess. It is much the better plan for the ordinary breeder, when he is suited in a bull possessing the qualities he wishes, to use him until he has stamped those characteristics upon his stock, say for three or four crosses, which is not too deep breeding in such cases. After he has pursued this course for some years, let him dispose of that bull and procure another of full blood, from another family, and if possible possessing those same good qualities, to carry on his work. By such a course judiciously persevered in, the most valuable traits of the Durham may be acquired; yes, and maintained too. The breeding 262 [Senate and keeping of good cattle is very like the making of and keeping up the soil. It requires constant care and unwearied attention, and a judicious rotation of the proper crops. The bull selected should be as free from defect in his make and shape as it is possible to obtain, and when making his selection, the breeder should always remember, that one great desideratum in stock is to get " the greatest possible weight in the smallest possible com- pass." It is not the largest looking animal to the unpracticed eye, that is always the heaviest, when you come to apply the tape line, or the scale beam. Great weight in cattle should and generally does, con- sist more in a ripeness and fullness of the good points, than in the large and coarse formation of the frame and limbs. This full de- velopment of the points and value can be observed by any one who is in the habit of paying attention, to acquire a knowledge of what constitutes value in the carcass of the cow. Admit for the sake of the argument, that the Durham requires more keep than the common breeds of the country. For my own part, and I think I have also seen it stated by others, I am satisfied that they will eat and keep better upon coarser and rougher fodder, than will our common cattle. To show the amount of my practice in one case to obtain this result, permit me to state my course of manage- ment with my bull " Sam Patch." He has a strong tendency to be- come too fat in the grass season, so much so that I have been com- pelled to reduce him; and I assure you, it has not been easy to effect that object with considerable care. I have sometimes had him tied up in his stall about the middle of June, and after keeping him at a moderate allowance of hay for a week or tw^o, we could not perceive that he was any poorer than when he was taken from the grass. I have then directed him to be fed upon straw alone, and have always observed that even at that season of the year he would eat himself full with avidity. In fact, summer or w^inter, I have never seen my cattle refuse straw or the roughest hay or grass we placed before them. Be it what it will, if it is sound, and such fod- der as can be eaten by any cattle, they will consume it, and be ap- parently satisfied with it. And this is not because their allowance is short by any means, for they show their keeping as well as any other herd that is to be found in the neighborhood. I might go on and detail my own practice, for the purpose of showing that the as- sertions I have made are fully carried out by the facts, as I have stated them, in several instances, but as my object was general in the commencement of the paper, I will leave those matters for fur- ther communications. No. 63.] 263 AYRSHIRE CATTLE. BY GEORGE RANDALL, NEW-BEDFORD, MASSACHUSETTS. I will now attempt to give you some account of my importation of Ayrshires; but allow me first to state, that I have no pretensions as a good judge of stock, or of science as a breeder. 1 have imported from Scotland two bulls, not near connected by blood, to avoid that miserable practice of in-and-in breeding; also four cows and one young quey. Three of the cows were in calf when imported. One had a calf prematurely, and died from inflammation on the lungs. One cow died from eating a very small quantity of paint, and she left me a heifer calf six weeks old, by my bull Rob Roy. My stock was all bred by Mr. Lawrence Drew of Carmyle, near Glasgow. He has been a very successful breeder, and has taken very many premiums. My best bull, Rob Roy^ was six years old in May last; he was out of a cow called Daisy. In June, 183S, Daisy took the eighth first premium at the County Shows of Scotland, and in September, 1838, she took the first premium of twenty guineas, at the Highland Society's Show at Glasgow, (open to the United Kingdom,) and became outlawed, viz: she could not be shown again for a premium. Rob Roy had the first premium awarded him at the show of four counties, at Baileston, (Scotland,) in June, 1838, as the best bull in the two years old class. In 1840 he had the first premium awarded him at the Show of the Windham and Norwich Counties Society at Norwich, Connecticut; and in 1841, the Massachusetts Agricultural Society gave him the first premium at Bridgewater. This society gave premiums on blood stock only. This bull Rob Roy, is. strictly speaking, a dairy bull, and very high bred; perfectly quiet; never had a ring in his nose, and a child four years old can drive him, and do anything with him. He is much in- clined to take on flesh; has been wintered on barley straw^ and one and a half peck of ruta bagas per day; did not have one particle of hay, and come out in the spring looking like a stall fed animal. He has not had a particle of grain or meal since he came to the United States, excepting two days when on the road to Connecticut, when he had some oats. In a word, 1 will say, give him as much good English hay as he will eat, and he will be too full fed. My cow Swinley was seven years old in May last; was in calf when I imported her in 1839, by a high bred bull that took the first premi- um at B:iileston, in June, 1839. The premium was a massive silver medal elegantly wrought, and seven sovereigns. The calf from Swinley was a quey, dropped March 20th, 1840. I call her Maggy, She is very much like her mother, and bids fair to rival her as a milker. She gave me a heifer calf on the 3d of April last, by my second imported bull Roscoe, and for more than two months she gave twelve quarts of milk per day. Swinley is a small cow, low in the leg, fine in all her points, high bred, and is what I should call a large cow in a small C07npass, and 264 [Senate if well fatted, would probably weigh from seven fifty to eight hun- dred poumls. Her last calf was a quey, by Roscoe, dropped the 23d of April. The greatest quantity of milk per day was in June, and 25 quarts, (when I speak of quarts I wish to be understood the old fashion milk or beer measure;) and the largest quantity of butter per week has been fourteen pounds. Swinley is a high bred cow, out of a cow called Rachel, who, when five years old, had taken five first premiums at the county shows. My last imported cow, Crumraie, was shipped from Glasgow, via Liverpool, in April, 1841. She was in calf by a thorough bred bull owned by Mr. Drew. He speaks of the bull as the best he ever owned, or ever expects to own. Crummie was five years old at the time she was shipped, in April, 1841. - She dropped her calf the first of March, '41, and wlien shipped was giving 24 quarts of milk per day. She was hurt across her back on the voyage, and did not get over it up to the time she gave me a bull calf, on the 7th of Febru- ary last. She got up to 22 quarts of milk per day, but did not ex- ceed that quantity at anytime after calving. If she continues to do well, I shall expect her to give 26 quarts per day, next season. I have two young Ayrshire heifers, bred by Mr. Gushing of Water- town, Mass., from stock he imported. Each gave me a heifer calf, one in June, the other in July last, one by my bull Rob Roy, the other by Roscoe. I have four heifer calves this year, all full blood- ed, and of much promise. I do not allow a calf to suck the mother, not even to know what a teat is. We take them off and bring them up by hand, giving them new milk for a fortnight; after that we give them skimmed milk, with a small quantity of Indian or oatmeal in the same. As to my success in breeding, I think I may say I have been suc- cessful, although on a small scale. I shall have seven full blooded Ayrshires to come in next year; have four full blooded heifer calves, two bulls and one bull calf, which is all the full blooded stock I have. In my opinion the Ayrshires are better adapted to the short pas- ture and fickle climate ot New-England, than any breed of cattle with which I am acquainted. They are not great consumers of food, and 1 think give a greater return in butter and milk for the food they con- sume than other breeds. I have several very good native cows; and in winter the natives and Ayrshires are standing together, and are fed alike, as to quantity of roots, all having what hay they require, but there is a very marked difference in their appearance in the spring, and in favor of Ayrshires. From their disposition to take on flesh, I should think them a superior stock to breed from for the shambles. But I think where a long bite is always to be found, and other pro- vender in abundance, nothing will ever rival the Improved Short Horns for early maturity and quantity of beef. No. 63.] V 265 MR. RUST'S OX— NATIVE CATTLE— CROSSING— VALUE OF CROSS BRED ANIMALS AT THE PAIL AND IN THE YOKE— THEIR HARDINESS. BY HENRY S. RANDALL, CORTLANDVILLE. The celebrated ox, fed by Mr, Rust, a portrait of which was given in the last volume of Transactions, was bred by Jabez Abels, in the spring of 1834, near Cazenovia, and was kept by him until somewhat over three years old. He was then sold to a Mr. Smith of Woodstock, who in the March following, sold him to F. Kimber, a butcher of Syracuse. He subsequently changed hands several times, and finally was purchased by Mr. Rust, on the 19th of Feb. 1841. He weighed at that time 2,360 lbs. On the 16th day of January following, his weight was 3,400 lbs. Some time in July, 1842, he was weighed in a canal weigh lock, with as much accuracy as the case would admit of, and he weighed 4,100 lbs.* Feed. — Besides hay, in the winter he was generally fed about half a bushel of ruta bagas or potatoes, and about 12 quarts of corn meal per day. The last summer he was daily fed 12 quarts corn and 4 quarts oil meal, and during the latter portion of the time the meal was boiled. He always eat well, which Mr. Rust attributes in a measure to feeding him raw onions, (two or three each day,) which course he adopted in consequence of a suggestion from Mr. Wm. Gibbons, the celebrated horse and cattle breeder of New-Jersey. Pedigree. — Mr. Abels, the breeder of this ox, is dead. Not a par- ticle of proof exists to show that this famous animal had a drop of any other blood in his veins, than that known as the " Native" — and all the facts and circumstances which can be discovered in relation to his breeding, go to show that the assumption that he was of Here- ford descent, is entirely gratuitous. It is not pretended that this assumption rests on any other fact, than that he was brown in color, with a white face! All know this is not an unusual color in our na- tive cattle. And at the time of his birth, not a Hereford had ever been introduced into that section of our State. This fine ox, in the judgment of connoisseurs, rivaled in form and in his valuable points, the best animals of the most improved breeds. He was as active and sprightly as a young bullock, to the last. At the State Fair in September, the crowds who constantly thronged about him, found it difficult to keep pace with him walking, when he was led about by his groom. We are quite willing to concede that this animal cannot be re- garded as an average specimen of the race he represents. But it would seem to establish one important point, i. e. that our native breed has., and therefore may again, produce animals superior for the shambles, as it has concededly, in innumerable instances, produced those of the highest milking properties. In comparing our fatted * This ox was slaughtered in the city of New-York, this winter, but we have ns yet been una- ble to obtain his weight, &c. [Senate, No. 63.J I* 266 [Senate cattle with those of England, we sometimes are disposed to forget the difference in the time, feed, care and skill, usually made use of by the English and American feeder, in preparing animals for the butcher. The ox under consideration is but one of several, of nearly equal quality, which have been fattened by Mr. Rust. Under the skillful management of this gentleman, thousands of those which are now annually sent half fed and half fattened to market, might be made to rival those which have been fed by him. The Geneva and Elbridge cattle, exhibited at the State Fairs, go to support the same conclusion. We shall not be understood as asserting that our " Native" breed is the best, or even equal to some foreign varieties. But what we wish to impress on the public mind is this, that our " native" breed, or a judicious selection of them, will furnish the suitable ground- work, on which the American breeder can, by selection and crossing^ upbuild an improved variety .^ excelled by none. If this can be done, every one must perceive the superior convenience and economy of such a course, over the attempt to substitute an entire foreign breed for our own. That it is in process of being done, and that it has al- ready been measurably accomplished, we are willing to submit to the ordeal of the show yard, the sha^mbles, or the pail. After some experience with several English varieties, our conclu- sion is unhesitating, that it is to the blood of the Improved Short Horn, mainly, that we are to look for the ameliorating change. We will not pretend to say, that " dashes" of other blood would depre- ciate, or under certain circumstances, would not even prove advan- tageous, to the produce of such a cross. For high or thin soils, the cross effected by a Durham and Devon bull, on our native stock, might be superior to that effected by a pure Durham, &c. There is less of skill and mystery in making the first cross between the Durham and the native, than many suppose. That there will be a disparity between the produce of different cows by the same bull, is of course true. But with the proper bull, the cross will always be a successful one — that is to say, the produce will always be a decided improvement on the dam. But the qualities of the dam will always more or less affect those of the offspring, and therefore we should breed from cows possessing, so far as they can be obtained, the points desired in the produce. We have used the phrase " the proper bull," — and this does not always mean the best bull, when judged by the standard of the im- proved variety to which he belongs. Ample experience has abundant- ly convinced us that many superior bulls of the Short Horn variety are not successful stock getters with native cows. It is to be regret- ted that a proper respect to the feelings of others does not perait us to specify instances of this in animals well " known to fame." The largest class of Durham bulls rarely succeed with the native cow; and if inclining to coarseness, the failure is still more apparent. A large and coarse bull usually gets shapeless, overgrown calves. There is a family of Durhams characterized by great height and length — standing on high bony legs, and which, although not desti- No. 63.] 267 tute of a certain symmetry themselves, cross but indifferently well with native cows. The true bull for the cross is one full in all his points, but small of his kind. He should be delicate to a fault. Animals are sometimes said by breeders to be bred " too high" or " loo fine." This is produced sometimes by in-and-in breeding, some- times by breeding between sires and dams, both inclining towards the same fault. For example, " Volage"* was a cow of uncommon beau- ty and style, but small and delicate to a fault. She was bred to " Mammon," (Herd Book No. 2,297,) a bull possessing precisely si- milar characteristics. The produce was a bull, (Volunteer,) which exhibited all the indications of an " overbred" animal. He was small, not exceeding in bone and carcass many bulls of the native variety. Yet the produce of this bull with native cows, has been pronounced by competent judges unsurpassed, and entirely superior to that of many, in individual properties, far superior bulls. All the most suc- cessful stock getters we have ever known with native cows, have been small and very fine boned animals. Grade heifers and steers have been bred from ordinary looking cows in repeated instances, in this county, which bore so close a re- semblance to the pure Short Horn, that it would be difficult for any one to distinguish between them. Some of the best milkers ever rais- ed in the county, are among these grade heifers. On the average, they are clearly and manifestly superior to the native stock in this particular. Another important point we consider equally establish- ed, viz: that the grade steers will make good working oxen. We have examined a yoke of three year olds, coming four, during the past week, owned by Mr- Alfred Chamberlain of this town. They are of a high Durham form, white, except the ears and nose, and weighed about a fornight since, 3,130 pounds. Mr. C, whose vera- city is not only above question, but above suspicion, informed us that these steers had been almost constantly at work during the past sum- mer, doing the principal work of a medium sized farm, and that they had received no extra keep beyond that allowed by most farmers to laboring cattle. They are not large in frame, and their weight pro- ceeds from their condition! Other grade steers have been put to the yoke, by several of our farmers, and in all cases with satisfactory re- sults. There is yet another point to be considered in estimating the value of this cross, to wit: their hardiness and endurance of coarse or short keep. We will first detail our own experience during the present winter, which only serves to corroborate that of other years. Our farm was severely affected by a drouth during the past summer, and our hay crops were very light. We have wintered up to the pre- sent time, (Feb. 14th,) between thirty and forty head of grade Dur- hams, as follows: the yearlings have got one feed of hay daily, and two of barley and oat straw, and nothing else. Every one is in good condition — better than that of one herd in twenty of native yearlings, however kept. Twenty head of cows and heifers receive a feed of *Bred by Mr. Rotch. The pedigree of this animal is incorrectly given in the Herd Book, she having been confounded with another animal of the same name. 268 [Senate hay at the stacks in the morning; they are stabled towards night and fed straw, and the twenty receive three bushels of potatoes daily. One out of the twenty receives meal, on account of having entered the winter thin in flesh. With the exception of three heifers, which were allowed to suckle late calves, and consequently entered the win- ter poor, all are in first rate condition. Some of them are fat, and not one has fallen away. Last week we made an excursion among some of our breeders of grades, with a view to ascertain if the experience of others coincided with our own in wintering this kind of stock. Mr. Lyman Hubbard of Homer, has a herd principally the pro- duce of a bull bred by ourselves, which we shall hereafter have oc- casion to allude to. Like ourselves, Mr. H. gives but one feed of hay daily, and straw with a small allowance of roots, equaling probably about four or five quarts per head. Every grade animal in his pos- session, with the exception of a single sick one, are in fine thriving condition. A native heifer among his yearlings, fed like the rest, was the poorest one in the lot. Mr. Hubbard is fully satisfied that the grades are as hardy and as easily kept as " any cattle ever owned by him." Mr. Manly Hobart of Homer, owns the bull spoken of as the sire of Mr. Hubbard's stock. He is four years old past, and is three- fourths Durham, and one-fouth New^-Leicester. This bull has been fed exclusively on straw through the winter, until quite recently, and he now receives a trifling allowance of roots. He has the ap- pearance of a high fed animal! From experience with this, and va- rious grades bred by him, Mr. Hobart considers them as hardy, and as patient of coarse keep as the natives. Mr. Alfred Chamberlain, already referred to, had fed similarly and arrived at similar conclusions. Hon. John Miller, and John Jeff"rey, Esq. of Truxton; the Messrs. Boies, Mr. Joshua Chamberlain of this town, and many others who have bred grades to a considerable extent, unite in the same opinion. Indeed, we consider the point a settled one, where the grades are the get of medium sized, compact, artd har- dy constitutioned Durham bulls. . It is to be regretted that the spirited breeders of grade stock in this county should omit the opportunity of exhibiting their animals at the State Fairs. It would aflford an excellent opportunity for those who object to crossing to submit their theories to the test of experi- ment. We will engage, should any breeder of pure bloods invite such an appeal, to exhibit grade animals at the next State Fair, which shall not fall below the average of the pure bloods of the same age, which shall be there exhibited. No. 63.J 269 HINTS ON DESCRIBING FRUITS. BY JOHN J. THOMAS, MACEDON. It is a source of much gratification that the culture of fruit is recei- ving in some measure its proportion of the increased attention to ru- ral pursuits. Great neglect, it is true, still exists; a good fruit gar- den, properly so called, is at the present momenta great rarity in most parts of our country. There are indeed many collections which contain some fine fruits, but very lew which consist entirely of selec- tions from first rate kinds, and which afford an uninterrupted succes- sion of the best throughout the whole year. A part of this deficiency is owing to apathy, and a part to the dif- ficulties in the introduction of the best varieties. Among these diffi- culties, are the numerous errors in the names of fruits, existing all over the country, and the consequent perplexity in procuring those which are genuine; the multiplication of new varieties differing but slightly from old and celebrated ones; the limited and local know- ledge of such varieties, whose adaptation to other regions has never been proved, and the disappointment when they are transplanted to other and ungenial climates; and not least, the meagreness, looseness, and inaccuracy of nearly all books of descriptions which have yet been published. To remedy these difficulties, it is obvious that nu- merous experiments must be resorted to. Extensive collections of fruit must be made from all practicable sources, and their adaptation to the various soils, situations and climates of our country, thoroughly tested. The importance of attention to the variation in fruit caused by a change in soil and climate, appears to be much underrated. We have been too much governed in our reasoning and practice in this as in other matters of culture, by the practice on the other side of the Atlantic. The London Horticultural Society made a collection of some thousands of varieties, and a minute and careful examination of these for several successive years, afforded the means of deciding on their merits, names and synonyms. In a country so limited in extent as England, these experiments, and the descriptions and characters resulting from them, were applicable without much variation to every part. But the climate of America is greatly different. Hence we find that European fruits of the highest quality, when introduced here, become in most cases of little value. Probably not half a dozen of the whole British catalogue of apples, when grown in this country, will bear any comparison with such of our finest table fruits as the Swaar, Spitzenburg, and Rhode Island Greening. Yet in the face of these facts, many of our books of fruits copy the English descriptions without a word of variation. The same change in quality results in some degree from a change of locality here. The extreme portions of the United States are almost as remote from each other as Norway and the Great Desert in the old world; and fruit well adapted to one portion, may be wholly unfit for another, even in the same latitude. 270 [Senate Many of the pears cultivated by the late Robert Manning of Salem, and considered by him as of great excellence, when grown in western New-York, from grafts cut by his own hands, are certainly only se- cond or third rate. That this is not entirely owing to a difference in mere taste, is inferred from the fact that the Virgalieu, which in most parts of New-York is decidedly one of the finest varieties, is pronoun- ced by Kenrick in the neighborhood of Boston to be " an outcast, in tolerable even to sight." It is true that pears are more affected by circumstances, than most other fruits; but these facts should teach us caution, especially in preparing descriptions. Hence experiments from a single collection on a large scale, in any one part of the United States, could not be relied on as of general ap- plication throughout the country. Several such collections would be needed according to differences in climate and other affecting causes. It will be evident that'the groundwork and desired end, will be ac- curate descriptions, not only for identifying old and well known va- rieties, but for rendering the others easily known. Peculiar difficulties exist in describing fruits. Different species are distinguished by strong and unvarying marks; hence specific charac- ters in botany are attended with little difficulty. But varieties pass into each other by insensible shades; or often differ so slightly and by such variable characters, that it becomes exceedingly difficult to discriminate. Even experienced cultivators find it necessary to place different varieties of fruit together before the eye, which, when taken apart, might be pronounced identical. Hence the impossibility of speaking with confidence in many cases from mere descriptions, how- ever excellent and perfect they may be. It may be proper to exhibit briefly some of the perplexities which cultivators must contend with in the use of most of the works already published. It seems indeed, that in proportion to the difficulties, has been the want of care and attention. A few instances out of many, are given by way of illustration, not to find fault, but to show where we stand. English writers possess the advantages of long experi- ence and small territory, yet Mcintosh says that the nomenclature of pomology, " has long been a disgrace to the horticultural literature of the country." What shall we say then of our own country 1 It will be observed in the following examples, that those fruits are chief- ly selected which are not encumbered with doubtful synonyms, and the discrepancies are not therefore from different varieties with the same name: Alexander apple — " Excellent and valuable fruit." Lindley, Kenrick. " First rate." Downing. " Second rate — shy bearer." Mcintosh. Swaar — " Skin greenish color, blush on the sunny side." Floy. " Yellow." Downing. " Flesh juicy and well flavored, but woif ricA." Mannhig. " Great and uncommon flavor and richness.'^'' Coxe, Bridg- man. Summer Queen — " Of ihe finest quality." Coxe. " Second rate." Downing. No. 63.] 271 R. I. Greening — " Roundish.'''' Downing. " Flattened at base and summit." Kenrick. Priestly — " Form ohlong.^^ Kenrick. *' Roundish.'^ Downing. Pennock — " Flat.'" Downing. " Roundj rather oblong." Manning. Yellow Harvest — " Roundish.''^ Downing. " Flat.'''' Mannings Coxe. Ribston Pippin — " Of a Jlat form." Manning. " Roundish." Downing^ Bridgman. " Globular." Kenrick. Old Newington peach — " Flowers of small size." Prince. " Flowers large." Lindley. Madeleine pear — " Stalk an inch long." Lindley. '^ Very long, often two inches." Prince. It may be remarked that form, color, and other characters may va- ry; though it is believed the average of specimens in the average of seasons, cannot greatly differ. But there is one quality, which in the midst of change and discrepancy, is always resorted to as a final and decisive test. This is the flavor^ which is indeed the great distin- guishing point in all varieties of fruit. But strange as it may seem, not one quarter of all the descriptions in books state whether a fruit is even sweet or sour., and some which do, contain such palpable er- rors that the statement is of no value. For instance, the Alexander, Summer Queen, and other decidedly sour apples, are described as " sweet'''' by some of our authors; and the term " sugary," applied to rich sour apples is common both here and in England. A few addi- tional instances are given: Imperial Violet plum — " Sweety and of a rich taste." Prince. " Harsh.) acid." Kenrick. Madeleine pear — " Flesh melting, buttery, sweet." Lindley. " Taste sugary." Coxe. " With a most agreeable acid." Manning. Yellow Egg plum — " Rather sweet., with but little flavor." Prince. " Flesh sprightly, juicy and fine." Coxe. '■^ Acid and austere." Kenrick. At the same time that this most important character is thus over- looked, others common to all varieties of one species are carefully noted. It is well known for instance that one of the universal marks of the plum (and some other stone fruits,) is a suture.) extending ge- nerally half way round, and opposite to one edge of the stone. This suture is sometimes nearly obselete or only a single line on the sur- face, and at others a deep furrow; and simply naming the suture is no character at all. The following are from an American work: Orleans — " One side of the fruit marked by a suture." Wilraot's Orleans — " A suture running through one side." Jacinthe — " Divided on the side which is parallel with the edge of the stone by a suture." The covering denominated bloom, it is also known, is common in 272 [Senate a greater or less degree on all plums; yet the following and many more precisely similar, are from a single work: Maitre Claude — " Covered with a thin white bloom." Purple Egg — " Skin covered with bloom." Swiss — " Skin covered with bloom." Early Tours — " Skin covered with bloom." Violet Perdrigon — " Skin covered with bloom." Red Perdrigon — " Covered with bloom." White Diaper — " Covered with bloom." St. Julien — " Covered with bloom." St. Martin — " Covered with bloom." Italian Damask — " Skin wdth a bloom," &c. &c. Endless contradictions might be quoted to show the confusion in synonyms. This confusion has been in a great degree removed in England, by the labors of the London Horticultural Society; but even those high standard works, Lindley, and Mcintosh, contain some striking disagreements. For example, the varieties which Lindley describes as Grosse Mignonne, Niel's Early Purple, Pourpree Hative, Royal Kensington, and Superb Royal, are all described by Mcintosh as a single variety under the name of Grosse Mignonne, of which he gives thirty-two synonyms. But it is needless to extend these quotations further, and indeed it is no pleasant task thus to exhibit the great neglect and want of care which has more or less characterized this branch of horticultural li- terature. The disease, however, must be known before the remedy can be applied; and the distinguished authors whom I have quoted, should this ever meet their eyes, will, I doubt not excuse me, espe- cially as contradictions do not imply that all are wrong. These great deficiencies I have never seen pointed nut; and the perplexities which I have met with, and the hope of offering something useful, have induced me to furnish these hints, which I shall close by suggesting a few points for attention, in writing descriptions. 1. A thorough knowledge of the fruit should be obtained by seve- ral years cultivation in different soils and circumstances, and a close examination of the quality compared with that of other varieties, and of the variations in size, shape, color, and flavor, from various in- fluences. 2. After this examination, all the distinctive and permanent cha- racters should be selected and carefully noted; or if those of a vary- ing nature are employed in description, the fact should be stated. 3. The most striking and unchanging marks should be taken as a guide to classification; as for instance, in the peach, the glands of the leaves, and the distinctive qualities of pavies and melters. As taste is a very important quality, no pains should be spared to describe it as distinctly as possible. As an example, the degrees of sourness in apples, may be expressed by numbers, as follows; — 1. Sweet — as Tallman Sweeting, Bough, Jersey Sweet, Autumnal Swaar. 2. Perceptible shade of Acid — as Black Gilliflower, Pennock, Swaar, Rambo, Peck's Pleasant. No. 63.| 273 3. Sub-acid — as Fall Pippin, Priestly, Baldwin, Sine Qua Non, Red Juneating. 4. Acid — as ^Esopus Spitzenburg, Rhode Island Greening, Graven- stein, Jonathan. 5. Very acid — as Summer Queen, Kirk's Lord Nelson. 6. Very acid and austere — as Hewe's Crab, Siberian Crab. Other qualities of taste may be described in a similar manner by comparison with our most celebrated and well known fruits. The preceding examples are given only by way of illustration; the gra- dations may not be correct in all cases, as they are named entirely from memory. There are many other points of greater or less degree of perma- nence, as time of ripening, color, size, shape, growth of the tree, marks of the leaves, size of the flow^er?, &c. most of which will assist in describing and classification. The importance of establishing extensive pomological collections for examining the host of varieties which exist in the United States, must be obvious. Such collections, in some instances, are already commenced, but being in private hands, must be more limited than if the work of an association with extended influence and power. It would, perhaps, be hardly proper for the State Agricultural Society to undertake any thing of the kind; but whether it might not be highly useful in collecting and disseminating varieties, is suggested as a matter for consideration. REMARKS ON SHEEP BREEDING. BY SOLOMON W. JEWETT, WEYBRIDGE, VERMONT. So far as your inquiries in regard to sheep are concerned, I shall rely mostly on my own observation, a little on others better informed, for the views I may give you. Your inquiry respecting the cross- ing of Merino and Saxony with the South Down, is, I think, readily answered. My own mind is fully matured on that subject. No doubt but to select choice fine wooled bucks and breed from the South Down ewes, would be the best cross that could be ob- tained from coarse wooled sheep, for our latitude, for the latter va- riety of sheep appears to be a connecting link between the fine and coarser breeds. In this cross, the lambs would gain the best possible chance for milk, whereby all points of carcass would have full chance for a natural development. But to let the large coarse breeds of sheep into a flock of small boned fine wooled ewes, would be ruinous to the flock, as I have seen fully tested. It is against the laws of nature to perfect a larger race of animals from females of much smaller stature. The carcass is not only too small to deliver the offspring, but incapable of affording sufficient nutriment either in embryo or after birth. If mutton be the object, what can you [Senate No. 63.] K* 274 [Senate produce better than the many valuable coarse varieties that have been introduced among us 1 If fineness of fleece, without any other consitleration, the Saxon Merino never will be rivaled. If you de- sire a flock of good fair sized animals, sheep that will endure our climate, that are able to withstand the sudden changes of weather, with fleeces of fine grade, mutton not of the best quality, and yet palatable, then I contend that the Merinoes are the most profitable breed. The Paular Merino, or what some term "old fashioned Merino," are the most hardy and most profitable of this breed. There ap- pears to be a general visionary desire in many of the States for cros- sing the many diflerent breeds of sheep to obtain a new, distinct and valuable variety. As it requires several generations to obtain a nev/ and perfect cross, no breeder can fairly tr^ the experiment by a few crossings. Time and money could be better laid out in improving such breeds at hand as each may admire; by carefully selecting the most perfect bucks for the large and best breeding ewes; and in the mean time if wool be the object, regard should be had as to quality and quantity of fleece; for constitution, size of limb and breadth of carcass; and a good breeder must have milking qualities. For some years past I have particularly noticed how the coarse breeds of sheep have been " cracked up" in laudatory terms at most of the cattle shows throughout the States, and high premiums awarded, when at the same time mention was scarcely made of the finer breeds, as though they were but secondary creatures in producing materials for the comfort of man. In looking over many of the agricultural periodicals, we find plates of mutton sheep got up with a good finish, but the Merino, or indispensable breeds, are not worthy of a place in their columns. In my view, the Merinos are the most perfect sheep ever bred among us; and I would as soon think of an amalgamation of the Asiatic, African, or native American, with the Anglo Saxon race, to obtain an improved race of people, as to think of crossing any one of the coarser breeds of sheep upon the perfect Merinoes to obtain a more valuable variety. Many have crossed the Saxon on the Spanish Merino, but there is scarcely one experimenter that will now claim that he has effected any improvement, but very many will acknowledge that they have suffered a loss. It must be an established fact, that the fleece can- not be improved in fineness except at the expense of carcass, nor the carcass improved by high keep or a cross upon a robust or larger breed, without deterioration in the fleece. The in-and-in system when continued to some extent, will also produce a finer fleece and a more slender constitution, although the stock bucks may be care- fully selected. Many old breeders in this State assert that their flocks have improved in fineness, which they attribute almost wholly to the peculiarities of our climate. The same may be said of our grass lands; the herbage is thicker, shorter and finer in general than can be found in distant parts. Our mountainous State may also exult in our freedom from those swamps and stagnant waters, which generate No. 63.J 275 malaria, and those insects that are so annoying to the cattle and sheep of many other States and Territories. That every variety of sheep will thrive well in the same latitudes of country, is not to be supposed^ and even the best breeds of Me- rinoes may not succeed in all parts of the United States. It has been eti'ectually proved, that sheep of the finer breeds cannot thrive well in England and Ireland, probably owing in part to the humidity of that climate. Where breeders are desirous to propagate more of one sex than of the other, if males ^ they may be multiplied by selecting ewes of less vigor, over or under middle age; those that have not arrived to a perfect state, and others that have arrivetl to maturity and now on the decline, and also feebler ewes of any age; and let in bucks that are healthy and in full prime, say four and five years old, and let them tup no more than five or six each day. The elfcct will be that moie buck than ewe lambs will be generated. The reverse will produce the contrary eifect; that is, use young bucks, or old and more feeble ones, with healthy vigorous ewes, from four to six years old, and let the buck remain with the flock wliile in use, and more females will be Ibund among the lambs than males. It desirous to propagate a stock of sheep that shall resemble the buck in form, color and fleece, put him out in the day time among the ewes, and keep him from them nights. The lambs theieby will more of them be marked after the sire than there can be found to re- semble the female; but if the ewes are covered by night, their off- spring will most of them resemble the female. In trying the ex- periment fairly, the night should be dark, and a marked contrast in the sexes. I have seen it fairly demonstrated by dividing equally a flock of ewes, a daik gummy buck being let into one fold by night and into the other by day. In the two flocks there was a striking ditfeience in color and shape among the lambs. I have also noticed many flocks of lambs that were the offspring from bucks that were tended, that is, only remaining with the ewes an hour or so each day. The lambs produced by them invariably are more even in form and fleece, and mostly resemble the sire. Many careful and distinguish- ed English breeders of neat stock and horses, agree that the male has more influence than the female on the offspring. I think this influ- ence is nothing more nor less, and is effected only by the practice of covering in the day time. A syni'paihetic infiuence is active in mark- ing the progeny. Of all animals, perhaps none are more sensitive and sympathetic than the sheep, partaking of the same nature they maintained in the days of Jacob of old. It is recorded that he caused his flocks to be brown, ring-streaked, speckled and spotted, by laying before them rods of different colors at the time of conception. Let a black sheep, say wether, run among a flock of one hundred ewes at the time of coha- biting, and you need not be disappointed if you raise some black lambs. I have had lambs colored like tiie fox, with a tail more bushy than ordinarily, the end of which whiter than the rest of the fleece; also had them black and white, resembling the skunk; also of agrey- 276 [Senate. ish color, with a dark patch about the eyes, resembling the raccoon; but these freaks of nature are seldom lasting; the fleece will change nearly to its natural color after the first clip. In sheep, the many kinds that now prevail may be attributed partly to climate^ which acts on the thickness, staple and quality of the fleece, form and stature of the carcass. The coarsest of furs and wool of which 1 am acquainted, are the production of hot climates, and those of the thick finer qualities, are mostly from the colder regions. A certain degree of heat, though less than that of the tropics, ap- pears favorable to increase of stature. The effects of difi"erent kinds of food upon the animal are also as extensive and as wonderful as those of diff"erent climates. The fineness and coarseness of the wool, the firmness and flavor of the flesh, and extent of the stature, are all influenced by the nature of the diet. The South Downs, for instance, are said to have originated from a small hardy race of animals, which by careful attention and high keep for a long succession of years, have perfected a larger race of beautiful animals. The manner of life, also has had an influence in producing the dif- ferent kinds of sheep, as will be seen by comparing the breeds in Spain, the migratory with the stationary; the Siberian argali, with the sheep which are said to have sprung from it. But it is probable that a very great part of the more striking dis- tinctions that prevail, and almost all of the subordinate variations occasionally to be met with, are the result of a morbid and heredita- ry affection. At first by accident, or by some cause that we cannot discover, there has been produced an improvement or defect in a particular organ; it is astonishing to behold how readily it is often copied by the generative principle, and how tenaciously it adheres to the future offspring. Hence, hornless sheep and hornless cattle pro- duce an equally hornless offspring. The broad tailed Asiatic sheep yields a progeny with a tail equally monstrous, and often of not less than half a hundred pounds weight. . ' Some years since I had a cosset lamb which became diseased with the converging strabismus or cross eyes; it was first brought on by a very severe chase it received from a dog, causing great muscular ex- ertion and fright. All of her progeny, down to tlie third generation, have been marked with cross eyes, not able to discover objects but a few feet around them. Accident seems first to have produced this defect; but the strabismus has been wholly retained in the progeny. There is a very peculiar variety of sheep described by Col. Hum- phreys, and which the American naturalists have called from its bowed or elbow legs, Ovis ancon, but the common people " the otter breed," from its resemblance to the general form of the otter, and 'a rumor that it was first produced by an unnatural inteix^ourse beween indivi- duals of the two distinct kinds. So tenaciously has this deformity been preserved, that if a common sheep and Ancon sheep of either sex unite, the young will be either a perfect Ancon, or have no trace of it; and if two are lambed at a time, and one be of one variety and the other of the other, each is found to be perfect in its way, without any amalgamation^ therefore it might take several generations before the No. 63.] 277 defect of bow legs could be improved in this variety, and otherwise retain the original size and features of the Ancon sheep in other par- ticulars. Paular Merino Buck. I trust that a picture of a Paular Merino buck may be interesting and acceptable to the readere of this article. It is a favorite breed with me, and is gaining admirers generally throughout the wool grow- ing region of the New-England States, The enclosed picture was taken a few days since from one of my stock bucks, by a good artist, while the fleece is but six months in growth. He sheared last June, thirteen and one-fourth pounds of washed wool, it being his third fleece. His live weight is about one hundred and forty pounds. ON THE MOST PROFITABLE VARIETY OF SHEEP- ROOT CULTURE. BY WIGHTMAN CHAPMAN, MIDDLEBURY, VT. I HAVE raised sheep for twenty years. My flocks have numbered from four to seven hundred sheep, most of the time about five hun- dred. I have bred the Native, Saxony and Merino sheep. The best breed I have raised, is one-half blood Saxony, the other half Merino. In this opinion I shall not coincide with many distinguished sheep- breeders; but from experience in raising Saxony sheep twelve years, and having tried the above named cross, I am satisfied that they will ' 27S [Senate yielJ as great a quantity of v*'ool when they have an equal amount of i'eedj as any other breed with which I am acquainted, and that of a much better quality; I wish to be understood what kind of Saxony sheep I would have to breed from. Mine were bred from the flocks of Mr. Grarit-of Walpole, N. H. Twelve years since; we selected one hundred ewes from his valuable flocks. Three years they sheared on an average four pounds of wool per head each year; the fourth year they sheared three pounds fourteen ounces. Their keeping was good hay, with a small allowance of roots from the first of February to (he first of May,, and good feed in the summer. At the end of the fourth year, they were sold for $800. They v/ere selected entirely for their build, having broad shoulders, short legs and necks, heavy bodies, and were well wooled upon the legs and heads. The bucks, which were imported, we procured at Boston. They were inferior to the ewes in every respect, except fineress of fleece; and here was where so many with myself failed; for the valuable qualities of the ewes were all sacrificed for a little finer coat; and after ditTer en t per- sons had selected from my flock the bucks that were then pronoun- ced best, the more valuable ones were left. The effects of such breeding evidently soon began to show itself in light fleeces and weak constitutions. I have commenced breeding from the increase of the above named ewes with Merino bucks that have long thick wool, but not so coarse as most Merino sheep we have about here, and have more than realized my expectations; the lambs have heavy fleeces of good quality, and are well built. 1 have also observed the different cross- es that have been made in this town with these bucks and JMerino, Saxony and Native ewes; all of which prove that we can get lambs from the Saxony ewes that will shear more wool, than from either of the others. The sire of these bucks was brought from Lono- Island when one year old; and although he will be 11 years old next spring, is as active and in as good condition as any buck about here, and tups about 150 ewes yearly. His lambs are superior to any other we have with us. He sheared, when in his prime, about eleven pounds. He has been in this town three years; the oldest bucks we have fiom him are two years old, and sheared last spring from seven to nine pounds, yearlings from five to seven pounds eight ounces. He is supposed to have some Saxony blood, but how much is not known. There are a great variety of other breeds of sheep here; among which are a breed from Wallingsford in this State; they are sometimes called the Paular Merino, but they are not at all similar to the Paular Merinoes I have seen from the flock of Consul Jarvis, being ueing much larger and coarser.. For mutton, they are undoubtedly superior to most breeds we have here; but for wool, I think inferior to many others. The sheep I have seen from the flock of Consul Jarvis, are very nice, having wool of crood quality; I think bucks like the one I mentioned as coming from Long-Island, would im- prove them, and produce as valuable a breed of sheep as could be procured. ', . Attention to breeding will not make good sheep, if they suffer for No. 63.J 279 the want of care through our long winters. They should have good sheds to protect them from cold and wet weather. Old sheep should be foddered twice each day; giving them as much as they will eat at S o'clock, A. M., and 3 o'clock, P. M. They will do without wa- ter if they have plenty of clean snow; roots will promote digestion, and are preferable to grain for either ewes or lambs. The latter should be fodderetl three times each day, and have water. We have raised mangel wurtzels and sugar beets ever since they were first in- troduceil into this country. We now cultivate the beets in prefer- ence to the mangel wurtzels, and usually plant about two acres of beets and carrots, and about one-half acre of ruta bagas. We consi- der beets to be better than any other feed for fattening cattle, milch eows, working oxen, calves, horses, store and fatting liogs and sheep. We have fatted heifers on beets, that weighed when two years and six months old, 800 pounds, and had 135 pounds of tallow. The beef is much more tender and juicy, and also much sweeter than when fatted with meal. A man in this town fatted a hoo; which weighed when dressed, 600 pounds; his age was 20 months, his feed was mostly sugar beets, with meal, the last two or three weeks. I am surprised that roots are not more extensively cultivated by our farmers. TO PREVENT WHEAT WTNTER KILLING— CULTURE OF SILK IN MADISON COUNTY— OREGON MULBERRY. BY THOMAS MELLEN, MADISON, Much has been said and written on the subject of winter wheat being thrown out of root, by the lifting process of the frost acting on the surface of the ground, and partially and in most cases totally killing the wheat plants of whole fields in this and other sections of the country, where formerly we raised good and heavy crops of wheat, and considered it as sure a crop as any other. And as much inquiry is made as to the cause, and what would be the remedy against such fre- quent losses, I will take the liberty to state my views and observa- tions on the subject, and also the results of some experiments made at my suggestion. When the country was new w^e raised good and heavy crops of winter wheat, even on the tops of our highest hills, and where it is since ascertained the soil is thin, and either a subsoil or hardpan is less than a foot from the surface, and yet the wheat was never winter killed. After the stumps became rotted and our lands cleared of them, and we summer fallowed our pastures for the first time, we invariably had heavy crops of winter or fall sowed wheat, and never in that case had it thrown out by the frost. Nor did the lifting process of the frost show itself on the wheat crop at the second summer fallowing of our pasture lands; but from the third time to this day it has proved in- 2S0 [Senate jurious, and even distinctive in this region, to fall sown wheat, on all our hill land, and even on all loanay land, however dry or deep the soil. So extensive is the evil, that the attempt to raise a crop of winter wheat in this region, except on a porous and gravelly soil, has for the most part been abandoned. The question is often asked, what is the reason that we could when the county was new, raise good winter wheat on any of our lands and not suffer by the action of the frost, when now, on our deepest and richest soil of loamy lanrl, it is almost invariably thrown out by the action of that agent? This question, to ray mind, is not one of difficult solution. At the time when our country was new, the whole face of the earth was covered with a mold or muck produced from the decayed leaves of the forest, and from the decayed herbage with which the forests abounded. On the hills it was not deep, as much of it was carried into the valleys by freshets from the melting snow, and heavy rains; but sufficient remained to give a vigorous growth to the young wheat plant, and to enable it to expand its roots strono-- ly in it, and to penetrate into the soil below. This muck or natural topch-essing was spongy or porous, and did not hold as much water by absorption, as loam or any other soil, and the frost did not act upon it as it does on loam or clay soils, all of which are more compact. Hence the wheat was never thrown out of root by the action of the frost. Likewise when we first summer fallowed our pasture lands, the construction of our plows was such that we could not plow deep, so as to turn the muck and sod deeply under; and the consequence was, that not only the native mold or muck, but also that produced by the sward, remained on the surface of the soil, or slighly incorporated with it, and was of a loose and porous consistence on which the frost had only a slight action. At the same time, this mold was the very best food to the roots of the wheat plant, not being too strong like stable manure. Since that time, by the frequent plowing of the land, this mold has been incorporated with the soil, and its vegetating qualities ex- hausted by frequent cropping, and it now forms a part of the soil, which has become more compact, and a given quantity holding more water by absorption, than the same quantity of mold or muck would, when placed on the surface; and consequently the action of the frost produces a much greater expansion and uplifting, than it can do on mold. Nor are the roots of wheat as much expanded or as strong- ly set in the soil, as they are where the soil is covered with a coat of rich mold. The question then recurs, can fall sown wheat be successfully raised on old land in the regions where it flourished when the lands were new, if the surface should be covered with muck or mold 1 I maintain it can, and will give the result of my observations. And first, many years since I knew a farmer in the county of Saratoga to succeed well in cultivating the crop of fall sown wheat, when his neighbors wholly failed and abandoned the crop, by reason of its freezing out. This successful farmer prep red manure from his barn yard, the straw, scrapings of the yard, &c. and put these ingredients into compost heaps. He summer fallowed or No. 63.J 281 sufficiently plowed his hind, from which he had taken a crop, and then smoothed the furrows with the harrow. He then drew out his compost manure, 25 to 30 loads to the acre, and evenly spread it over the surface, sowed his wheat on the same, and then harrowed it in, incorporating the surface of the soil and the manure together. The result was that he always succeeded with his crop of winter wheat, when hip neigh- bors who pursued a different culture failed. His wheat thus treated was never winter killed. After becoming acquainted with this cir- cumstance, I communicated it to some of my friends and neighbors, and at different times some of them made the experiment, and with complete success. The last experiment of the kind known to me in this neighbor- hood, was that of my brother two years ago last fall, which was made on a piece of deep, dry and friable loam soil, with a southern exposure. After having finished the plowing, he smoothed the fur- rows with the harrow on the part he purposed top dressing. He then carried on about 30 loads to the acre of the manure of the yard that had accumulated by bedding abundantly both neat cattle and sheep in the yard the previous winter. It had laid through the sum- mer, and had not been jmt into compost heaps, which would have been better, but it was pretty well rotted. This was evenly spread over a part of the field, he not having enough to top dress but about one-half of the field. On this he sowed his seed wheat, and at the same time sowed the residue of the field and harrowed the whole in. The wheat that was top dressed had evidently in the fall the most luxuriant growth, but all the field looked well and promising. When the snow disappeared in the spring, the wheat was green anti looked well J but during the month of April, thawing and freezing com- menced and continued at intervals for a considerable time, interspers- ed with an occasional snow squall or some rain , sufficient to keep the top of the ground moist and exposed to the action of the frost. The result was, that the wheat on that part of the field not top dressed soon as- sumed a blanched and dead appearance, while the other part re- mained comparatively as green as before, and the wheat on the part not top dressed was almost entirely killed, so that he sowed it to spring wheat, while the part that was top tiressed was not injured by the frost, but produced a good crop of heavy headed and well filled wheat. Some years ago accident brought to view another method to prevent the action of frost on the fall sown wheat, and a cheaper preventive than the former, and one, like the other, which I have as yet never known to fail. The same brother above alluded to had a piece of meadow ground that became swarded with June grass, the other grasses having been principally killed out by the grubs. After mowing it the latter part of June, he plowed it, and dry weather set in and continued, so that the sod, or turf, could not be rotted, though wholly killed. The dif- ferent plowingsand harrowings tore the turf in pieces, and distributed it over the ground, and the fallow had an unsightly appearance. He sowed it to fall wheat, and in harrowing luid to follow the harrow, [Senate No. 63.] L* 2S2 [Senate and frequently to lift a side to disengage it from the accumulated tufts. He had thoughts of gathering the turf and placing it in heaps, fearing that in many places the wheat could not come up through it. I dissuaded him from that, and the wheat came up through the thick- est part of it, and it proved a protection against the action of the frost, and yielded a crop of 25 bushels of good wheat to the acre, while there was not another piece of winter wheat on summer fallow in town that year, but was very much injured, and the greater part of the fields wholly killed by the frost, except those on the porous grave] soil of this town. All the fallow^s, except my brother's, had been plowed earlier, and there had been rain that rotted the turf, and their contents were mixed with the soil, and the fallows in excellent condition, but the wheat on them was lost. The succeeding year a neighbor adjoining, summer fallowed a piece of pasture land. The first plowing was late, after a drouth had set in, and the sod or turf could not be rotted. The result was a good crop of wheat, it escaping winter killing, while all fallows well subdued, had the wheat nearly ruined by freezing out, and many totally so. A similar circum- stance occurred about the same time, in an adjoining town. A far- mer summer fallowed a piece of land, and an occurrence took place which prevented his finishing the fallow till late in the season for summer fallowing. The consequence was, the turf of the late plowed did not rot, but remained strewed over the ground, whilst the early plowed w^as well subdued and in excellent condition. The whole was sowed with fall wheat, and the late plowed w^as protected by the undecomposed turf from the action of the frost, and produced a good crop of wheat; and the part of the field that had been w^ell sub- dued, w^as almost entirely killed. This lead this farmer and some of his neighbors to reason correctly on the subject, viz: that the turf scattered over the surface, protected the ground from the frequent surface freezing and thawing, v/hich lifts out the roots of the wheat. The farmer alluded to, and several of his neighbors, have since pur- sued the course of summer fallowing so late in the season, as to pre- vent the sod from rotting, w^hich course has always resulted in a good crop of wdnter wheat; and I have known them sell from five to six hundred bushels of wheat per year to one miller, w^hen those who subdued their fallows by early plowing, lost their crop. In the mode of late fallowing, it is not necessary to plow as deep as lor other crops, as on pasture lands there is an accumulation of animal and vegetable matter in and immediately under the sward, which should be mixed by the plow and harrow with the surface soil, and not plowed deeply under, but should remain on, and as near the surface as possible, to take the place, as far as may be, of the native muck that formerly covered the soil, and is not acted upon as severely by the expansive power of the frost as when mixed in the soil by deep plowing; and being on and near the surface, the fibrous roots of the wheat are supplied with food for the plant, and vegetate strongly and vigorously, and strike their roots deep in the soil below, as formerly was the case with wheat sown on new land. The turf spread over the surface, not only pre- vents the wheat from freezing out, but in the spring a rapid decom- No. 62.] 283 position takes place, forming a rich mold on the surface, in which the surface roots place themselves, while the solvent parts by rains are carried down into the earth, and supply the deeper roots with food. In addition to these experiments, a gentleman farmer at or near Skaneateles, some two years ago published in the Genesee Farmer his method of raising winter wheat, and obviating the effects of the frost. His method was to plov; so late as to prevent the sod or tufts from rotting; and the result invariably was, he raised a good crop of winter wheat, when his neighbors, who took the ordinary course, lost their wheat crop. This mode of culture, or of topdress- injT, has not extensively obtained, but in every case known to me, it has succeeded well. Eut since the introduction ol the Italian spring wheat, most farmers in this region depend on that, it being a sure crop, and not requiring as strong or rich a soil as winter wheat, or as any other straw^ grain. The culture of silk is attracting an increased attention in this coun- ty. A respectable exhibition of raw and sewing silk and cocoons were exhibited at the fair of our County Agricultural Society last fall, and all of an excellent quality; and considerable was raised that was not exhibited, and all who have made the experiment are flatter- ed M'ith the results. We are satisfied that, added to the farming interest, its culture will become lucrative. The Ore^gon mulberry I continue to cultivate. It endures the rigor of our severe winters without injury, and I am fully satisfied from experience that it is better adapted to the climate of the northern States than any other mulberry tree known. It can be grown into standard trees; its leaves are larger and thicker than the Morus multicaulis, and thicker set on the branches; are a fleshy leaf, containing less woody fibers than other mulberry leaves, and instead of being watery, they abound in a milky juice more largely than any other known mulberry leaf, w^hich milky juice is the substance from which the worms secrete and elaborate the silk. I have fed silk worms on the leaves of this plant five seasons, and also on multicaulis, and others of the most approv- ed varieties, and the result, in all cases, has been that the worms fed on my new plant, have grown equally as well as those fed on any other variety, and have in all cases been the most healrhy, and produced firmer and heavier cocoons, which reel remarkably easy, and produc- ing a finer filament than that produced by feeding on other varieties; which is easily seen by comparison, and in all cases possesses a more brilliant lustre than any other specimens I have seen, or can produce from other varieties, and is also remarkably flexible. All good judges who have seen my specimens declare silk to be richer in lustre than any ever seen by them. I therefore feel a confidence in believing that my new plant is the most valuable mulberry tree that has as yet been introduced or known; and if the culture of silk should continue to progress, will eventually become a valuable ac- quisition to silk culturists in the northern States. 2S4 [Senate SIZE OF FARMS— EXTERMINATION OF WEEDS— APPLI- CATION OF CAPITAL. BY HENRY H. HOPKINS, AUBURN. With respect to the agricultural changes requisite to advance the prosperity our county, I propose three general topics. - The first should be a reduction of the size of our farms. This is no small item, affecting both the interest of the owner and his neigh- bor. An immoderately large farm, (and there are many in this vi- cinity,) is a wearisome vexation to its proprietor; he is constantly harassed and perplexed with the thousand directions to which his at- tention is called; his eye must be over all, and unless he be almost omniscient and omnipresent, many of the " irons he has in the fire" will be " burned." He is obliged to have more hired labor than is profitable under the present depressed state of the country. The im- provements on a large farm are merely nominal, and it is impossible many should be made. He is the slave of slaves, rises early, toils late; yet all this with- out any profitable returns. The second, and in my view, the most important item is the ne- cessity of an united and persevering effort to subdue the Canada thistle. To the eradication of this pest of the farmer, scores of plans have been given and adopted, but all have failed of their object. Some may doubt this, but if it be not true, why do we observe this ten- fold increase, within a few years past, which even the most casual observer cannot deny. I would not be understood to say, or even hint, that many of the plans given for the destruction of this weed are not good ones. Far from it. But I do say, that without an united effort, none of those plans will be permanently effectual. What is the use of one man's destroying his thistles, when his neighbor's fields are left to grow white with them ? The first wind that blows is just as sure to flood his fields with thistle blows, as that night follow^s day, though their farms be miles apart. That blossom which the wandering school boy endeavors to catch is bound for some congenial soil, where it alights, and following the common law of nature, springs up and in its turn sends forth blos- soms to decorate another man's fields. Our cool northwest breezes occur in the very season for the car- riage of these blows, and it is found they increase faster in this di- rection than in any other. Lands just cleared of the native forests are in the best state for the introduction of this seed, and from this circumstance many suppose they spring up spontaneously. Now from these facts, I appeal to the common sense of every farmer, if it be possible to subdue this weed without this united ef- fort. £85 [Senate Let every farmer do his utmost for five years in succession, and I will vouch for the fulfilment of his wishes. The third point of interest, and one too, which is only applicable to wealthy farmers, regards the right destination of their surplus funds. These generally have been used in speculation, but had they been devoted to the improvement of their stock and farms, it would have added to the agricultural wealth of this county, to the enjoyment of the owner, and would have given an impetus to agricultural im- provements, the beneficial results of which time could only estimate. Let every farmer follow farming instead of money making. Some pinch their farms, (like the miser his sixpence,) till it groans for the want of enriching. Until we see changes in the particulars above enumerated, as well as in others, we need not expect to see those improvements in agriculture which all admit are so desirable. IRRIGATION AND DRAINING. BY HOLKHAM. There are few more interesting subjects of inquiry than the chan- ges that have taken place and are yet in progress upon the suriace of the globe we inhabit, in order to fit it for the residence of man; the geologist, the moralist, the philosopher, the christian, are alike inte- rested in discovering the train of mutually dependant causes, by which it was made to assume its present condition, and to prepare it for its higher order of denizens. But interesting as these specula- tive inquiries undoubtedly are, they give place among the practical and utilitarian considerations by which we are surrounded, to the consideration of the means by which men are now to sustain them- selves, and provide for their wants; and although nothing is more discouraging to the speculative philosopher — the man who loves the truth exclusively for its own sake, than the inquiry '' cui bono" to what practical good do your researches tend; still his mind has to yield to the reflections that are urged upon him by the immediate anti press- ing necessities of the thousands of beings whose first object is to live. He should, however, reflect that he is incapable of taking in the whole compass of nature; and that although he may not see it, there may possibly be more value in the act of an ignorant and stupid clown, than in many of his sublime and elevated inquiries. To provide for our wants is the first object of reason, of our instinctive faculties; and while we glory in the advantages of scientific agriculture, and rejoice that chemistry is developing the combinations that promote vegetation ; that mineralogy is giving us the materials to constitute productive soils; that physiology is displaying the wonders of organic creations; and that the whole circle of the sciences is revolving for our benefit; we must 2S6 [Senate yet admit that the manipulations of husbandry will ever continue to be the fountain from whence production flows. " By the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread;" and it is of more importance, and requires a high- er order of intellect, to direct these energies, to evolve these forces, and adjust them for the accomplishment of good, than to indulge ourselves in the most abstruse speculations and refined inquiries. Men of sci- ence too, are so accustomed to look among remote and recondite cau- ses for a solution of phenomena, they are so accustomed among the multiplication of books to read, that they scarcely give themselves time to think; they forget in this mass of labor, that they have the book of nature open; that they are perpetually invited to " explore the wondrous work," " An institute of laws eternal ; whose unaltered page " No time can change, no copier can corrupt." And thus in tracing the progress of things from the time that the earth was the abode of reptilia, they have passed unnoticed the sim- ple fact, that siccation, or an increase of dryness on its surface, has been exactly proportioned to an increase of the human species, and to the multiplication of their enjoyments. This observation may not apply to arid deserts or to tropical climates, as Egypt or Chili, where rain seldom falls in summer; but even here, drains and canals are ne- cessary to fertility; and had it not been for the simple observation of a slave, all the learning of the stagyrite would scarcely have invented so useful, so simple a machine for conveying off the cause of sterility as a drain. If we trace the history of the changes alluded to, from the time our planet was the abode of the Saurian family, to the period when a higher order of beings assumed a control over it, and vegeta- tion began to give it its present beautiful aspect, we shall find that marine and aquatic animals have graduall}'^ disappeared, and their pla- ces have been supplied, first by amphibious, and afterwards by more aerified organizations. The same fact is abundantly illustrated in the history of our own race — the gardens of Columella, indeed all Cam- pania, were drained and cultivated until it furnished more for the sup- ply of the neighboring city than any other portion of Italy; now the water stagnates upon the villa of Lucullus; and it is made " a habit- ation for bitterns and owls." Ceesar describes what are now the most beautiful and highly cultivated regions of the earth as serbonian bogs and impenetrable marshes, in which the objects of his pursuit frequent- ly took refuge. Holland, Zealand, Flanders, England, and even the mountainous districts of Scotland are reclaimed by this simple pro- cess of draining from comparative wastes; and while scientific and practical husbandry have combined to establish the principle that dry land is far more productive than wet; while every man of ordinary intelligence or of the slightest observation sees the difference; irri- gation is practiced, and draining neglected to an extent that in this country is little less than criminal; nay more, the former is recom- mended, and often upon high authority recommended by men who can see that in all the changes made by organic upon inorganic mat- ter, from the operation of the coral insect to the labor of mammalia, No. 63.] 287 the great object of Providence has been to " gather the waters togeth- er and let the dry land appear." Upon this simple and primitive truth, the ordinance that preceded the production of vegetable life and the foundation of all good husbandry, the practical man invaria- bly acts, when he wishes to increase his crops, unless he happens to be mislead by authority, influenced by indolence, or prevented by poverty, or unless his land is kept, as it frequently is, under aristocrat- ic institutions, for the amusement and luxurious pleasures of its owner. Thus we frequently see that English lawns and parks are kept in grass for ages; that no plow is sutfered to break their velvet surface, no human food to grow upon their plantations; but this depopulating practice is what led for ages to the division of land into arable, mea- dow and pasture; and is one of the causes that keep the people of England in a state of starvation, while pampered opulence is chasing the fox or the hare over thousands of acres. It is an unhappy circumstance, that in this country our agricultural publications continue, by countenancing the practice of irrigation, to pander to the prejudices of the ignorant, and minister to the gratihca- tion of the indolent. There are none of the practices that an en- lightened and improved system has tliscarded, less worthy of their piaise or toleration. It is utterly at variance with their first canon of improvement — a rotation of crops. It produces diseases of various kinds, similar to those of Savannah hammocks and everglades; not only among horses, cattle, sheep and swine — the foot-rot especially, being one of its concomitants, and stagnant water, emphatically " the pestilence that walketh in darkness," because the light of the sun never dispels all the miasma that arises from its noxious vapors — but it produces no greater amount of wretchedness among men and infe- rior animals, than it does among trees, fruits and vegetables. It is fatal to the life of both, with the exception of coarse and aquatic plants. Irrigation itself is also fatal to every kind of tillage crop, as well as to all our republican habits, and to any thing like an equa- lity of condition — the corner stone of our northern institutions; be- cause there is no more wasteful farming; no more expensive or less productive lands for the labor and expense bestowed upon them, than permanent grass lands or lawns. They may do for gentlemen or mil- lionaires who are unable to devise ways of spending surplus funds; but for men whose living is dependant upon their farm crops, they not only cost abundantly more than they produce, but they take the time and the manure that might be advantageously applied to enrich the residue of the farm and make the whole a garden; they take more than double the manure than cultivated crops, to which it is applied under the surface — because the manure is exposed to all the hot suns and drenching rains that occur during its decomposition; because all the gaseous and volatile substances it contains are thus suffered to escape; and because the land never gets the benefit of plowing in a green crop — one of the most fertilizing improvements of modern times; they encourage the growth of moss, which can onlj be killed by large quantities of manure on the surface, and of weeds, which 288 [Senate must be taken out by hand or by the spade, instead of being buried by the plow; they also encourage the growth of aquatic plants, rush- es, tussocks, and a multitude of other usurpers that cattle will eat when starved to it, but which are not sufficiently nutritious to make them fat, and upon which they must necessarily deteriorate. The Flemish maxim of " no clover no manure,"' &c. is reversed under this system, for clover cannot be long maintained upon irrigat- ed or permanent grass lands. And every man who has ever noticed the effect of drouth upon them, must have remarked that it operates with tenfold more force upon lands that are permanently in grass, than upon lands that are seeded anew every three or four years. To render land fertile and profitable, it must be occasionally expos(!d to all the influences of aerial phenomena. It is in vain for Liebig, Chaptal or Davy to furnish in alkalies, acids or excrementitious ma- terials, the food of plants; unless they combine with them the whole range of atmospheric phenomena they can form no chemist's work- shop equal to tliat of nature; and her laboratory is perpetually evolv- ing new forces, and rendering new adjustments to promote vegetation, but not permitting any thing to grow without the aid of her combi- nations, their particles pervading every organic production, and fol- lowing every transition of structure until the law of mortality, the con- dition of existence, has performed its office and destroyed their func- tions, when they soon become a mass of materials designed to add to the number of living beings, and to increase the amount of sensitive enjoyment under some new and probably more important organiza- tion. Draining, on the other hand, improves every thing to which it has any relation. It renders the land friable and easily pulverized, so that one plowing and much harrowing is frequently saved; it fits it much earlier in the season for a crop; it prevents poaching by the feet of cattle, and enables the farmer to apply his labor at all seasons. No baking by hot sun; no hard clods impervious to atmospheric in- fluence; no freezing out in winter (one of the most serious objections to our climate;) no early frosts to cut off your fall crops. All moves on pleasantly; farming becomes a delightful occupation; and whether the hoe, the harrow or the plow is to be used, all goes on cheerily; men go whistling with their teams, and women singing with their milk pails, the very personification of happiness! When we look at the efforts of that great and good man, Judge Buel, to promote a thorough system of draining land, and think how few men (professing as many do, to venerate his memory, "l have adopt- ed his counsels, it feels truly discouraging to offer advice to farmers. Book farming is indeed worthless, when men thus refuse all its most valuable admonitions. We know that his reasonings point to the greatest good of the greatest number; that the greater amount of land drained, the greater the number of intelligent beings provided for, and the greater the benefits they mutually confer on each other, and consequently the more elevated their physical and intellectual condition. It is when they are thus made happy, that they see and No. 63.J 289 appreciate the value of happiness. It is then that the spoils of na- ture are demanded to increase their comforts; that they are drawn with more or less reluctance from the mine, the forest, the ocean and the air; that improvement follows on improvement; that the arts of life become perfected, and beneficial discoveries that promote a com- mon brotherhood among nations and communities are interchanged; sectional and national jealousies are dispelled; the collisions of intel- lect minister to his individuality and independence, and bring into ac- tive exercise all his higher and nobler faculties. These considera- tions induce us respectfully to suggest whether it would not be a no- ble object for a government like that of New-York, designed as it is for the happiness and the increase of her population, to drain the mo- rasses and marshes that disfigure so large an extent of her otherwise productive surface. In the county of Cayuga alone, myriads of hu- man beings might be profitably maintained upon lands that are now the abodes of noxious insects and filthy reptiles, as well as the sources of pestilence and the origin of emigration. The health of the surround- ing country would amply repay the expense; the value of the land that is now productive would be trebly enhanced; while that which is unproductive and uninhabitable, under the agency of an active, hap- py and cheerful people, would probably repay the expense in a single year. If we may make any estimate from the ditching and embank- ing of the islands in the Delaware, below Philadelphia, a million of dollars expended under the direction of a competent engineer, would do more for New-York than a like sum in any enlargement of her ca- nals. EDUCATION, AGRICULTURE, Etc. BY ALEXANDER WALSH. It has been well and wisely said, '' Honor to the man who makes a blade of grass grow where grass grew not before." If this be the just meed of the meritorious individual, should it not be liberally ex- tended to the associated many — to the deserving nation? Honor then to the New-York State Agricultural and Horticultural Society: honor to the State which countenances and sustains it. " Excelsior" is the motto of our State: independence is the boast of our people. Is this a mockery, or is it a reality? Is our superior excellence to aim no higher than the possession of some tawdry bau- ble; is our boast to reach but to the semiperfection of some minor art calculated to degrade rather than to elevate an aspiring communi- ty? More than this is our aim, more than this is our end. The New York State Agricultural Society is the guardian patron of the arts and sciences generally, but in an especial manner does it devote itself to the most indispensible of all arts, the most compre- [Senate No. 63.] M* 290 [Senate hensive and useful of all sciences, the science more or less of all times, of all nations, and of all people — that of agriculture and its second self, horticulture, including all that can interest the farmer. Excellence and national independence are perfectly within our own means and our own opportunity. The farmer, seated beneath his own vine and apple tree^ is the most envied of lords; he is the lord of the soil, the unembarrassed chief of the family -mansion: " Far back in the ages. The plow with wi-eaths was crowned; The hand of kings and sages Entwined the chaplet round." Some portion of this primitive regard for the cultivators of the soil is now beginning to be revived, but still the general estimation in which our agricultural population is held, is much too low. Their influence, taking into view their numbers and their honorable voca- tion, is not what it ought to be, in the respective towns and counties of their residence, and in the debates of the senate chamber and hall of legislation. In order that the evils growing out of this state of things may be remedied, and the agricultural interest may be fully and more honorably represented and encouraged, the farmers as a class should give increased attention, not only to those branches of know- ledge which relate to their own immediate pursuit, but to gerieral knowledge. A great portion of them must be men of liberal, ex- tended, and thorough education. They must not only as a body be more awake to the importance of such education, but more free and openhanded in their means and measures for its attainment and dif fusion among themselves. It is quite time the idea should be exploded, that the mere rudi- ments of education are all the farmer needs. The sentiment is utterly unsound and pernicious. " Man is the minister and interpre- ter of nature." So said Lord Bacon. The emplojment of the far- mer brings under his very eye some of the greatest wonders of na- ture. He is tu put forth his agency in aid of those natural processes by which the germ of vegetable life is produced, and all that is won- drous in plants brought to maturity and perfection. Scarcely a branch of natural science but has an intimate relation to the business of agriculture, and peculiar claims upon the attention of the farmer. Nor can any good reason be assigned why he should not have the benefit of full instruction in all the branches of useful learning. Every college and extensive well endowed seminary should have its professorship of agriculture, with grounds for practical experiment. Farmers cannot appropriate a portion of the annual avails of their labor for any object which will yield them richer harvests than edu- cation. Were the entire farming population of the State to awake at once, and fully, to this important subject, and make the efforts which are in their power in relation to it, the benefits, it is believed, would be in- calculable. An enhanced value would thus be given to their landed estates, and new security would be given to them for the increase and No. 63.J 291 perpetuity of their personal and domestic comforts. Indeed the sub- ject is of vital importance to the state and nation, and claims the grave consideration of senators and legislators. Knowledge and vir- tue are the main pillars of our political fabric. Therefore it is of prime importance that every facility for the attainment of useful knowledge be granted to the farmers, constituting as they do, far the most numerous portion of our population. What means can be adopted for imbuing our agricultural community with a more ardent thirst for such knowledge? And they being aroused to some proper sense of its importance, and prepared to do their part, in what way shall their efforts be encouraged^ These are interrogations that de- serve general and most profound consideration. There are certain self-evident principles in relation to agriculture, requiring but moderate capacity for their comprehension j but which are often defeated by avarice or inattention. 1st. No more should be undertaken than can well be perform- ed. This would generally lessen the toil, and in proportion to the toil, render the product greater in amount and better in quality. 2d. The best and soundest seed should in all cases be selected. That which has been bruised by the flail or otherwise injured, should be carefully rejected. 3d. Young animals, esi)ecially those under the age of six months, should be well fed; this will stay their appetite throughout their life. The apparent extra expense of high feeding in the beginning, will be amply repaid by the comparative cheapness of future feeding. The animal will look better, be really so, and will, if offered for sale, bring a better price. 4th. Pay proper attention to rotation of crops. Formerly a man cleared his land oi broke up a pasture, and continued to crop the soil until it would not pay for cultivation, when it was laid aside as oldjieldj and another part of the farm subjected to the same process. Now the whole farm is fitted for crops, and the roots, grains, mea- dows and pastures, succeed each over the whole. The crops are in this way vastly increased and diversified, the soil of the whole im- proved and rendered more fertile, and that declension which must follow continued cropping wholly arrested. Science has done this, by proving that what is poison to one plant may be changed into food for another, by change of crop. Attention to these simple rules, involving no additional expense, and requiring no other than ordinary talent, will greatly advance the early efforts of the farmer. The liberal rewards offered by the agricultural associations have brought forth the skill and inventive genius of our mechanics, which has furnished many valuable, new, and great improvements to the old and clumsy implements of husbandry. Farmers should judiciously patronise these improvements, particu- larly the improved plow. Horticulture is but a department of agriculture; the principles which govern the one, are in most instances applicable to the other. 292 [Sekate It is painfully observable, in how little regard is held the acre con- stituting the kitchen-garden; yet there are not any two acres on the iarm which would yield so large a return, in proportion to the amount of labor and expense, as that derived from the kitchen- garden. The little garden is, in a degree, a miniature or model farm, and much instruction may be derived from it, in the manage- ment and distribution of compost, irrigation, &c. &c. The flower-garden is less an appendage of the farm, but deserves more of regard than is generally bestowed on it. Botany has en- gaged the ardent study of many eminent men, nor is it a science merely administering to our fancy or amusement; it also administers to health, to wealth, to trade — it is food, medicine and commerce. Flowers rank deservedly among the most lovely productions of the field, the vale and hill; spontaneously sent forth by nature, they advance far towards perfection even without artificial care, leaving little more necessary to our full enjoyment of them, than a judici- ous selection and collection of them, guarding the exotics against the danger incident to them, and protecting the indigenous against those attacks of adverse seasons to which all are occasionally ex- posed. Flowers have excited a great interest in all classes of society; the savage of the wilderness is gratified in decorating his person with the native flowers of the forest; civilization promotes the cultivation of native and exotic flowers. The flower garden may be regarded as a sacred spot, where poetic and refined feelings are awakened or called into existence. Notice the wonderful creative power which causes the sap to move, the bud to start, the blossom to expand, the astonishing variety of shape and shade of the leaf, the most beautiful tints and the sweetest perfume. The study of nature leads man to an observance of mysterious won- ders, " for not a flower expands itself, not a blossom opens its leaves, but speaks to him in language, w^hich, if attended to, will make him a better and a happier man." " Nor worlds on worlds, in phalanx deep. Need we to prove that God is here ; The daisy, fresh from winter's sleep. Tells of his hand in lines so clear. " For who but He who arched the skies, And pour'd the day-spring's living flood. Wondrous alike in all he tries. Could rear the daisy's purple bud?" A strict adherence to antiquated habits has caused no little ill to agriculture. What the youth has learned from his father, and he from his, seems in too many instances, destined to be transmitted as an unaltered heirloom to posterity. Such maybe the instinctive im- pulse of the beaver, but it is quite unworthy of rational man. On this point it is enough to say, that an agricultural periodi- cal, of which the country produces many, and some excellent ones, would impart information, which, if even partially acted on, would yield the occupier of ten acres of land, ten times the amount of the dollar it would annually cost. The advantage would be proportion- No. 63.J 293 ally great to the eultivator of an humlred or more acres. It is pleas- ing to observe that the circulation of agricultural papers is on the increase, and that the consequent improvements in most sections of the State, are gratifying evidences of advanced science and improved taste. The Agricultural Society of the State has for its design the promo- tion of agriculture in all its branches and dependancies, the introduc- tion of the most improved implements of husbandry, the collections or importations of the best and rarest plants, fruits, and seeds; the improvement of cattle; the circulation through the press of all useful information; and generally, whatever can subserve the interest of the agriculturist, or elevate the citizen in the gradations of usefulness. The county or local societies are governed by similar objects, although necessarily with less extended views. In furtherance of the great design, the New-York State Agricultu- ral Society held its second exhibition last September, in the immedi- ate neighborhood of Albany; the show was a magnificent one, the attendance of practical farmers, of scientific agriculturists, of what may be called amateurs, and citizens of various classes, was great beyond any former precedent. The exhibition of the best breeds of cattle was very extensive. The specimens of ingenuity and the arts, and those generally of the most useful and necessary description, were numerous; and the show of flowers, fruits, and vegetables, rare and valuable. Contrasted with the two or three acres of ground, and the crowded state of the fairs of the old world, the State Fair stands in proud pre- eminence. Conceive an enclosure of forty acres, (fully one-third of which was occupied by the animals, &c. of the fair,) laid out with the greatest view to symmetrical order and convenience, with its spacious carriage road and avenues free from obstruction; extensive pens for cattle; fixtures for the exposure of works of art; its noble and exten- sive tents; its canvass hall, and spacious floral pavilion; the tout ensemble can only be conceived by those who saw it. The rivalry created by this exhibition is not the least of its happy results, giving a fair promise that as the present year far exceeded that of the former, so will the fair of 1843, for which preparations have already commenced, exceed that of 1842. La7isingburghj December 15, 1842. TRANSACTIONS or THE COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETIES, In making out this department of the Transactions for the present year, the Executive Committee feel great pleasure in recording the evident advances which an improved agriculture, under the auspices of the County Societies and the fostering care of the State, has made. By a reference to the report of the State Society for the year 1841, it will be seen that reports were received from but nine county so- cieties, while in 1842, about thirty societies have complied, in a greater or less degree, with the law requiring annual reports of their proceedings. In 1841, societies had been organized in only thirty- two counties. In 1842, forty-two counties had such societies, and in thirty-five of these, fairs were held for the exhibition of farm pro- ducts, implements and animals. It is difficult to estimate the advantage agriculture has derived, and will continue to derive from these associations, or the impulse which an improved husbandry has received from these numerous fairs and exhibitions. Of the greater favor with which they have been viewed, and the greater numbers who have attended them as ob- servers and competitors, the county reports furnish abundant testimo- ny. Notwithstanding all that has been written on the subject of agriculture, very few comparatively of our farmers are aware of the great capacity of our soils when properly cultivated, or the astonish- ing improvements that may be effected in animals by skillful selection and breeding. It is only when such examples are brought before them at their annual exhibitions, that they find what has been done; and the idea begins to be firmly impressed on their minds, that what others have so successfully performed, may be done by themselves. No. 63.1 295 They are able to contrast at a glance the Durhams, Herefords and Devons, with the common breeds of cattle; the Eerkshires, Leices- ters, &c. with the ordinary and inferior races of pigs; the old fash- ioned, coarse wooled, scraggy sheep, with the large, fine formed Leicesters and South Downs, and the fine wooled Saxonys and Me- rinoes; the clean limbed sinewy horse for the road or carriage, and the heavy muscular one for the plow or draft, w^ith the common mi- serable hacks of the country; and we have never known a man, cer- tainly not a farmer, whose eye did not brighten and his countenance exhibit satisfaction as these evidences of agricultural skill and im- provement passed before him. The reports of the societies furnish striking proofs of usefulness in other respects. The annual fairs and exhibitions constitute a holiday w^here citizens of all classes and professions meet on common ground to exchange their cordial gratulations and hearty sentiments of good will. The only way in which men can understand each other, know the wants and wishes of all, and properly appreciate the relative po- sition which any one part bears to the whole, is to meet in this way, and freely exchange their views and sentiments on all matters rela- ting to the common welfare. Rivalries and jealousies, which spring up and flourish where seclusion and ignorance prevail, pass rapidly away under the influence of friendly intercourse and intelligent emu- lation. Great and practical errors, in regard to the social standing and relative importance of large divisions of our citizens, are dissipa- ted, and the true rank and worth of the man, placed beyond cavil or contradiction. Public opinion has been turned into a more healthy channel; new standards by which to estimate men have been erected; unworthy prejudices have been done away, and the farmer has taken his proper lank and standing in society. From the several reports and papers furnished them, the Executive Committee have prepared the annexed abstract of the Transactions of the County Agricultural Societies for the year 1842. ' ALBANY COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. This Society was organized in 1841, but at too late a period to enable it to hold a Fair that season. The money necessary to enable it to avail itself of the State appropriation, was raised from members 296 [Senate and by subscription, which still remains in its treasury, no Fair hav- ing been held in 1842, on account of the Fair of the State Society having been held in this county. The officers of the Society for 1843, are as follows: — Teunis Van Vechten, President, Albany; J» McDonald Mclntyre, Oscar Tyler, C. N. Bement, Amos Crary, P. S. Vanderbergh, John Haswell, Abraham Verplanck, Wm. Murphy, Robert S. Lay, and David Conkling, Vice-Presidents; Luther Tuck- er, Albany, Cor. Sec'y; A. E. Brown, Treasurer; Thomas Hillhouse, Rec. Sec'y; Samuel Cheever, E. P. Prentice, L. G. Ten Eyck, John S. Walsh, and James Wilson, additional members of the Board of Managers. CAYUGA COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. From this Society no report has been received. It held its second Annual Fair on the 12th and 13th of October. The exhibition of farm stock, implements of husbandry, domestic manufactures, butter, cheese, &c., &c,, and the attendance of farmers was such as to show that a deep interest is excited in the affairs of the society, and that its beneficial influences were extensively felt and appreciated. James M. Sherwood was elected President; Wm. Richardson, Rec. Sec'y; Wm. C. Beardsley, Cor. Sec'y; and John B. Dill, Treasurer. These officers all reside at Auburn. One Vice-President, and one member of the Executive Committee, were also appointed for each town in the county. The copies of the "Transactions of the State Agricultural Society," received from the State, were directed to be deposited with the Vice-Presidents in each town, to be loaned out,, that all farmers might have the advantage of their perusal. CHAUTAUQUE COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. This Society was organized on the 12th day of October, 1836. The constitution and by-laws were adopted at a meeting of the Soci- ety on the 4th day of January, 1837. It was by the exertions of a few individuals, striving against many discouraging aspects, that the society retained its organization until the passage of the act of May, 1841, when the friends of the society were aided by a general feeling in favor of their efforts, by almost the whole community. Since the passage of the act " for the encouragement of agriculture," the Chau- tauque County Agricultural Society has been considered by our farm- ers in an altogether more favorable point of view; and I have reason to believe that the few who first exerted themselves in its behalf, may yet see their most sanguine anticipations fully realized. No. 63.J 297 The annual fair of the Society was held on the 28th and 29th days of September, 1842, at Westfield. It is estimated that some two thousand persons were present. There was a respectable exhibition of stock and other articles. The plowing match excited much inie- rest, and the whole passed off much to the gratification of the Chau- tauque farmers, and others who take an interest in their behalf. The sum of two hundred and eighty-six dollars was distributed for premiums, (with the exception of about nine dollars for expenses, printing, &c.) Sixty-three new members added their names to the list, at one dollar each, which increases the whole number to near two hundred members. The President of the Society was absent at the time of awarding the premiums, and that clause in the law requiring a certificate from the peison receiving the same was not attended to. Consequently it is not in my power to make so full a report as I could wish. The rearing and fattening of cattle, and the wool growing business, in this county are the objects most to be encouraged for the interests of the agriculturists. T. B. Campbell, PresH. Chau. Co. Jig. Society. CHEMUNG COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. From the account of the Fair of this Society, which was held at Fairport in October, the following items are selected: The commit- tee on field crops awarded premiums as follows: To J. B. Clark, Chemung, for the best acre of Indian Corn — 198 J bushels of ears. Seed, white flint, eight rowed. The field contained ten acres — had been mowed for the last fifteen years — was broken up about the first of May — planted about the twentieth of May, in usual manner — hoed twice, and harvested on the 17th and iSth of October. To John W. Wisner, Elmira, for the second best acre of Indian Corn — 172 i bushels of ears. It was planted on the 13th and 14th of May, on a coarse gravelly soil, after a wheat crop; a heavy ley of clover was plowed under very deep; in the spring, a dressing of twenty loads of manure to the acre; plowed and hoed three times. To Barnabas Miller, Catharine, for the third best acre of Indian Corn — 162 bushels of ears. It was planted on the 12th and 13th of May, in rows three feet wide, and drilled from twelve to, fifteen inch- es, two stalks in a hill; soil gravelly loam; had laid to clover two years; plowed under a dressing of ten loads of manure to the acre in the spring; seed soaked, tarred and rolled in plaster. Cultivated and hoed three times; after second hoeing, plastered one-third of lot, one- third mixed ashes and plaster equal parts; on part of the other, put ashes, and part nothing — that plastered, was best, that on which ash- es and plaster was applied, next best. Corn, twelve rowed variety. To Hiram Gray, Elmira, for the best ten acres of wheat — 22i [Senate No. 63.J N* 298 [Senate bushels per acre, liaised on new land, a clay loam soil, burned late the previous fall; plowed twice, and sowed 13th of Sept. Variety, white chaff Crate Wheat. To E. C. Frost, Catharine, for second best ten acres of Wheat — 17 bushels per acre. Cultivated in the usual manner. The wheat crop in this county was unusually light, owing to late frosts and drouth. Premiums were awarded to Wm. Worden, Catharine, for 13 bush- els clover seed from four acres, and to Jesse Carpenter, Elmira, for the " best acre of potatoes — 806 bushels,* Merino variety." CLINTON COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. The Clinton County Agricultural Society was organized at Platts- burgh, on the 7th August, 1841, a constitution adopted and officers of the society elected. The first fair was held at Plattsburgh, on the twenty-fifth day of October, 1842, at which time the Society numbered one hundred and twenty-three members. The treasurer reported he had received from private subscriptions ninety-nine dollars, and from the State eighty- four dollars, making in all the sum of $183. At which time the premiums were awarded and paid to the amount of $88,50, leaving a balance on hand of $82.07, appropriated to pay premiums on farms and farm crops of the present year, at our annual meeting on the se- cond Tuesday of January next. Zeph. C. Platt, Pres't Clinton Co. Ag. Soc. Annexed are the reports of the several committees on farms, crops, &c., made at the January meeting : REPORT OF THE PUBLISHING COMMITTEE, REPORT OF COMMITTEE FOR PERU. The committee to view farms and award premiums offered by the Clinton County Agricultural Society for the town of Peru, report: That they have had the pleasure of viewing but three farms — no others having been offered for premiums. We first visited the farm of Josiah T. Everest, which is situated about three miles north and west of Peru Village. It contains about sixty-five acres of improved land. In the management of his farm, he has adopted the system of rotation of crops. His practice is to break up in the fall, and sow in the spring a mixed crop of oats, peas and ryej — the next year, manure and hoed crop; and the third or fourth, seed down; then mow three, or at most, four years, and plow again. * No vouchers are given for this crop, nor statement of the method of cultivation. If such a crop has been grown, the manner in which it was done, ought certainly to be made public. No. 63.] 299 The farm of Jonathan Battey, is situated two and a half miles south of Peru village. This farm contains about sixty acres of land, all cultivated. Mr. Battey has been in possession but four years; yet it is plain to be seen what a thorough, systematic course of farming may do. We observed that the Canada thistle, which was formerly abundant, had already, to considerable extent, been com- pelled to give way to clover; and in fact, very few weeds of any kind were to be seen. Order, system and economy, are to be read in every feature of his management. Even his assortment of tools bore ample testimony to the truth of this general remark. His mot- to is — " A tool for every use, and a use for every tool — a place for every thing, and every thing in its place." We had the pleasure of examining several labor-saving machines of his own invention. Among them was a drill-barrow, adapted to sowing all sorts of gar- den seeds, field beets, &c., which it does with great precision and admirable effect: a corn planter, drawn by a horse, which saves the labor of several men, and which does the work much better than it can be done by hand; and also a bee-hive, which attracted our par- ticular attention, as being something entirely new, and possessing some important advantages. From the appearance, we concluded it would be impossible for the bees to- make any but sweet honey in it. Mr. Battey makes a liberal use of clover and plaster; and this prac- tice your committee would earnestly recommend to every farmer. In our opinion, Jonathan Battey is entitled to the first premium; and to Josiah T. Everest we award the second. We wound recommend that J. Battey's " statement" be printed. WiLLETS Keese, Chairman of Committee. REPORT OF COMMITTEE FOR PLATTSBURGH. The committee appointed to examine Farms in Plattsburgh, re- spectfully report: That there were three farms presented for premiums, viz: Mr. Benedict's, Z. C. Piatt's, and I. C. Piatt's; all which were viewed July 23d, 1S42. Mr. Benedict's farm contains one hundred acres; of w^iich twelve are woodland, twenty-six pasture, five were sown to wheat, twelve to oats, six to buckwheat, two and a half planted with potatoes, one and a half with corn, and the remainder was in grass. On this farm are one hundred and fourteen rodsof stone wall, and fifteen balance gates, which, in the view of your committee, are the cheapest and best in use. Manure used on hoed fields. Meadows two years to grass, and one to pasture; then plowed. All crops looked remarkably well, except corn, which was injured by worms. There is a good orchard, and good convenient buildings. Z. C. Piatt's farm contains fifty-one acres, all improved land; of which three acres are pasture, two and a half were planted with corn, two and a half with potatoes, six acres sowed to wheat, and one and a quarter to oats. The crops were injured by worms and a hail-storm. The fences good, consisting of boards, cedar and ash. Garden good. 300 [Senate Fruit — apples, pears, and plums, all in abundance. Buildings all good and very convenient. I, C. Piatt's farm contains one hundred and fifty acres; of which twenty acres are woodland; five acres were sown to wheat; seven acres to barley; five to peas and oats; three planted to corn; four with potatoes, and forty in grass. The planting ground was manured in the spring. The fences are of posts and boards, stone wall, cedar and ash rails, and generally good. Garden good, containing a great variety of table luxuries; and, in fruit, he may well bear the appella- tion of " Commodore," — a schedule of its variety and abundance being kindly furnished, is herewith presented. Your committee respectively award to Edwin Benedict the first premium, and to I. C. Piatt the second. Edwin Benedict, Charles Knapen, ]> Committee. Samuel Chatterton, report or committee for beekmantown. Dorastus Pardy's farm contains two hundred acres; of which, one hundred and five are cultivated. Meadow, fifty acres; wheat, six acres; oats, ten acres; peas and oats, fifteen acres; barley, six acres; peas, three acres; corn, four acres; rye, four and a half acres; pota- toes, six acres; turneps, half an acre, and thirty acres wood and swamp. James B. Pardy's farm contains two hundred and ten acres. Mead- ow, fifty-two acres; wheat, three and a half acres; oats, twenty acres; barley, four acres; corn, two and a half acres; potatoes, five and a half acres; turneps, half an acre; beans, half an acre; wood and marsh land, forty acres. R. O. Barber's farm contains ninety-six acres. Meadow, twenty- four acres; wheat, four acres; oats, fifteen acres; barley, six acres; corn, five acres; potatoes, four and a half acres. Joseph Stearns' farm contains sixty-four acres. Meadow, thirteen acres; oats, nine acres; corn, five acres; potatoes, five acres; and two acres woodland. The remainder pasture. There is much credit due to Mr. Stearns for the improvement which he has made upon his farm for the short time that he has occupied it. Mr. Chatterton's farm contains one hundred and fifteen acres. Meadow, twenty acres; wheat, seven acres; oats, five acres; barley, one acre; corn, six acres; potatoes, three acres; woodland, fifteen acres. The committee were much pleased with all the farms that we viewed; and it was not without some difficulty that we determined to whom to award the premiums. But as we must make a selection, we give to Mr. R. O. Barber the first premium, and to Mr. Jajnes B. Pardy the second. Z. C. Platt, 1 Benj. L. Woodruff, > Committee. James B. Pardy. S No. 63. j 301 The reports from Ausable and Cliazy siin})ly state that there was only one farm in each town presented, neither of which was exa- mined. The above are the only premiums awarded on farms. The com- mittees for the remaining towns making no reports, it was presumed no other farms were olfered. This is much to be regretted, as also the very small number of applicants in the towns which were represent- ed. The premiums offered, it is true, atlord in a pecuniary sense, but a scanty compensation for the trouble, (if it be regardetl such,) of preserving the necessary memoranda, and making out the required " statement." Still it were to be hoped that in this flourishing coun- ty, a very large number of intelligent and practical farmers might be found, whose zeal for the promotion of the public good is not to be estimated in dollars and cents; whose co-operation in public measures for such an object, would be promptly and cheerfully rendered, even though it promised no returns by way of private benefit; and doubt- less many such there are. Why then were they not out] Are there no more th^n thirteen good farmers in Clinton county] This certain- ly cannot be. The publishing committee do indeed feel confident that there are several times that number whose farms and farm manage- ment would have entitled them to a respectful hearing. And it is to be hoped that in future the number of competitors may be greatly in- creased. The object of the Society, in this department of its mea- sures, is certainly laudable; and we cannot doubt, that if promptly and efficiently seconded by individual effort, it would prove a means of advancing the private mterests of those engaged in it, and of ag- riculture in general, to a degree hitherto unknown in this county. From the tardiness which has been »nanifested by farmers generally in reference to this measure of the Society, it would seem that its object has not been fully understood. In agriculture, as in every other pursuit, knowledge gained by practice is a treasure of inestima- ble worth. Who is there amongst us that would be willing to part with the knowledge thus accjuired during a single year, for any con- sideration. If, then, one year's experience be of so much worth, of what inestimable value is that volume of experience which may be treasured up during an active life of forty or fifty years! But is not the experience of forty practical f^irmers during a single year, worth as much as that of one during a period of forty years? And why may not farmers, in this " rail-road age," when every thing else " goes by steam," take a hint and apply to their mutual benefit the experi- ence of each other which is already acquired, as well as plod on in- dependently, each in his own way, a period of forty years, to learn a hundredth part as much? It was to open a channel through which this principle might be carried into practical effect — in other words, it was to render the experience of our best practical farmers available to the benefit of others less expeiienced, that the premiums on farms were offered. It was also with special reference to this same end, that applicants for such premiums were required to render full and explicit statements of their management in conducting their farming operations, and of the results. It is however, to be regretted that 302 - [Senate of the statements which have been submitted, some are not sufficient- ly explicit to render them as serviceable as they might have been; while others were so brief that very little instruction could be deriv- ed from them. To these remarks there is one exception — as there was one such document which fully answered the design of the Soci- ety, and which, as it comes from the pen of a scientific and practical farmer, and is believed to contain some useful and interesting matter, will be published. These statements are all preserved, and will be kept on file among the Society's papers, at the office of the recording secretary, where they will at all times be accessible to those who may wish to peruse them. For the satisfaction of those who may not find it convenient to call and examine them for themselves, it may be pro- per to remark, that so far as these statements go, they all concur in bearing testimony to the correctness of the following propositions, ail which are now regarded as established principles in an improved system of American husbandry : That a rotation of crops is essential to the most economical and profitable cultivation of all soils : That coarse manures should be applied to hoed crops — always in an unfermented state — and plowed under, or thoroughly incorporated with the soil: That most soils are improved by fall plowing; and especially clay- ey or tenacious soils — where it is indispensable, and should always be deep: That on clayey soils, surface-draining, by plowing in narrow lands, and leaving the " dead-furrows" deep and open, is of essential bene- fit: That the mode of tillage should be thorough — it being far better to cultivate a small farm, and do it in sucli a manner, than to run over more land, in a manner less thorough: That in sowing grain of all kinds, a liberal use should be made of seed — it being more profitable, and far better for the soil, to raise a crop of grain than a crop of weeds: That in seeding down grass-lands, a liberal use of clover is essen- tial to the amelioration and improvement of the soil: and. That gypsum or plaster is of essential service on meadow-lands and on green-sward crops. The report of the viewing committees, though in general extreme- ly brief, contain some hints worthy of attention. The report of the committee for Peru, furnishes something more than a hint for the consideration of those who, for w^ant of a little order in the preservation of their tools, are ever running to their neighbor to borrow, because they cannot find their own; — as also of those who, regarding the proffered aid of invention and the mechanic arts, in the improvement of our implements of husbandry, as an inno- vation, remain contented with using the same unwieldy and labor- consuming instruments which their fathers used, and their grand-fa- thers before them. In the report of the committee for Plattsburgh, the " four hundred and fourteen rods of stone-wall," — the " fences good," — by a most No. 63.] 303 significant silence, portray the beauties of barren fields, half sur- rounded by old brush-fence and rotten rails — of unruly cattle, and crops half destroyed. The " fifteen gates," forcibly remind one of the amount of labor which is annually lost in taking down and put- ting up as many " sets of bars," or of the gaps which are left in the wall "/or bars," but which, '■'■for the present ^^'' (and often a durable present,) are filled up with broken rails. The favorable notice these gentlemen take of the orchards, fruit yards, and gardens, appertain- ing to the farms they visited, sufhcently evinces their high estimation of these departments of a farm establishment, and their taste for the luxuries which they may be made to afford. The catalogue and de- scription of his fruit-trees and fruit, so kindly furnished by I. C. Piatt, speak volumes in praise of this veteran farmer's wisdom and good taste, in devoting so much attention to this department of his calling. His example is worthy of imitation; and may it stimulate others who have too much neglected this fruitful source of pleasure and profit, to give it their increased attention. The value of a good kitchen-garden, is not likely to be over-rated. Besides being the most profitable portion of the farm, it may be made to contribute more than all the rest to the physical enjoyment of those who partake at the farmer's table. And if to this be added a fruit-garden^ con- taining a choice selection of the best varieties adapted to the soil and climate, in thrifty and bearing condition, he may well feel a sort of independence which none others can. He is no longer dependent on foreign climes and foreign trade for the supply of most of his table delicacies. The distressing effects of fluctuation in State and Nation- al affairs, may reach to his pocket, but they can hardly extend to his plate; and so far as relates to the supplies of his table, monopolies and embargoes, tariffs and free trade, are all well-nigh the same to him. We hope this subject will engage the increased attention of the Society. In no other respect are the farmers of this county so far behind their neighbors of other counties as in this. Our orchards are, generally, in a thriftless and decaying state; while comparatively little attention is paid to the rearing of young orchards, or the im- provement of the old. The pear is equally as well adapted to our climate as the apple, and its excellent qualities are well known; — still, it is almost as rare a thing to see an individual of the species communis around the farmer's domicil, as one of the genus citrus (or the lemon tribe) within it. The plum, the cherry, and all the small- er fruits, have hitherto shared the same neglect. Some few trees of some of these kinds, and of the common varieties, are usually to be met with in the margin, or some secluded corner of the farmer's gar- den, where the turf is never broken, and the sprouts are allowed to grow up into a thicket, from which little fruit is obtained, and that of little value; while (with a few honorable exceptions, at the head of which stands the gentleman above mentioned) scores of improved and choice varieties, which might be procured at a trifling expense, and cultivated quite as easy, and which would return more fruit of superior excellence, now remain unnoticed and almost unknown. In 304 [Senate this department, therefore, a wide field for improvement lies open. The necessity is urgent, and the means ample. Let then the farmers of this fertile county awake in this respect to their own interest, and set themselves at once and in earnest about the work of providing for themselves and the objects of their charge, an abundance of these table luxuries. Let them remember Eden, and they will no longer regard the employment of horticulture as below the dignity of the "tiller of the soil." Let them but remember its fruits, and its bowers of domestic felicity, and they cannot long remain insensible to the loss they are now deriving to themselves and their families, in point of health, physical enjoyment and domestic happiness, from this, their own miserly neglect; nor can they, as we think, any longer forbear to elevate the science and practice of horticulture to her proper stand- ing in the scale of agricultural pursuits. We hope the Society will take some further measures with special reference the promotion of this desirable object. REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON CROPS. After enumerating the list of successful competitors, and the pre- miums severally awarded, the committee go on to say: " Gideon Rugar raised from 22 rods of ground 138 bushels of Ruta- baga— the largest yield, but too small a quantity of ground to draw the premium. " Charles C. Knapen raised 26 i bushels of Barley on 76 rods of ground, nearly 60 bushels to the acre. But there is no premium on barley. " Samuel H. Knapen raised 104 i bushels Potatoes on 39 rods of ground. The largest yield, but too small a quantity of ground to be entitled to the premium. " The committee would add that the statements presented by the competitors, relating to the expense and mode of cultivation, and the value of the crops, were, with one or two exceptions, deficient in many respects." The fact alluded to by the committee in the last paragraph, is to be sincerely regretted. It is indeed a fact which is not likely to be too well understood, that by this same means the object of the Socie- ty in offering those premiums, has to considerable extent been defeat- ed. The object of the State in making the " appropriation," and the design of this Society in seconding that object and attempting to car- ry it out, was not to confer private advantages on a few, but to effect an improvement in the state of agriculture generally. When, there- fore, an appeal is made to the ambition or the emulation of enterpris- ing individuals, by offering premiums on farms, crops, &c., it is for the purpose of eliciting facts by which others may be convinced of the possibility and the practicability of improvement, and of the high ad- vantages it might afford. It is, in short, to show that some improve- ments may be made — what they are — and how to he performed. But very few, however, of the statements rendered, have fully an- swered this design. Still it is satisfactory to observe, that brief as No. 63.J 305 they generally are, most of them furnish some hints worthy of consi- deration: and a few of them afford practical illustration highly satis- factory, of certain principles relating to the science of agriculture which are not now generally understood, or if understood, not gene- rally adopted. Two of these papers from the pen of J. Battey — one on the cultivation of the beet, and one on that of oats, carry out so fully the object of the society, and withal possess so much interest, that we feel disposed to give them publicity; and we can but hope that from his example, such as may hereafter enter the list of com- petitors for such premiums, will the better understand their duty, and the more faithfully perform it. His " statement" respecting the cul- tivation of his farm will also be found among the papers hereto an- nexed. JoNA. Battey, ] J. H. Holt, [ Publishing Com- M. K. Platt, [ mittee. G. W. Palmer, J MANGEL WURZEL.— Mr. Battey's Statement. To Wm. Ricketson, David R. Parsons, and Chancellor Stearns, Committee chosen by the Executive Committee of the Clinton County Agricultural Society, to award its premiums on field crops: The following is m)' " statement" respecting a crop of Mangel Wurzel, or field beets, which I have laised this season, and which I hereby respectfully present for your consideration in awarding the Society's premiums on that crop. The patch of ground on which they grew was, when I came in possession, in the spring of 1839, one of the most forbidding por- tions of my farm — a small field or yard, in one corner of the lot, which appeared to have been marked out by the rule of rejection — being separated by ' the garden' on one side and a hog pasture on the other, from the rest of the farm. The soil, which was naturally a stiff clay, wore the appearance of having been rendered still more compact and of course unpro- ductive, by the " drilling system;" which allows of repeated crop- ping with scanty manuring; of working the land when wet; of half plowing, half seeding and half hoeing; and of digging out from among the snow and matted weeds, a few small turneps, or a few watery, half grown potatoes, and then leaving the soil at the mercy of chance, till another spring — again to try the strength of another plow-beam — again to become the ' resting place' of a few more seed potatoes, or turnep seeds, or cabbage plants — and so on. Immediately I determined to reclaim it, or at least to make an ef- fort. I firstly proceeded to take away the old fence, and introduced it into membership with that favored family, the "kitchen garden;" for I have observed that even "• old worn out fields" are not insen- sible of favors conferred; but often, on receiving inci eased attention, their very countenances indicate fresh hopes. I then spread on and immediately plowed under, partially air [Senate No. 63.J O* 306 [Senate slacked lime, at the rate of 30 bushels to the acre, together with a moderate quantity of strawy manure, and planted it with potatoes, ruta baga and field beets. Before mid-summer, the soil became so compact that it was with difficulty a hoe could be made to penetrate to the depth of half an inch. The product was light and the pros- pect of success not very flattering. Not willing to give it up so, I projected a plan, which, with some slight variation, I have pursued to the present time, and with the most satisfactory result. In this plan, the renovating means con- sisted mainly in deep fall plowing^ and a liberal use of straw, or other light materials. The straw, by being turned under, constituted a sort of underdrain, by which the surface water was permitted to pass off; thus leaving, during winter, the upper stratum of earth more susceptible to the fertilizing influence of frost. Besides, as a secondary eff"ect, the straw by decomposing and being thoroughly mixed with the soil, has served materially to improve its texture, and eventually to change its character. Late that fall, I went to a pile of wet and mouldy straw, which my predecessor had left at an out barn, and drew to this field as much of it as I thought I could well cover with the plow, and immediately turned it under, allowing the plow to run to the depth of eight inches. I had two boys fol- low the plow, and with light four-tined forks, draw from the 'land' into the furrow as much straw as would nearly fill it, at the same time walking in the furrow and treading it down — which enabled the plow to cover it all perfectly. The plowing was done in narrow lands, and the dead furrows left deep and open. The following spring it was again plowed six inches deep, and another dressing of straw turned under in like manner as before. It was again planted with the same kind of vegetables as before; only •their relative position in the field was inverted. This season, some improvement became apparent, both in the condition of the soil and in the amount of the crop. The ensuing fall and spring, the same treatment of the land was repeated — except that at each time, the plowing was one inch deeper. The crop last year was chiefly man- gel wurzel — which proved a very good one — nearly as large for the quantity of ground as the present one. Preparatory to the crop the present year, the same treatment was again repeated — except that instead of straw, four loads of strawy horse-stable manure Avere applied in the fall, and in the spring three loads of chip dirt, and one load of hog manure.* The soil has now become light and friable, and I have omitted the present fall, the application of straw or any straw materials, deeming this part of the process not now necessary. When the ground was plowed and worke ! for the present crop, it was in a proper state as to moisture. The manure was turned under and perfectly covered, the plow running to the depth of about seven inches. It was then thoroughly harrowed and rolled. The object * By a ' load' of manure or straw, is meant a common wagon-box full, which holds about thirty bushels. No. 63. J 307 of rolling was to break down all the fine lumps of earth, and to ren- der the surface compact and smooth, in which condition the operation of planting, which was done with a machine, was more conveniently and effectively performed. Besides I am satisfied, both from reason and experience, that the 5z^r/ace being left compact and smooth, (pro- vided the ground be dry at the time of rolling, and the roller light, so its effect be not felt much below the surface,) is highly beneficial both to the soil and the crop. The planting was done on the seventh of the sixth month, (June.) It was performed, as I have already stated, with a drill barrow — a machine of my own invention, to the use of which I attribute much of my success in the cultivation of the beet crop. By this machine, the seed is dropped at any required distace asun- der, from four inches to three feet, and deposited at any desired depth^ the operator being also able, by regulating the " dropper," to deposit very nearly a given number of seeds at a time. By the application of a single principle in the construction of the ' coulter' and ' con- ductor,' the operation of dropping and covering the seed is rendered perfect to a degree not equaled by any other planter I have ever seen. Every seed which passes out of the hopper, is conducted with infalli- ble certainty to the drill made by the coulter, and safely deposited at the bottom of it before a particle of earth can fall in and fill it up. As the machine advances, the earth falls in behind the coulter and fills the drill, and a wheel follows, pressing the soil upon the seed. Planted with this machine, beet seed is quite as sure to vegetate as corn. Every seed, capable of germination by any process, invariably comes, and it all comes up at very nearly the same time, a circum- stance of much importance, but which never follows hand planting or that of any other machine which has come to my knowledge. And, what may seem incredible, but which is nevertheless a fact, beet seed planted with this machine, comes up in less than half the time usually required for that planted by hand. I always plant my beet seed dry, without any preparation, and it has never been longer than five days in coming. By the way, I would remark that I plant all kinds of garden seeds, and even corn, with this machine. In this instance, the seed was dropped at eight inches asunder in the drills, and from three to four seeds in a place. The drills or rows were about thirty inches apart. At the first weeding the plants were thinned out so as to leave but two in a place, and at the second hoe- ing, so as to leave but one. They were hoed three times — a horse and corn harrow being used each time. The quantity of ground is just 40 square rods, or Jth acrej and the whole expense and value of the crop is as follows: EXPENSES . To 4 loads straw manure, at 2^ ., $1 00 To 3 do chip dirt, do ■ 75 To 1 do hog-pen manure, at 45., 50 Carried forward. $2 25 308 [Senate Brought forward, $2 25 Fall plowing, J day, man, team, and boy, at 155. , 63 Spring plowing, harrowing, and rolling, man and team half a day, at 125., 75 Planting with a machine, | day, at 8^., 17 Seed, 1| lbs., at 6^., 85 Harrowing 3 times, 2 hours each time — half a day in the whole — man and horse, at 9^., 56 Hoeing first time, man one and a half day, at 6s., 1 13 do second time, man one day, at 6s., 75 do third time, man ^ day, at 65., 38: Harvesting, man 3 days, at Ds., 1 88 do boy 1 day, at 35., 37 do horse used occasionally to draw in, say 1 day, [a liberal allowance,] at 35., .... 38 Use of land, at |75 an acre, 1 31 Taxes of every description on the land, 08 Total expenses, $11 49 RECEIPTS . By 257| bushels beets, at 10 cents, [one-half the price of potatoes, though worth two-thirds as much for stock,] . . . $25 75 Beet tops, valued, for cows, at 85., [a low estimate, being little more than their value plowed in for manure,] 1 00 Total value of crop, $26 75 Deduct total expenses, 11 49 Nett profit, $15 26 To the above estimate might be added: For 2/e lbs. beet seed, raised on one corner, at 65., . . » 1 92 Harvesting and cleansing the same, half a day, at 55., deducted, 31 161 1 bushel early graft apples at 35., and 2 bushels pie apples at 18 cents, on the tree, the product of a large tree stand- ing on the ground, 75 Making a profit from the land of $17 62 As my " statement " of this crop may come to the knowledge of others than this committee, I cannot well forbear to express my con- viction, that the farmers generally, of this county, are yearly sustain- ing a very great loss, by giving so little attention to this valuable crop. The ruta baga is also a valuable crop. But I am fully satis- fied that the beet is not second even to that. While, therefore, I would not discourage the cultivation of the turnep, I would respect- fully recommend that of the beet. I consider the mangel wurzel worth at least two-thirds as much as potatoes for wintering stockj No. 63.] 309 and for milk cows ilecidedly preferable. The latter increase the quantity, but deteriorate the quality of the milk, while the former improves both. My cows are kept exclusively on straw, with a daily allowance of these roots, and their milk certainly holds out well. Even my calves have no better fare; and no where have I seen any in more thriving condition. Another consideration, much in favor of raising the beet, is that it has a favorable effect in ameliorating the soil; and being fed out on the farm, it returns more to the soil than it takes from it. This idea may be new to some; but every one who has but a partial knowledge of vegetable physiology, or the laws which govern the growth of plants, is aware that all exogenous plants, or such as grow by the addition of successive layers to the outside^ and particularly those having broad and fleshy leaves, imbibe by far the greater portion of nourishment from the atmosphere; while the endogenous, or those which grow by the addition ot' successive por- tions on the inside^ such as the narrow-leaved grasses, and all the ce- real o-rains, derive most from the soil. Hence the correctness of the above remark in favor of the beet, is at once apparent. The same remark may also be applied to the potatoe, but not to the same ex- tent. It is another law in the vegetable economy, quite as satisfacto- rily ascertained, that the comparative amount of the nutriment derived by the plant from the atmosphere and from the soil, bears some pro- portion to the relative amount of the surface of the leaves, compared with that of the minute fibres of the roots. Hence the superior advantages of the beet or the turnep in this respect, over the potatoe, cannot fail to be perceived. I am aware that the beet is generally considered an uncertain crop; and probably under the ordinary mode of cultivation it is so. Still, I believe the fault is not in the kind of crop, but in the system of culture. In my experience, the fact is otherwise; no crop I raise, having proved more uniformly successful. And I have no doubt that under an improved system of cultivation, the experience of others would correspond with my own. If any who have hitherto been skeptical or unsuccessful in raising this crop, should, by these remarks, be induced to make a trial, to such 1 would say — Prepare your ground by deep and thorough plow- ing; if the soil is not already rich enough, plow in long or unfer- mented manure; if it is clayey or wet, make free use of straw, chip dirt, saw dust, or other coarse materials; and if sandy, of clay, and substitute compost for long manure; work the land thoroughly with a many and fine toothed harrow; smooth the surface with a light roller; and having procured a drill-barrow of the right kind, regulate it so that it will deposit the seed at a distance of eight or ten inches asunder in the drills, and three-fourths of an inch deep — or, if the weather and the soil are damp — half an inch; or if they are unusually dry, one full inch deep — but never more; and then deposit the seed in drills 30 in- ches apart; if plenty of seed is at hand, or can be procured, use itfreely, nothing doubting. As soon as the plants have acquired a little size, at farthest before they are twelve days old, pass the cultivator or corn har- row through them, and weed them out — leaving only two, or at most olO [Sekats three plants in z place. In ten or twelve clays more, repeat the opera- tion; leaving in no instance but one plant in a place. After this, dress them out once or twice more, ascircumstaDces may require; and if, at harvest, your labors are not rewarded by at least a good crop, then the expectations of one will bo disappointed, whether yours are or not. Jonathan Eattey, Peru, 12 mo. dOth, 1842. CULTURE OF OATS.— Mr. Battey's Statement. The following is my " statement" respecting a crop of Oats, which r raised this season, and which I respectfully present for your con- sideration in awarding the Society's piemiums on that crop. From a field of green-sward oats, containing seven acres, 1 mea- sured oiFat the time of harvest, a rectangle of precisely 160 square rods, or one acre of ground. The oats on this acre were then cut, and set up in the field. They were then drawn to the barn, and mowed away on a scaffold, where they remained undisturbed, except by rats and other vermin, (by which they were considerably damaged) until recently; when they were threshed, and the grain measured and weighed, the product being as follows: By measure, 57| bushels. By weight, ^^je do Being 35 lbs. 5 oz., very nearly, per bushel. I am well aware that this is no very extraordinary yield. Probably more bushels per acre have been grown in this county the present season, and may come to the knowledge of the committee. Still it may not be certain that the largest yield is always the most profita- ble. On the contrary, it is well known that in many cases of " mammoth" yields which have been reported, the increased expense of the crop, arising from a lavish and injudicious application of labor and other means, and a proper allowance for the natural productive- ness and previous good management of the soil being deducted, the nett profit has been found to be far less than that of some other more moderate yields. It may be just to say, that in this case, neither the parcel of ground selected, nor the field of which it was a part, was cultivated with any view to a premium, but was in all respects managed in accordance with my general system of farming. In this system, a rotation of crops is a fundamental principle. And for reasons which I cannot state here, oats are selected for the first or green-sward crop. The soil of this field is a deep, strong, clay loam, the surface inclin- ing slightly to the east. It had been " in grass" three years — the whole seven acres having produced on an avarage. In the year 1839, Hths tons hay per acre. In the year 1840, 1| do do And in 1841, 1| do do No, 63, j 311 Plaste- was applied at the rale of 100 lbs. per acre, in 1839, ami in 1841, and again at the same rate the present season — one land, of two rods in width, through the whole, being oraii ted for experi- ment, which chanced to pass through this acre. No other manure has been applied, either the present season or at any time since it was last plowed. The crop in 1838, was part wheat and part oats, when the land was seeded with clover and timothy. Although con- siderable of the clover had now ' run out,' yet its effect in amelio- rating the soil and in rendering the sod easy of decomposition, has been quite apparent, and is rendered still more so by a comparison of this with an adjacent field of green-sward oats on a timothy and red top sod. Tlie soil and the mode of cultivation of the two fields were similar; and I know no reason why, had the sod been the same in kind, the product shoulfl not have been equal — except, however, that the kind of oats was not the same. But, having ascertained by a nicely conducted experiment, the relative productiveness of the two kinds, and making the proper allowance for their difference in this respect, a balance of one-fifth the whole crop on the clover sod remains in its favor. And a still greater difference was found to €xist, after the crops had been taken off, in the condition of the sod — that of clover and timothy, having been reduced by fermentation to a friable condition, while that of timothy and red top remained tough and unyielding. The acre now presented for premium was plowed, in connection with the rest of the field, about the 1st of 5th month, (May.) On the 14th, the oats were sown and harrowed in; the field being har- rowed twice over (with a new and improved harrow, which does at Jeast twice the execution of a good common harrow,) and lapping half its width each time — the ground having also been prepared for the reception of the seed, by harrowing it over three times in the same manner, — firstly, lengthwise of the furrow, — secondly, diago- nally, or from corner to corner, — and thirdly, at right-angles with the last. I never harrow at right angles with the furrow sooner than the fourth time, as I find that harrowing in the manner above des- cribed, has not so great a tendency to turn up the sod. The weather was fair, and the ground in as good condition for being worked as could be desired. Two days afterwards the land was rolled, and about the same time the next month it was plastered, excepting a strip reserved as above mentioned, for experiment. The kind of oats sowed, is a variety which has been produced by mixing, in equal proportions, our common oats with the barley oats, and sowing tlie product of this mixture from year to year, until the distinctive cha racter of the English oat is no longer visible, and a variety is pro- duced, not essentially differing in appearance from the common oat — a kind, by the way, which I prefer above all others I have yet tried, as they are much heavier than the common oat, and will pro- duce more bushels, by measure, than any other kind with which I am acquainted. Besides, they are certainly fully equal, if not su- perior to any other, in the ability of standing erect in the field. With the whole of the field of which this acre is a part, as, in- 212 [Senate deed, with every other on my farm, an accurate oceount of expenses- has been kept. The treatment of every part was alike, and the growth so nearly equal, that I was in doubt whether to make a se- lection, or to take the whole field. One-seventh of the whole ex- pense till the time of harvest, being therefore taken for this one acrcy the aggregate expense of the crop is as follows: EXPENSES, To plowing, 1 man and 1 horse f ths day, at 12^. $0 95 Harrowing, 1 boy, 1 pair horses -| jths day, 12^ 1 18 Rolling, one boy, one pair horses, 2 ?ths day, 12^ 0 17 Seed oats, 3| th bushels by measure, at 4^ 1 93 Sowing do., man j-gih day, at 8^ 0 06 Plaster, worth 4^ , 0 50 Sowing do., man j-gth day at 85 0 06 Cradling, man half day, at 8s 0 50 Raking and binding, man half day at S^ 0 50 Setting up, man |th day at 8^ 0 13 Drawing in, two men, one team, |th day at 245 0 43 Raking scatters, man and horse, -j'ath day. at II5 Oil Drawing in scatters, 0 06 Threshing done at one tenth, 2 31 Use of land at $50 per acre, 3 50 Taxes of every description on land, 0 21 Total expenses of crop, $12 61 RECEIPTS. 4 By 66 y'gth bushels oats at 35 cents, the price paid at the mills at harvest time, $23 12 198 bundles straw, worth to feed out, 2 cents, 3 96 100 lbs. scatters, not threshed, worth for fodder as much as hay, 0 35 Total value of crop, $27 43 12 61 Nett profit, $14 82 This, to be sure, is not a large profit for an acre of ^^ premium oats." But then it should be remembered that I have allowed for the use of the land, the interest of its cost, though purchased at a time when oats sold at 3^. 6d. wheat at 14^., and other produce in pro- portion; also, that labor and seed cost about the same. So that if the market price of oats had now borne a just proportion to the ex- pense of raising the crop, as compared with former years, the footing would have shown an additional profit of about $5.78; which, added to the above, would make the nett profit $20.96, which is nearly double the whole expense of the crop. No. 63.] 313 If it be asked, to what cause or causes I attribute my success in raising this crop? I answer, to several. Firstly: The soil had not become so far reduced by repeated mow- ingSj as to render plowing, with reference to present proft, by any means indispensable, as the crop of hay cut last year sufficiently shows. The roots of the grass composing the sod were still vigorous and full of juice — a condition highly favorable to their entering readily into a state of decomposition. Secondly: The sward consisted in considerable proportion of clo- ver, which enters more readily into fermentation than any of the nar- .'ow leaved grasses. Hence the decomposition of the sod took ef- fect in season to benefit the immediate crop, both by furnishing a sup- ply of vegetable aliment, necessary to the growth and perfection of the crop, or, as some would have it, the necessary stimuli to the or- gans of the growing plants; and also by imparting to the soil a cer- tain degree of heat from fermentation, which served materially to keep it light, dry and warm. This last is a consideration of great impor- tance in the cultivation of clayey or tenacious soils. Thirdly: The plowing was deferred until near the time of sowing, or till the grass was beginning to start — so the juice or sap was in active circulation — another condition highly favorable to immediate decomposition. Fourthly: The plowing was emphatically well done. The furrow- slice was not entirely inverted, but left at an angle of about 30 de- grees to the horizontal; and so perfectly was the operation of plowing performed, that I believe I should not be far out of the way in saying, that not a foot of turf was left, either not cut, or not turned over. Fifthly: The quantity of seed used was liberal, and the time of sowing especially favorable to the production of a valuable crop — being early enough to allow the grain to fill well, and yet late enough to ensure a luxuriant growth — and, Sixthly: The ground, at the time of soimng, was in good condition as to moisture — being neither too wet nor too dry; and the whole operation of getting in the crop was performed in a thorough, and, if not scientific, a workmanlike manner. In the first place, the ground was harrowed before sowing, until the surface was rendered mellow and very even. I never sow^ upon the furrow; as, in that case, a portion of the seed is deposited at considerable depth, while some other portions remain at or near the surface. The consequence frequently is, especially in wet seasons, that much of the seed is entirely lost. When this result does not happen, the seed comes up at unequal times; those plants which get the earliest start, shade and retard the growth of those which are later; and thus the later portion of the crop never amounts to much, except to occasion the farmer no inconsiderable trouble in curing his crop; or, if the whole be suffered to stand until all has become ripe, to lessen, very considerably, the value of that portion which ripened first. In casting the seed, I was very particular to distribute it with an impartial hand; so that every foot of ground might receive its just [Senate No. 63.J P^ ># 314 [Senate proportion. This operation is one .of so much importance, that 1 never choose to trust it to another, when I can perform it myself, although he be considered a workman at the business. The use of the roller^ as a finishing process in the " getting in " of all kinds of grain, I consider to be of very great advantage. In my method of getting it in, the grain is left near the surface; and the roller, by compressing the soil on and around the seed, serves to ren- der the speedy and simultaneous germination of almost every grain of it, comparatively certain. Even that which happens to remain at the surface, under this treatment, seldom fails to grow^, except in a very dry time. I am well aware that the use of the roller on heavy clay soils, in a wet state, is highly injurious to the land. But it is equally certain, that to work the land at all at such a time, is also injurious. And hence, I think that he who keeps this important principle in view, and manages accordingly, will seldom find an occasion when he will need to dispense with the use of the roller. The plaster probably did some good ; but it was sowed too late, and its effect on the crop was not very considerable, as proved by the experiment. Such are some of the more prominent causes, which, in my estima- tion, have had a favorable effect in the production of this crop. That some of my brother farmers maybe incited to inquiry — that they may be led to entertain more liberal and sounder views relating to the science of agriculture, than some now do — and, eventually, to the adoption of an improved system of farming, by which those and simi- lar means may be rendered still more effective in promoting their own and the public good, is the only object of these remarks. All which is respectfully submitted. Jonathan Battey. Peru, I2th mo. 30th, 1842. MR. BATTEY'S FARM REPORT. To WiLLETS Keese, Elisha Allen a7id Gordon T. Thomas, com- mittee chosen to award the prefniums offered by the Clinton County Jigricultural Society on Par ms for the year 1842. The undersigned, having signified his wish to have his farm con- sidered with reference to such premium, and the same having been examined, now presents the following as his statement respecting it. The size of the farm is 60-^ acres. Of this, l/g- acres are unculti- vated, and l/o acres in the highway; which leaves of cultivated land 57 acres. This farm consists of several small lots of land, which until within within a few years, composed three several establishments; two of which were occupied by inn-keepers, and one by a mechanic. The soil is a deep clay loam, resting on a subsoil of clay and sand va- riously combined, in some places the sand predominating, but gene- rally the clay. Naturally the soil is very productive; but from bad eco- i No. 63.] 315 nomy on the part of some who have occupied it, some portions are now far less so, than otherwise they might have been. I do not say that all my predecessors on this farm were bad, or even poor farmers. Of the management of any of them, I had no personal know- ledge; but observing, when I came into possession, that the depth of tilth was generally shallow, I could from this circumstance alone infer that the general previous management had not been either scientific or "thorough-going." Some fields had been plowed too much, and others too little; some had been plowed and highly manured until the land had become filled with thistles and other weeds; and others had been plowed without manuring until they had become very thistly and much worn; and nearly all wore the appearance of having been repeatedly plowed and worked when too wet. The opportunity for improvement, therefore, which in these respects existed, early en- gaged my attention; antl hence a course of treatment was adopted with these several fields, as nearly the reverse of that which had ef- fected those results as circumstances would admit. This treatment, however, is in accordance with, and constitutes a part of my general system of farming; which, while it embraces the means of restoring to the soil the qualities lost or impaired by injudicious treatment, ex- tends also much farther, and contemplates as its leading object, an unlimited and tonstantly progressive improvement of the soil. The division of my farm into fields is not such as I should prefer. In such a division the size of the fields would be nearly equal, and the number of such fields into which the farm should be divided, would be just once, twice, or some even multiple of the number of years embraced in each period of rotation of crops; in which case the number of acres annually broken up, or the quantity of ground annually appropriated to any given crop, might always be the same. But from the circumstance of several previous owners — and that of the intersection of public roads, such a division of this farm cannot well be made. By the circumstances just alluded to, my farm is now divided into five principal lots; availing myself of this primary di- vision, I have '■^ Lots'''' A, B, C, D and E. These are subdivided into " Fields^'' and numbered 1, 2,3, and so on. This farm contains no woodland. The \-^% acres however above referred to as unculti- vated, is covered with a sapling growth, which has sprouted up where the timber has recently been cut off. No part of the farm is used exclusively for pasture. My stock is small, and I hire it pastured off the farm till after haying — except my team, which is " kept up." The coarse fodder has all been used on the farm. Of the hay, from fifteen to twenty tons annually have been used, and the remainder sold. This last, however, is a practice which I would by no means recommend; and which I intend to dis- continue as soon as I can, without too much outlay, sufficiently in- crease my stock. For the two first years, the loss of manure occa- sioned by the sale of a part of the hay, was more than compensated by the use on my own land of coarse fodder, raised on an adjoining farm, of which I then held a lease. Since that time, or for two sea- sons past, I have had access to no such replenishing means from off 316 [Senate the farm — -although I have still continued to sell some hay. It may be remarked, however, that even under the disadvantages of this practice, I have by the aid of an improved system of cultivation, been able fully to maintain, and even to some extent, to improve the fer- tility of the soil. I must nevertheless enter my protest against the practice, as vsrholly indefensible, except perhaps on strong and rich soils, naturally adapted to grass for a short period, or to a very limi- ted extentj and then only on the plea of necessity. Having alluded to my system of cultivation or farm management, it will perhaps, be proper to make some exposition of its general cha- racter. This I do with the greater willingness, because I apprehend it embraces some principles relating to the science or the economy of agriculture which are not now so generally applied in practice, as they should be. In almost every other calling, whether of mechanical or professional life, the advantages of system appear to be well under- stood; while in that of farming, its advantages appear to be little known, and still less regarded. This fact had elicited my attention previously to the time when I engaged in my present occupation. From several years' experience in another kind of business, in which this simple principle was very extensively and most satisfactorily carried out in practice, as well as from general observation and re- flection, I had become so thoroughly convinced of its general utility, that I could not well conceive why it should not be equally as ser- viceable to the farmer as to the mechanic or the professional man. When, therefore, I passed by the farmer's fields whose meadows had not been plowed for a quarter of a century, and whose pastures were overgrown with moss and mulleins; whose once fertile wheat fields had become sterile rye fields, or been given up to buckwheat or this- tles, or whose corn and potatoe crops had gained the " title" of the fields respectively on which they grew, " by possession;" when I saw his barn-yard manure drenching in the summer rains, its soluble pro- perties washing away into the road, and its volatile passing off into the atmosphere; or when I saw his stock in the spring roving over his fields and poaching up his meadows, in search of a scanty morsel which the barn and granary did not then afford, 1 could but say to myself, " Here is a man who has no system." Again, when I passed by the habitation of one whose fields beto- kened some approach to system in his plans — but whofor want of method in their execution was a})t to be behind hand in his work, or to neglect some portions of it altogether; whose crops were half de- stroyed by his cattle, because the fences were not " put up" in the spring; whose mowers spent half their time at the grindstone be- cause the stones were not picked off the meadow early in the season; whose fire-wood was to be got up by piecemeal amid the hurry of farm work, because it was not done in winter; or whose sons were kept out of school, because his work was so behind hand that he could not spare them; I could but say to myself, " This man knows not how much he loses for want of a little method." I scarcely need say that from such lessons, I derived some useful hints, which, when I came to take upon myself the occupation of farm- No. 63.] 317 ing, became of much service; or to add that I at least attempted to pursue a better course. In marking out that course, I had special re- ierence to these four cardinal principles — all of which it was intend- ed to embrace: System^ method^ order and eco7iomy. How far I suc- ceeded is not for me to say. To reduce therefore the whole routine of my farm management and farming operations to one uniform sys- tem, in which the several parts should be adjusted according to a gi- ven rule, was my first design. This rule, or the principles of econo- my adopted as such, was that which allows the greatest amount of immediate profit from the least expenditure of means — at the same time securing the moderate, but certain and constantly progressive improvement of the soil. In the application of this principle, refer- ence must of course be had to various relative circumstances, such as the natural quality, previous management, and present condition of the soil; the available means likely to be at command in carrying the system into effect; the proximity and peculiarities of the market, and the necessity which may or may not exist, for the appropriation of the nett proceeds to the liqui --H ^ 00 l^ CO t- C<( t>OiO C^CJCOCOt- 00 4-* U3 O) O ■* T-t CN O (.^ to I— (I— ii— ( I— tG^r-(00O rf o 00 GO CO CO Tf* c> lO CO (MO(M COC^COG<(00 ;D h €©= l 00 G^ -H CM 1^ CO i-i t- CO CO lO — 1 o 00 O Tt r>< lO Ol-O OiOlO'-'C:i G^ to ■^ C5 00 CO G^ 00 Oi C- OrHO OC0Cs(tJiO< CO .5" CO 05 l> O — 1 C5 i> >o O00Tt< ^CJiOCOiO CO o ■-I -^ lO (>^ 1> CO rH OJ O-vflCs^ (Ni-^OTttt- 1— 1 ■€©= f— 1 I— 1 r-1 1-1 o 11 (Xi O "X) o CO '-I lo CO COOiO oocoaiooc>} TjH 05 C3 CO (M O 05 i-i Gs( 0)000 t-OOiOOJ I— t Ttl l-i r-{ Tt< CO CTi G<> &< C-OOr-H ooc-c^^ot- t^ a) a. m- oi CO i-l 00 CO rl — 1 CiCNi— 1 00>— tTt*OC0 I— 1 « o W =3©= aj • . 1 • • • '^ - 1 ' r~^r— I ,^ • r^ * ^ . .CO . 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In 1839, my estimates made in this way, proved on weigh- ing the hay the next spring, to have over rated the quantity, about one ton in forty; in 1840, I under rated one ton in thirty-four; last year I succeeded still better. I have therefore some confidence that my estimates the present season are not very far from correct. In estimating the value of produce, wheat was valued at eight shillings^ oats at thirty-five cts., hay at seven dollars, and potatoes assorted at twenty cts., the market prices at the time of harvest; and other pro- duce in proportion. By an examination of the preceding table, it will be seen that some of the crops afforded a very handsome profit, while others did little more than to merely " come out even." But such wide differences cannot have existed without the agency of special causes adapted to produce such results. And hence the crops of both these classes and the circumstances attending, require a passing notice. The oats in field JVo. 3, lot B. were a good crop. The yield was large, being over 60 bushels to the acre, while the expenses of culti- vation were only medium. . The result was a fair profit of some $12 to the acre. The circumstances which are supposed to have had a favorable effect in the production of this crop, are set forth in a state- ment already submitted to the Society, respecting a single acre select- ed from this field and presented for premium, and they need not be repeated here. JVo. 5, Lot B. was until the present season a part of the same field with No. 3. The quality and condition of the soil in the two fields are therefore similar, as also the mode and expense of cultivation. The time of sowing, however, was not the same, No. 5 being sowed 12 days later than No. 3, which was all that too late. Besides, the seed was not sown so evenly in No. 5, by reason of a strong and gus- ty wind, and the variety of oats was not exactly the same, though very nearly similar. The yield in this field was, however, only 44 bushels, or a little more than two-thirds as much as in the other; while the nett profit was less than half as much, or $5. 77. For this diffe- rence I know no other reasons than those already mentioned. Doubtless the small difference in the variety of oats had a trifling in- fluence on the result, and the unequal distribution of the seed in one case, still more; but probably the difference in the times of sowing was a more efficient cause of disparity in the results, than both the others- Here then is at least 50 per cent of the nett profit which might have been realized, absolutely lost by mismanagement, by sim- ply being a little behind hand. The oats in field JVo. 2, lot D. was also a greensward crop. The sod was composed of red top and timothy; it was seeded with the latter some five years since, which had now, to considerable extent, " run out." The soil of this field \va.s naturally good; in this respect it was not inferior to that of any other field on my farm. But the management in the previous cultivation had not all been the best. One essential error consisted in using no clover in seeding down. Be- sides, there must have been some others of considerable importance in their effect upon the soil, otherwise the timothy would not so soon, No. 63.J 323 and to so great extent have disappeared. This field had been in grass some five years, which though quite too long, was insufficient on this soil, otherwise properly managed, to have produced the last mention- ed result. The kind of oats sowed was that variety called here the Potatoe Oat, and the quantity sowed to the acre four bushels. The sowing was done on the 30th of 4th month, (April,) and immediately afterward plaster was applied at the rate of 100 lbs. to the acre. The yield of grain was quite moderate, about 33^ bushels per acre; the whole value of the crop, straw included, amounting per acre to some $13 . 70. The whole expenses of the crop were somewhat less per acre than in either of the preceding fields; being only some $11,27, but this difference resulted from the smaller growth of straw, which consi- derably reduced the expense of harvesting. This leaves a profit of barely $2.42 per acre, or about one-fifth as much as that pro- duced by No. 3, of lot B. As this statement of the profit does not agree with the above table, it should be remarked here, that the ad- ditional profit therein accredited to the field, resulted from the pro- duct of apple and other fruit trees, which the field contained. This last estimate is therefore correct, so far as relates merely to the crop of oats. A difference so striking in the comparative profits on tw^o fields of the same crop — the same season — and on the same kind of soil, must have been produced by causes equally conspicuous and decisive in their character; and which may fairly be presumed to involve some ge- neral principles of practical importance. For this reason I feel disposed to offer some further remarks in exposition of the circumstances connect- ed with the cultivation of this crop. As has been already remarked, the soil was strong and naturally productive, and the sowing was done in proper season; also the ground was in good condition when worked; the plowing, and indeed the whole process of getting in the crop, was done up in as correct and thorough a manner as that of any other field on my farm. It may therefore, very pertinently be asked, why I have not realized a larger yield. I can assign two reasons and two only. But with me, these are sufficient. Firstly: — The sod was of such a kind, as will not the most speedily enter into a state of fermentation. The mode of tillage, and the season, were especially favorable to the desired result — but such a re- sult did not ensue. Had the sod been composed in whole, or in part of clover, or had the grass roots which did compose it been young and vigorous, and full of sap, instead of being old, dried up and de- caying, a very different result might have been expected. As it was, decomposition had but just commenced, when the crop was taken off. In my opinion, this circumstance alone, was sufficient to account for a loss of at least one-third the amount of the crop, which might oth- erwise have been realized. This principle is one, which by farmers generally, is either overlooked or sadly disregarded; although it may as I conceive, be doubted whether any one principle in the science of agriculture of equal importance is more readily apprehended, or bet- ter established than this. He who, to save the expense of re-seeding his land, suffers his meadovrs to remain in grass much after the sward 324 [Senate has passed the period of its highest strength and vigor, cannot, as I think, be aware how much he is losing by his mistake. He loses more every year in his crop of grass, than would be sufficient to pur- chase all the seed he wants; (which by the way, he ought to raise;) and when the time at last ccmes round that the " meadow must be broken up," his greensward crop, unless highly manured, is but a scanty remuneration for his labor and seed; the sod remains tough and unchanged, and the land must be cropped and cropped to subdue it; until at length not only the sod, but the soil is subdued, and ren- dered unfit for seeding down, or for profitable tillage. Its lost ferti- lity must now be restored; and to this end, it is manured and crop- ped, and manured and cropped again, until the crop of weeds and thistles becomes sufficiently abundant, to fill the owner's largest wish- es, when it must be " seeded down.'''' But it is thinly seeded, or the seed does not take well; or it is smothered by the weeds; so the first crop of grass is a crop of thistles, and the succeeding ones but little else; till at length the ground becomes so solid, that thistles will not grow — when the more hardy grasses " come in," and the field once more gets to bearing 2, fine crop of still finer hay. This I am certain is no fancy sketch, having taken it from real life. But it may be asked what has all this to do with your crop of oatsi Certainly noth- ing directly, but indirectly much; as it represents the incapability of the soil in this field to produce a heavy greensward, crop and the pre- vious management by which this incapacity may have been induced. But I proposed to offer two reasons for this not having been a lar- ger crop. And secondly^ then. The kind of oats was not the most productive. Had I been as well acquainted with it as I now am, before sowing last spring, I should not then have sowed a single bushel of it. I had raised of it only a single season. Being introduced to my notice by a friend of mine, who by the way is not apt to be so deceived by appearances, I took it " upon trust" to be what he had supposed it to be, " a little better kind than any other." And to make the most of what seed I was unfortunate enough to obtain, I sowed six bushelsby weight, or about five by measure, on something more than three acres of ground. The growth of straw was good; but the yield of grain, on thresh- ing, came far short of what I had expected, and I began to fear that all was not right. But as I had no proof in the case, having no oth- er kind of oats in the same field, and especially as I did noiknow but the thin seeding might have been the sole cause of my disappoint- ment, I determined to sow it at least another season, and give it a fair trial. This I have now done; and although perfectly satisfied my- self, the 'proof shall be given, that others may judge for themselves. For this experiment, I selected a portion of" Field No. 3," "Lot B," where, from the previous crops of hay, I knew the condition and quality of the soil to be very nearly uniform. I then sowed a strip just two rods wide and some twenty long, with Potatoe Oats, and another strip exactly as wide and long at the side of it, with just the same quanti- ty of seed of a common variety. And lest there might exist a slight difference in the condition of the soil, too small to have been percei- No. 63.] 325 ved in previous crops, yet sufficient to affect the result in this expe- riment, I sowed on the opposite side of the potatoe oats, another strip, with the common variety, of the same dimensions and using the same amount of seed. At harvest, the products from the two strips of the common variety were united — and this combined product and that of the other variety, carefully mowed away by themselves. Sub- sequently, they were threshed and the two products of grain sepa- rately weighed. The result was, that one-half the combined products of the common oats, compared with the product of the potatoe oats, as four hundred and twenty-three to three hundred and four, or near- ly as four and one-fifth to three. Another circumstance of some im- portance which should be mentioned, is that my potatoe oats were all very smutty^ while the other kind was not. And as I observed that every field of potatoe oats in the neighborhood, which I saw, was also smutty, I concluded that this difficulty is common to this kind of oats. But this kind of oats may not be smutty every season, and hence so great a comparative loss might not in every instance be realized. The above experiment, is nevertheless decisive. I had of the Potatoe variety in three different fields. In all, the relative pro- portion of smutty to perfect heads, was the same — which I ascertain- ed by cotmt to be as one to four — deducting this from the difference shown in the experiment, a balance still remains of 4V3, that is to say, if every smutty head had been a fertile one, the latter variety would still have fallen short, by one bushel in every ten produced by the other kind. So that he who sow^s the new variety, must expect to lose one in every ten, or three in every thirty, or five in every fifty bushels of his whole crop; which, taken from the nett profit, makes a difference certainly worth regarding; and he may, and more probably will realize the full amount of 1} in every 4t or of 12 in every 42 bushels lost — which is precisely the rate of loss I have sustained by this means in the present crop. The whole loss being 103| bushels, and amounting in value to $36 17 Adding to this I a low estimate for the loss sustained by rea- son of the kind and condition of the sward, we have a still greater amount of some 1223- bushels, amounting in value to 42 SI The assumed loss from both sources, my own mismanage- ment, and that of my yuredecessor, being 78 98 which compared with $19.18, the nett profit realized is certainly no very trifling sum. It may to some appear singular that I have been thus minute in de- tailing the circumstances of this apparently unsuccessful crop. My only object has been to draw the attention of others to the principles involved; and although it is not quite so agreeable to expose one's own errors and mistakes as to give an account of our more success- ful efforts; yet from a conviction that far greater practical benefit is often derived from an intelligent review of unsuccessful operations and their results, than of those which are attended with greater suc- cess, I could not well forbear to make the exposition. 326 [Senate The crop of oats on field No. 2, lot E, though a fair one, was far less than it should have been. The soil was capable of producing a larger crop than either of the preceding, whereas it amounted to only forty-five bushels to the acre. This field had been under the plow for several years, and hence had become very thistly. Preparatory to the present crop, the ground was plowed the fall previous, and again in the spring, when the field was harrowed and sowed with potatoe oats, at the rate of four bushels to the acre, ex- cept a small portion of it, which was seeded at the rate of half that quantity, for experiment. The oats were thoroughly harrowed in and rolled, and to make thorough work with the lumpy places, it was harrowed and rolled again. The land was also seeded with herds- grass, at the rate of thirteen quarts, clean seed, to the acre, and the seed harrowed in with the oats. In seeding this field, I omitted clo- ver so that I might have the timothy clear, to save seed from hereaf- ter. This however, w^as a departure from my general practice, as the use of clover in seeding grass lands, constitutes an important princi- ple in my system of farming. The experiment above alluded to, was instituted with a view to as- certain the comparative advantages of using much or little seed, in sowing oats. The process was simply this; in sowing, I left three alternate lands near the middle of the field, with just half the usual quantity of seed, or at the rate of two bushels to the acre. At har- vest, one swath from the center of each of these three lands was sa- ved, and the three united; also, one swath from the center of each of four other lands, alternating with these three and seeded at the rate of four bushels to the acre, was secured and the four being uni- ted, the two parcels were securely mowed away by themselves and afterwards threshed, and the products weighed. The result was as follows: Three swaths at 2 bushels per acre, produced 575 lbs. of oats, w^eighing per bushel, 41 lbs. Four swaths at 4 bushels per acre, produced 900 lbs. of oats, weighing per bushel, 42 lbs. Or, dividing the former amount by 3, and the latter by 4, the product of One swath seeded at 2 bushels, was 191 1 lbs. One swath seeded at 4 bushels, was 225 lbs. making a difference of 33^ lbs. Allowing then, 40 bushels an acre to be an average yield of oats, (and I think no farmer on good soil ought to feel satisfied with his management until his average yield exceed that estimate by at least ten bushels,) the foregoing experiment proves that, if the common rate of seeding be two bushels to the acre, an addition of two more bushels in seeding, w^ill produce an addition to the amount of the crop, of about 7 bushels to the acre, which, deducting the increased expense of seed, leaves a clear gain of five bushels to the acre. But there are other advantages still resulting from the heavier seeding. One is, that the straw being shorter, finer and firmer, is worth nearly No. 63.J ^ 327 twice as much for fodder as that of the lighter seeding, and is much less apt to lodge or rust. Another is, that it springs up and immedi- ately covers the earth with a mantle of dense foliage, by reason of which the growth of weeds is almost entirely prevented. I am aware that this experiment does not prove that four bushels to the acre is precisely the right quantity, but, it does prove what it attempted to prove, that heavy seeding is better than light seeding, and that for strong land in good condition, four bushels is at least better than two. The profit allowed in the foregoing synopsis is correct as relates to the field, but to find the nett value of the crop, the expense for grass seed must be deducted, which would leave $16,88 as the nelt value of the crop of oats, or $5.63 per acre. Had I sowed my common variety of oats in this field instead of the potatoe oats, the value of the crop would have been $76.88 instead of $55.25, leaving a profit of $38.51, and the amount of the crop 188 bushels, or 62| bushels to the acre on an average. The crop was materially injured by the thistles, and the expense of harvesting considerably increased by the same means. But the inju- ry from this source was far less than if the quantity of seed used had been much smaller, and the mode of cultivation less thorough. As it was, the oats sprang up and covered the ground so soon, and con- tinued to grow so rapidly, that the thistles had altogether a hard time in getting started, and having so much the disadvantage they were kept in the " back ground," or rather in the " shade" all the way up, or until the oats had attained their full height, when a small portion of the thistles succeeded in peeping out their heads. Had it not been for the prevalence of this pest in the soil, and my own misfor- tune in obtaining that kind of oats, I have no doubt I might have realized 75 bushels or more to the acre. And 1 am equally certain that had it been seeded at the usual rate, and had the crop been got in in the usual" half way" method, the crop would have proved a fail- ure. A neifjhbor of mine — whose manao-ement is somewhat differ- ent — and who could but express his wonder and surprise when I was getting in this crop at so much " needless and useless expense," as he considered it, afterwards acknowledged, frankly and voluntarily, to its good eflfect, saying that he never saw so fine a field of oats growing, as they were. Coming from such a source,! accepted this as rather a high compliment to the superiority of my system. The crop of wheat on field No. 1, lot C. affords a practical illus- tration of the advantages of keeping farm accounts. The yield was fair, being 15 bushels to the acre, and yet the nett profit does not ex- ceed 37 cents to the acre. This field was broken up last year, a moderate dressing of half rotten straw from piles left two years before, (not foddered out,) with some twelve or fifteen loads strawy horse stable manure, being turned under, and planted with corn. It had been mowed for several years, or until the soil had become much reduced, the crop of hay being small. The sod from its age, and the materials of which it was com- posed, was especiallysolid and tough, and by no means adapted to 328 [Senatk enter readily into a state of fermentation. Besides, the season prov- ed particularly unfavorable, and the result was that neither the sod nor the materials turned under, had undergone much change. Of course the crop was not large. To secure the more effectual decom- position of the sod, I concluded to plant it again the present season, and with this expectation I gave it another dressing of strawy ma- nure, and prepared the ground for planting. But owing to the back- wardness of the season, and the situation of the field, which was low and flat, the planting was deferred until it had become so late that I feared to risk a corn crop, when I sowed it with wheat. The long manure applied the present season, was undoubtedly of little or no service to the crop. It probably increased the growth of straw, but at the same time induced a greater tendency to rust, and very possibly diminished, to some extent, the yield of grain. Its application to this crop, however, as will be remembered, was not the result of system or intention, but of circumstances wholly acci- dental. The wheat was sowed on the 20th of 5th month, (May). Previ- ously to sowing, the ground was harrowed till the surface was ren- dered even — a preparatory process which I consider of no small con- sequence to the crop. I am aware that many farmers regard this practice as altogether useless, and involving needless expense. But I would almost as soon think of planting corn on greensward, with- out plowing^ as of sowing any kind of grain on the furrow as it is left by the plow. For my opinion on this subject, I have, as I think, some very good reasons; but as most of them are given in another paper which has already been presented to the Society on the culti- vation of a crop of oats, I need not repeat them here. The variety of wheat sown, was the Tea or China wheat, and the quantity, tw^o bushels to the acre. The seed was sown dry — without having been subject to any washing or other preparatory process. After sowing, the ground was harrowed and rolled; and as it had be- come " lumpy" in some places, and the lumps were not yet broken down, it was harrowed and rolled again. After the wheat w^as up, the most of the field was plastered, partly with a view to benefit the crop, but chiefly for the sake of experiment. The result, however, showed no effect from the plaster. The growth of straw was good. Standing thick, it did not grow very tall, nor lodge. But unfortu- nately, during the time of its filling, the weather was exceedingly wet and warm, and the crop was somewhat injured by rust. As this kind of wheat has very justly acquired the character of withstanding the rust better than other varieties, it is just to say that other fields in the neighborhood, sowed with other varieties, and ripening at the same time, were far more seriously injured, and some of them com- paratively destroyed. The fly that works in the head, vulgarly called the Weevil, which nearly ruined an adjoining crop belonging to my neighbor, and which was sowed ten or twelve days earlier, did not affect this at all. It is to avoid this enemy, that I sow my w^heat so late. It should be remarked that the wheat has not all been threshed, No. 63.J 329 yet having kept account of the number of bundles harvested, and having ascertained by threshing and measuring a considerable part of the product, the number of bundles required to yield a bushel, it is believed that the following estimate of the yield cannot be far from correct. The same remark would apply to my estimate of the amount of a few other crops. In every instance, however, I have been at the pains of obtaining similar data, and equally satisfactory, with that on which my estimate is founded in the present instance. Another consideration remains. The manure, which constitutes a large proportion of the expense, was applied with a view of another crop, and as it was probably injurious rather than beneficial to the wheat, this item of expense ought to be deducted and placed to the debit of farm account general, as a loss sustained by mismanagement, but chargeable to " stock account,"rather than to any particular crop. This would leave a balance to the whole field of $27.92. My potatoe crop was not large, but for a greensward crop, without manure, and especially for this season, it was comparatively good. It should be remarked, however, that the raising of a crop of pota- toes or any hoed crop without manure is a departure from my gene- ral system. In this instance it was the result of circumstances rather than design. The kind of potatoes which I planted is the " Mer- cer.^^ Having ascertained, by nicely conducted experiments, for three successive seasons, that they are more profitable on my land than any other variety 1 have raised, I now plant no other. The Rohan, it is true, will produce more bushels; the comparative yield of these two varieties, in those experiments, being, on an average, about as five to four. But the Rohan, though not so bad a potatoe as sometimes rep- resented, is not good enough for my table, neither will they sell here for table use. To raise for stock, the Rokan would undoubtedly be the most profitable. But for this purpose I raise neither, having found the beet still better. The difference, in point of productive- ness, between the Mercer and English White, or between the former and the" Scribner" potatoe, has proved in favor of the former, though the difference is not very large. There is also a difference in point of quality in favor of the same kind, which is very considerable, as the quantity of starch contained in the Mercer exceeds that contain- ed in either of the other varieties mentioned, by ten to twelve per cent. In this respect the Mercer is not excelled even by the pink- eye or the biscuit potatoe, while it far exceeds either in productive- ness. The potatoes in this field were planted in hills, the rows going both ways. This mode I now prefer to planting in drills. I once sup- posed that the latter mode was preferable; but from four successive experiments, instituted in as many succeeding years, I have been in- duced to abandon that mode entirely; the increased amount produced in drills, having in no instance, compensated for the increased ex- pense of cultivation. I have also instituted, and repeated under various circumstances, [Senate No. 63.) R* 330 [Senate experiments to ascertain the comparative advantages of planting the potatoe in setts or the whole tuber, and of using much or little seed. The result of all these experiments has been uniform, and in favor of selecting to plant, such tubers and such only, as the farmer's wife would select for his table; of cutting each into from four to six setts, care being taken as much as may be to avoid dividing the eyes, and of planting from six to eight of these pieces in a hill. This season I hoed my potatoes but twice — though I prefer hoeing three times — the first time as soon as the plants are fairly out of the ground, the second about ten days later, and the last time or hilling, just before the roots begin to sett. I use a horse each time; with a cultivator or corn harrow the two first times, and a light plow the last, going both ways each time. In hilling, I agi particular that the hills be left large and flat, or hollowing on the surface, rather than high and pointed. The ground having been very thoroughly harrowed, the rows one way were marked out with a light plow — making a furrow about 2 inches deep; in the bottom of which, the seed w^as deposited without the addition of plaster or any kind of manure. The planting was done on the 2Sth of 5th month. After the plants made their appearance, and before the first hoeing, plaster was applied at the rate of about 75 lbs to the acre; and after the first hoeing, a composition of plas- ter and leached ashes, at the rate of 50 lbs. of the former and 4i bushels of the latter to the acre. In the application of this com- pound, I tried two experiments; one, to prove the advantage to the crop, derived from the use of the ashes; and one to prove the ef- fect of the plaster applied last. The result of which was, that the plaster last applied did no good whatever, and that the ashes in- creased the amount of the crop ,-3 over and above what it would have been, had not the ashes been used. In addition to what appears above, I have built nearly 100 rods of fence during the past season; 75 rods of it of posts and boards, and the remainder of cedar rails. I have also made some improve- ments in and around some of my buildings. But as such expendi- tures add to the value of the real estate, just the amount of their cost, they have been omitted. There was also in the spring a trifling expense incurred in repair- ing fences, which properly might have been deducted from the nett profits of " farm account general," as made out above, but then I have omitted also to give credit for some 1,200 seedling fruit trees, the growth of the present season which ought properly to have been credited, and which at their present value, according to the whole- sale nursery prices, 'would have amounted, after deducting the ex- pense of cultivation, to some twenty dollars, a fraction of which would be sufficient to offset against the repairs alluded to. I have also incurred some expense in improving the quality of the fruit by graft- ing my orchartl. But this also, being an improvement, is entered in "stock account;" and hence need not be noticed in account with the farm. It will be noticed that I have given no credit for the products of No. 63. 1 331 the dairy, of the pork made, or of the sale or increase of stock. The reason is obvious. I have reported all my land, with a very small and unimportant exception, as being cultivated, which leaves me no pasture land. Of course I have no such necessity as commonly ex- ists, of having- a part of the products of my field " animalized" be- fore their amount can be estimated or their value known. It may also be remarked, that I devoted considerable attention to the extirpation of kale, white daisy and other foul weeds, for which purpose every field on my farm was twice gone over, excepting, how- ever, one meadow, where the white daisy has the entire ascendancy. The whole expense of this was nine dollars and twenty-five cents, which being regarded as an ' improvement'' is entered in stock account, and omitted in account with my crops. In conclusion, 1 would say that my object in writing out this lengthy " statement," has not been so much to benefit others by a knowledge of my own experience, as to draw out the experience of others and to cite the attention of my brother farmers generally to the benefits which might be derived from a more extended interchange of their professional experience either in this way or by some other systematic means; and although 1 had no reason to suppose that the facts communicated or the views offered would exert much influence on the opinions or practices of any, still, considering that they might come to the notice of some who like myself are young and inexperienced, I deemed it better to be a little too specific than by omitting any circumstances which might have had a bearing on the results given to lead any to make wrong inferences, or eventually to the adoption of practical error. With this apology, and a hope that I shall have the pleasure at the coming anniversary of our Society, of hearing from many other bet- ter and more experienced farmers than myself, the foregoing is res- pectfully submitted. Jonathan Battey. Peru^ 1st month Ith, 1843. COLUMBIA COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. There is a well organized and efficient Society in this county, but no report has been received from it. Its Fair was held at Hudson on the 10th of Oct. and was well attended both by competitors and ob- servers. On the ground were 38 cows, 13 bulls, 18 bucks, 25 ewes, 17 hogs, 3 steers, 16 yokes of working oxen, and 16 horses, making 162 quadrupeds in all. Then there were plows and harrows, culti- vators and fanning mills, root and straw cutters, pumps and hay press- es, quilts and comforters, carpets and toilet covers, wax flowers and lace veils, bee hives and cocoons, sewing silk and fine linen, huge beets and potatoes, fine apples and pears, butter and cheese; of the former article one hundred and seventeen lots were exhibited, togeth- er with almost every other article produced or used on the farm. 332 [Senate CORTLAND COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. Accompanying this, I send the published account of the doings of the Cortland County Agricultural Society the current year. The an- nual meeting of the Society was held yesterday. William Randall of Cortland Village, was chosen President, and George T. Taylor, of Homer, Corresponding Secretary. The meeting was well attended, and the members generally seem- ed gratified with the success which had attended their operations the past season. At the Fair in October, there was a splendid display of cattle, and there is a spirited competition among our actual farmers, (the real bone and sinew of the country,) which promises the best re- sults. In consequence of holding our annual meeting earlier than usual to enable the proper reports to be made in pursuance of the statute, some of our most efficient members were absent, having mistaken the time. This was the case with several members of experimental com- mittees who had prepared reports on the several duties assigned them. Dan Hibbard. Cortland Village^ 12th mo. Sth, 1842. DUTCHESS COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. Poughkeepsie, Dec. 29, 1842. The Dutchess County Agricultural Society was organized October 16th, 1841. It now has 258 members. We have received by vol- untary subscription, $333 — from the State, $157. We have paid out for premiums $289. We held our first annual fair on the 5th and 6th days of October last — the attendance was large, and the number and quality of the stock exhibited was much beyond our expecta- tions. The variety of samples of roots, vegetables, fruits, flowers, seeds, &c. exhibited, were good, and told that the farmers of old Dutchess are awake to the important subject of agriculture. There was a good display of farming implements, many of which are well calculated to save labor and expense, and to facilitate our labors. The greatest yield of wheat offered for competition, was 149|| bushels from five acres — of corn, 403 bushels measurement on five acres, and 107 bushels of corn on one acre — of potatoes, 376J bush- els on one acre — of sugar beets, 495 J bushels from half an acre — of ruta baga turneps, 350 bushels from half an acre. HENRY STATTS, President. Geo. Kneeland, Secretary. No. 63. 1 333 DELAWARE COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. In obedience to the provisions of the act passed May 5, 1841, to promote agriculture, I present the following abstract of the proceed- ings of the Delaware County Agricultural Society. The amount of money received from the State, was $106; received by subscription, $106; balance from last year, $54; making a total of $266. The second annual Fair was held at Delhi, October 12. [The list of pre- miums, which are here detailed, amounted to $186. Among the pre- miums awarded, was one to Jabez Bostwick, who made from eight cows, from 1st of May to lOth of October, 1,341 lbs. of butter, be- sides what was used in his family, and making cheese one week du- ring the time. At a meeting of the Executive Committee, on the 25th November, premiums were awarded for the best and second best half acres of In- dian corn, the yield being 36 J and 32 J bushels. For the best acre of spring wheat, to L. W. Andrews; yield, 33 J bushels. The ground was planted with potatoes the previous year, plowed in the fall, ma- nured and harrowed in the spring. For the second best acre of spring wheat, to Levi Hanford, 27 i bushels, cultivated same as preceding, except that the manure was applied in the fall, previous to plowing. The premium crops of potatoes, produced 213 and 201 bushels on half an acre. Ruta bagas, first premium, 308 bushels on one-fourth of an acre. For the greatest nett profit from one acre, the premium was awarded to W. B. Hanford for an acre of potatoes — raised 402 bushels, at an expense of $28.89; estimated at l8f cents, the clear profit would be $46.11. The second premium for the same object, was awarded to Street Dutton, for an acre of potatoes, planted on sward, plowed in the spring, and manured with long coarse manure. Expense, $36.31; product, 426 bushels; profit, $43.66. A premi- um was awarded on an acre of oats, yielding 67 bushels. The total amount of premiums awarded at this meeting was $73. J Mr. Jonathan Benedict, who received the first premium on drained sugar, furnished the following statement: " The vessels to hold the sap were perfectly clean. Before the sap is boiled, it is strained through a flannel cloth; boiled in a sheet iron pan down to a syrup; then taken out and cooled; then strained into a kettle to cleanse the syrup. I make use of a pint of milk to three gallons of syrup; then place over a slow fire, boil and skim as long as any thing impure rises to the top. Boil until the syrup begins to rope, then turn it into a a hopper, and let it stand ten or twelve days, with a plug in the bot- tom of the cask. I use a wet cloth over the sugar, changing the cloth once a week for three or four weeks." There were satisfactory vouchers presented, on all crops for which premiums were awarded; but as the crops were not deemed to be any thing extraordinary, on account of the frosts in June, and the drouth in July and August, in this county, it was deemed by the Executive 334 [Senate Committee not to be interesting to forward a particular detail of the manner of cultivating the ground and crop. Jabez Bostwick, President. Delhi, December 26, 1842. George Sturgess, Treasurer, ERIE COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. The premium list of this Society amounted to nearly $500, and over $400 was awarded in premiums at their second annual Fair, held at Buffalo, on the 5th and 6th of October — " two glorious days for the farmers of Erie county." The number of fine horses, beautiful cattle, superior specimens of sheep and swine, and the great variety of farm products, domestic manufactures, vegetables, fruits, &c.j have rarely been exceeded in any part of the state. The committee on cheese remark that " the specimens offered were of surpassing excellence. The premium for the best cheese is award- ed to a lot of five cheeses taken from a wagon load, weighing about 100 lbs. each, from the dairy of H. Arnold & Son, Hamburgh, made from the milkings of night and morning, brought to the temperature of 85, thus standing 11 hours, then cut up and standing in whey until the temperature is raised to 100, and in the same condition cooled, after which the mass is wheyed, salted and sent to the press. The richness and flavor of this cheese was fully equal to any ever seen in this county." The second premium was awarded to two lots, made by Truman Austin of Hamburgh, assorted by size, and nearly of the same flavor, and made precisely in the same manner. First, milk of night and morning raised to 92, set in rennet 40 minutes, scalded at 105, one tea-cup of salt to 19 lbs. cheese, and pressed 24 hours. No. 9 con- sisted of five enormous cheeses, weighing nearly 300 lbs. each. The specimens differing in little else than size. The premium crops produced as follows per acre: — Indian Corn, 57 bushels; Oats, 67; Barley, 42; Carrots, 1124^; second best, 1040; Ruta Bagas, 1000; Beets, 1280. The oats were grown on sandy loam, in oats last year; the stubble plowed under about the middle of May, and the seed, two bushels, sown a few days after. The barley was from a gravelly soil, slightly mixed with loam, in corn the previous year. It was plowed in the fall and again in the spring. Ten loads of cow stable manure were spread on the acre. The land was harrowed and rolled, and seed sown the 9th of May. Mr. Carpenter, to whom the premium was awarded, says — " I have always found great benefit in a thorough rolling of my lands for the barley crop." Mr. Manning Case, to whom the first premium for carrots was awardedj states that the soil on which his carrots were raised, was a No. 63.J 335 stiff clay, ami a hard sub-soil, in carrots last year. The ground plow- ed in spring immediately previous to planting; then dragged, rolled, and dragged again; then rotten manure, at the rate of six cords to the acre, equally spread on the surface; then plowed and dragged. Car- rots sowed in drills with a machine; rows twelve inches apart; thence from one to five inches apart in the drills; soAved at the rate of ih lbs. seed to the acre; but Ih lbs. would have been abundant- ly sufficient had they been placed at the proper distance. Seed planted 21st or 22d day of May; cultivated with the hoe. Mr. Abner Bryant, who received the second premium on carrots, says — " The variety sown was the Long Altring'nim. Seed sown in May, at the rate of one pound per acre. Soil, light loam; 20 loads fermented barn-yard manure per acre spread over the ground, and plowed under the previous autumn. Plowed again early in the spring, and well harrowed. Sowed on ridges 28 inches apart; thin- ned out to about three inches in the row; hoed twice after once weeding. The cultivator was used freely. It was strictly a farm crop, and ordinary farm culture employed." The premiums for ruta bagas and beets were also awarded to Mr. Bryant. They were cultivated as follows: — "White sugar beet seed sown at the rate of 4 lbs. per acre, on light sandy soil, prepared in autumn by plowing under 10 loads of fermented barn-yard manure. Plowed again in spring, and well harrowed, put into ridges 28 inches apart, running north and south. Sowed 22d April. Plowed them out twice and hoed them three times. The black grub destroyed a great quantity of the plants, so that no thinning was necessary; one quarter of the ground at best was unoccupied by the roots. The crop received the same attention as ordinary field crops, and nothing more. The same ground was in potatoes ihe year previous, and pro- duced a good crop. "The ruta bagas, yellow variety, were cultivated as follows: — Sowed 12th June, on light loamy soil, prepared by plowing under 20 loads of fermented barn-yard manure, in May. Plowetl again in June, and well harrowed. Ridges 26 inches apart; passed the culti- vator once through the rows, and hoed twice. Sowed with a ma- chine, 1 lb. seed per acre; covered too deep; but about two-thirds of the ground was occupied by the plants. Ordinary field culture only was employed.'" GREENE COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. To the Executive Committee of the Mew-York State Agricultural Society: In obedience to the provisions of the act passed May 5, 1841, to promote agriculture, I present to your board the following abstract of the organization and proceedings of the Greene County Agricul- tural Society, in the years 1841 and 1842. 336 [Senate At a meeting held, pursuant to notice given by the clerk of said county, as required by the act aforesaid, an Agricultural Society was formed, a constitution adopted and officers elected on the 28th day of August, in the year 1841. On the 16th day of April, the executive committee met, and made out a list of premiums to be awarded at the first cattle show and fair of the Society, to be held at Cairo, Oct. 19th. The committee so- licited the exhibition of additional articles, with the expectation of awarding additional premiums. At the annual meeting of said society, held on the first Tuesday in Sept., 1842, for the purpose of electing officers for the ensuing year, Anthony Van Bergen, was elected President. Gen. William Salisbury, 1st Vice-President. George Griffin, 2d do Christopher L. Kiersted, 3d do Elisha Blackman, 4th do Theodore Provost, 5th do James Van Deusen, Recording Secretary. Richard Van Dyke, Corresponding Secretary. Cornelius Rause, Treasurer, and James M. Sanford, Leonard Bronk, Nathan Clark, James Hawley, George L. Rundle, Elias B. Austin, Henry Kinsley, John Kiersted, Jr., Zadock Pratt, Isaac B. Hinman and Mathew Sayre, with the above named officers, were elected executive committee. The Committee on field crops, report that they have examined the various statements of claimants for premiums on farm crops, and award on corn crop: 1st premium to Christopher L. Kiersted, $4. 2d " Jonathan W. Thorn, $2. The product of C. L. Kiersted's acre of corn was 97 bushels and 28 quarts, actual measurement. The product of J. W. Thorn's acre of corn was 84 J bushels. From Mr. Kiersted's statement, it appears his ground was a gra- vely loam with a stiff sward, plowed smooth in the spring, harrowed well, marked it out very light about two feet nine inches each way. Then he took sheep manure and put a small double handful in each hill and covered the manure lightly, and then planted the eight row- ed yellow corn on the 13th of May from six to eight kernels in a hill, covered it with care; after the corn came up, plastered it. Plow- ed and hoed, and then again plastered. Plowed and hoed the second time and then left it; thinned it out the first time hoeing; cut up by the ground, set it in stouts and husked in the field; and from one acre he got a yield of ninety-seven bushels and twenty-eight quarts. He estimates his expense of all the labor, manure, plaster, &c. and gath- ering the corn, at $19 00 97 bushels 28 quarts, at 50 cts. per bushel, $49 00 6 loads of stalks, 12 00 61 00 Carried forward, $42 00 No. 63.J 337 Brought forward, e ^ $42 00 For use of land, 10 00 Nett profit, $32 00 From Mr. Thorn's statement, it appeared that he broke up old sward ground in the fall, and harrowed in the spring and gave it a good dressing of long manure; then cross plowed and harrowed again. Ridged and planted three feet apart each way; planted the twelve and sixteen rowed corn; harrowed it soon after it came up, and hoed and plastered; plowed two furrows in a row each way, and hilled it and plastered again. Cut up by the ground and stouted and husked and yielded 84 i bushels of corn. The committee also award on rye crops, 1st premium to Christopher L. Kiersted,for 36 bushels of rye from one acre, $3. He states that he sowed one and a half bushels of clean rye to the acre, and harrowed well and furrowed sufficient to drain the water; cut with a scythe, put in dutch shocks and threshed and cleaned thir- ty-six bushels clean rye from the acre. The ground was broken from a sward in 1840 and planted to potatoes, and in the spring of 1841, sowed with spring wheat; and after the wheat came off, plowed about four inches deep, and sowed to rye as above, about the 12th of Sept. Also awarded on oat crop, First premium to C. L. Kiersted, for 87^^ bushels of oats per acre, ^2. Statement. — The ground plowed deep and fine; 21st of April sow- ed the common black and white oats, four bushels to the acre; har- rowed fine and left. Cut and taken into the barn, threshed and cleaned; and from an acre, got a yield of 87J bushels of oats; corn and rye crops taken off the piece immediately before. Your committee also award, To Jonathan W. Thorn, for the best acre of buckwheatj 34 J bush- els, $2. Statement of Mr. Thorn. — The ground, a clover sward, plowed the latter part of June, then harrowed and sowed and harrowed about the 8th of July; and put on about one bushel seed buckwheat to the acre. Harvested in the ordinary way and kept no account of expen- ses; one acre gathered and kept separate, yielded by actual measure- ment, 34 i bushels. Your committee also award. To James Van Deusen, for the best lot of beets, $3. The land was a gravely loam. The condition of the land previous to the present crop, for the last ten or twelve years, had been culti- vated with potatoes, turneps, beets and carrots, and manured with fifteen or twenty loads of coarse manure per acre yearly. In May last, was a dressing of coarse barn-yard manure, spread on; then plowed and harrowed; then another dressing of manure; again plow- ed and harrowed; then ridged and planted on the ]7th May, about two feet apart; nine inches apart in the rows; used about three- fourths of a pound of seed; filled up by transplanting; weeds cut [Senate No. 63.J S* 338 [Senate up twice with a hoe; afterwards pulled up by hand, and yielded at the rate of eight hundred and sixty-six busheJs to the acre. Your committee also award to Almeron Marks, a premiumon car- rots, $3.00. The land had been cultivated for five or six years pre- vious with corn, potatoes and roots; generally manured in the spring of each year; plowed deep, and covered with hog-pen and barn-yard manure, at the rate of forty one-horse wagon loads per acre, the pre- sent season; seed used was the long orange carrot; used about one- fourth of a pound on the piece; sowed by hand on the 6th and 7th of May, in drills about eighteen inches apart; sowed thick generally; some portions of the seed failed; weeded twice and hoed twice with a garden hoe and thinned out by hand, except a small portion which was left to grow thick; the actual expense I cannot ascertain, as a part of the sowing, weeding and hoeing were done by myself and stu- dents at odd spells, but as near as I can estimate the expense it is as follows : 5 Loads of manure at 18| cents, $0 94 One day man and horse plowing, 1 00 2 days sowing the seed, 1 50 Expense of weeding and hoeing twice, 3 00 Expense of gathering and securing, 5 00 $11 44 Yielded 150 bushels from one-eighth of an acre, valued at 18 cents per bushel, , 27 00 |15 56 Your committee also examined a fine specimen of a bushel of timothy seed, produced by Nathan Clark; he gathered on his farm from one field, eleven bushels, perfectly clean and free from all foul seed. We think examples of such a nature ought to be encouraged and followed, instead of the farmer's paying out his money for seed of other regions of a foul description; we therefore award to Mr. Clark a premium of $3. Description of Mr. Clark. — He says he collected from his meadow eleven bushels of timothy seed, by cradling the heads off and then mowing the grass; gathered, threshed and cleaned the seed in the usual way, and that the expense of saving the seed would not exceed fifty cents per bushel, and in his opinion it is a great economy for every farmer who has a clean growth of timothy to save his seed, and loses but little if any in the quality and quantity of the hay, as the same can be pressed and fed out to stock. Report of Committee on Farms. Your Committee on Farms would respectfully report, that they, in the discharge of the duties assigned them, have examined seven farms, situated in six different towns in said county; and here permit us to say, that owing to the distance your Committee reside from each oth- No. 63.] 339 er. and to causes over which they had no control, we have had only two and a half days to perform our tour of duty, therefore a very mi- nute description of the different farms must not be expected. The first farm your Committee were invited to examine, belonged Mr. Peter Roggen of Oakhill, in the town of Durham. The farm contained one hundred and forty acres, and about one hundred and ten under improvement, and is situated on the south side of the Cats- kill creek, and bounded by woods on the west and north; general surface inclining to the east, and composed of sand and loam, and in some places coarse gravel was seen, except two lots, one of which appeared to be of a more tenacious soil, the other gave evidence of once being very stony and was of a slight gravely soil. Perhaps a more desirable situation for farming, cannot be found in the county. The farm is divided into nineteen lots, by stone walls, varying from five to nine acres in a lot; walls from two and a half to three and a half feet thick, and from three to five in height; those of a less height than four feet, had posts in the center and boards nailed at the top; the passway into each lot w^as furnished with a substantial fram- ed gate on iron hinges, and not a brush or brier was to be seen in any of the fields. The general appearance of the farm gave evidence of an abundant harvest. The fields recently seeded down, showed that the occupant seeded with a liberal hand. We learned from Mr. Rog- gen that he had been in possession of the farm three years, and since that time all these repairs and fences have been made; which is an evidence to your Committee that he prefers investing his surplus capital in his own farm, rather than taking a bond and mortgage on that of his neighbor, which your Committee believe is too much practiced by agricultural capitalists. The dwelling house appeared to be in fine condition, and, in fine, every thing around gave evidence of perseverance and skill. The next farm your committee visited, was Mr. Lewis SherrePs in the town of Greenville, and lies about half a mile north of Green- ville village, and principally on the west side of the road; tontaining 160 acres of somewhat a rolling surface from east to west, but of ea- sy access to any part with team, and is well adapted to grain or grass; and from appearance, produces more than an average crop, compa- red with other lands in that vicinity, and is divided into seventeen lots of equal size. The fences are all made of stone from three to five feet thick and from four to five and a half feet high. Mr. Sher- rel informed your committee that all the wall on his farm was over nine miles; and what was very remarkable on this farm, as well as of that of Mr. Roggen, no shrubbery of any kind was seen along the walls or in the fields; and every field was entered by a swing gate made in a cheap and substantial manner, and balanced on the top of the gate post, and safely fastened shut by means of a mortice in the top of the post with a hook and staple under the top rave of the gate. The dwelling-house gave evidence of taste and economy. The out- buildings were in good order and well arranged for the purposes in- tended. The present occupant and his father have been in posses- 340 [Senate sion of this farm for twenty-five years; and your committee have every reason to believe that while these improvements have been making, they have exerted a beneficial influence over others in the march of improvement, and will be a lasting monument of their skill, industry and perseverance. Your committee next viewed Anthony Van Bergen's farm in New Baltimore, and here we were seriously disappointed in not finding the Judge at home, and time would not allow us to delay; we therefore will not attempt to give a description of his farm, being satisfied we should not do him justice if we attempted; but would remark that every thing we saw, gave evidence that he too, was on the road of improvement, and well qualified to give information to inquiring ag- riculturists. We next called on Mr. George Griffin, in the town of Athens, and here, as before, were obliged to pass rapidly on, taking a very imper- fect survey of the farm and buildings; but sufficient was discovered by your committee to satisfy them he was teaching a lesson to those around him owning similar lands, and which would be much to their interest if followed. We were informed the farm contains 255 acres and divided into seven lots — and one lot contains 180 acres principally in grass on what is called the Athens flats, about one mile west from the Hudson river. On this lot we were shown the beneficial effect of draining, liming and ashing. Mr. Griffin ap- pears to have spared no pains in reclaiming his lands from their for- mer unproductive state, and are now made to yield a profitable return for the outlay. The fences are of wood and stone wall, but your committee cannot tell the proportion. We noticed a wall on each side of the road the whole length of the farm, which gave decided evidence that the builder was possessed of superior skill and taste, and on the whole was the best wall we have viewed. The mansion house is stone, and in every respect in good condition, and the out build- ings well arranged and in good order for the purposes; indeed, both in respect to durability, comfort and convenience of stock, and pro- tecting the crops, and also the manufacturing and saving of manure; and in short we discovered strict economy in all things about the pre- mises. Mr. James Van Deusen owns the next farm viewed by your com- mittee. The first object that attracted our attention about the pre- mises, was a dinner table well supplied with the products of the farm, and in excellent order, and all examined and handled the same with anxiety. Your committee do not mention this because it was a rare occurrence, for we were every where treated with the greatest kind- ness and hospitality. We then proceeded to examine the farm, which contained about 100 acres under cultivation, divided into 12 lots, and is situated on the west side of the Catskill creek, and is composed of a deep, rich and highly cultivated soil. On this farm may be seen the difference between good management, when compared with some of the neighboring fields neglected. The fences on this farm are principally composed of rails, posts and boards, and generally in good condition. The crops, ungathered and where they had been gather- No. 63.J 341 ed, gave decided evidence that they v^^ere not inferior to any farm your committee had examined. The buildings on this farm are all in excellent condition, and well arranged. The next farm your committee proceeded to examine belonged to Richard Van Dyck, Esq. of Cairo. In this case, as in a former one, very much to our regret, we did not find the owner at home. This farm contains 100 acres under improvement, and is divided into 7 different lots. The fences are mostly of stone and in excellent con- dition, and well arranged for the conveniences of water and other purposes, and cleanly kept from weeds, briers and other foul stuflf; and the appearance of crops was generally good, and all things on this farm shows ability in the owner to compete with any of our agricultural brethren in the management of a farm. The last, though in very many respects not the least, was the farm of Stephen Hotchkiss of the town of Cairo, and contains 75 acres, and may be viewed by some of the competitors as rather a fortunate circumstance for them that it did not contain 100 acres; and is situ- ated in the northeasterly part of the town, one mile east of the Cats- kill creek, and does not embrace any of the rich alluvial soil border- ing on that stream; and is divided into 11 lots fenced with stonewall, built in a very substanttal manner, and well arrangefl for convenience and kept in excellent order. Every part of the farm and buildings influence your committee to say, that he is richly deserving of our diploma. And in conclusion of the whole matter, your committee have thought proper to award the first premium to Lewis Sherrill of the town of Greenville. And the second premium to Mr. Peter Roggen of Oak hill. All of which we respectfully submit. Elisha Blackman, James Mumford, \ Committee. George L. Rundle, Almeron Marks, Rec. Sec'y Greene Co. Ag. Sac. HERKIMER COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. I HAVE been reminded of my duty to make a report of the pro- ceedings of this Society, of which I have the honor to be president. Inasmuch as I cannot now fulfil my duty to the letter of the law, I will not even attempt to make a formal report of our proceedings in this county. They were similar to others in general plan, vary- ing but little in matter of public interest, from those in the other counties, some of which have doubtless gone into a full detail. It is sufficient to state, that the fair, which was'held at Herkimer, on the 20th of October last, was sustained with spirit; that a goodly number of competitors exhibited a large collection of beautiful blooded and native stock of cattle, horses, sheep and swine, and a 342 [Senate great many choice samples of farming products and articles of manu- facture, and farming implements. The exhibition was peculiarly rich in the staple articles of this county, butter and cheesej premiums were awarded; an excellent address delivered; and the people departed at the approach of night wishing the day had been longer. In a single feature, this Society differs, perhaps, from that of any other in the State. It is well known that a large proportion of our farmers have a propensity to get rich by making cheese; we raise but little stock for market and less grain. The best cattle with us are those which give the most and best quality of milk, in propor- tion to the food they consume. The value of the Short Horn Dur- hams as a stock for beef, and of the Devons for working oxen, is appreciated, and this county can exhibit a goodly number of fine specimens of both breeds, especially the former, among the wealthier class of our farmers. Yet the opinion prevails, and is founded on careful observation, that neither of these stocks of cattle yield milk equal to the smaller and homelier native breed, when the quantity of food consumed is taken into the account. A leading object of the Society and indeed of the State bounty, is to elicit and ditTuse useful information, to improve the condition, les- sen the toil and increase the gains of the agricultural portion of our community. The article of product for which Herkimer county is chiefly dis- tinguished, and for which its soil seems peculiarly well adapted, re- ceived our consideration; and our results may be of some interest in other parts of the country. Among other premiums offered, were some for experiments to be made, to show the product in weight of manufacturing a given quantity of milk into good cheese. The pre- mium was offered to as many as would make and communicate the experiment without regard to competition as to the result. It was so late when offered that only one was reported, consequently it is not known how it would compare with others. The result I send herewith, as also the method adopted of manufacture by the farmer who took the premium for the best cheese. The prize essay on the management of a cheese dairy, has been returned to the author by his request to enable him to make some corrections, I believe. If I can procure it in time for the publication of the annual report, I will forward it to be appended, if thought best. With great respect, Arphaxad Loomis. CHEESE— Mr. Crosby's Statement. The following is the process of making the dairy of cheese which took the premium at the Fair at Herkimer, October 20, 1842: My method of making cheese is to take the cream off from the night's milk and let it stand until the morning's mess is added; it is put into the strainer and the milk that is heated turned on to it which No. 63.] 343 dissolves it and prevents its escaping with the whey; the milk when ready for the rennet should be some degrees less than milk warm (as I never have used a thermometer I cannot say how many.) My method of preparing the rennet is, wdien taken from the calf to turn it inside out and strip off the filth with dry hands; it is then salted and lays three days in the salt, then turned back and stretched on a stick to dry: when wanted for use it is put into a tight vessel and three quarts of warm water added to each rennet; a common tea- cup full when so prepared, wall cause four barrels of milk to coagu- late; it should be about one hour in coagulating. When sufliciently hard, it is cut up with a machine made for the purpose, and left to settle; when sufficiently settled, the wdiey is dipped off and put over the fire and heatetl until it is as hot as the hand can bear to be put to the bottom of the kettle. Before it is put on the curd the butter should be carefully stirred up, and as much whey as is necessary for cooling the curd after it is scahled is dipped off and set aside. The scalded whey is then carefully dipped on and the curd stirred up; then a second mess is dipped off and heated in like manner. Before the second mess is put on, the w^hey is dipped off and the curd stirred again; it is then put on and stands until scalded hard enough; the whey is again dipped off and the curd stirred up, the cooling whey is then put on ; it is then dipped into the sink to drain off the whey, and ground in the machine which I mentioned in the ap- paratus for making cheese; it is then ready to receive the salt, which is put in, in the ratio of a common tea-cup full to sixteen pounds of curd, (though some allowance should be made when the curd is not drained very dry,) the salt should be well stirred in; it is then ready to be put into the press; it is turned once while in the press and re- mains in the press twenty-four hours, then carried into the cheese house and painted with annatto; it is then greased with butter made of cream taken from the whey, and turned every other day, when new, and greased at the same time; when it is cured it should be turned and greased as often as necessity requires. N. B. My method of scalding is so that the curd will creak be- tween the teeth wdien chewed. Henry Crosby. Salisbury^ October 18, 1842. Mr. Young's Statement. For the following experiment, a premium of one year's subscrip- tion for an Agricultural paper w^as awarded at the Fair at Herkimer, October 20, 1842: I here report to the Herkimer County Agricultural Society the result of thirty days' experiment in making cheese from a given quantity of milk, viz: from twenty cows. September 20th com- menced measuring the. milk and weighing the cheese made from the same when taken from the press; found the milk to weigh nine pounds to the gallon. 344 [Senate. Sept. 20, 21, galls. 62 64 lbs. 67 70 Sept. 26, 27, galls. 60 61 lbs. 67 66 22, 62 66 28, 59 66 23, 65 75 29, 57 60 24, 63 66 30, 56 62 25, 65 71 674 733 The above was made by straining the evening's milk into a tub and keeping it till morning; the cream which rises during the night is skimmed off; about half of the evening's milk is put into a tin ves- sel, and partly immersed in a larger kettle containing water, by which it is heated sufficiently to raise the whole mass to 90 degrees; the morning and evening's milk are then put together, and rennet enough added to coagulate it in about forty minutes; it is then broken up by hand and scalded to 98 degrees for half an hour; the whey is then drained off and 1 lb. of fine Salina salt added to 40 lbs. of curd, and pressed in the usual way; being in press 48 hours before it is weigh- ed. Oct. 1st, changed the process by heating the whole of the evening's milk so as to make the whole come up to 90 degrees of heat when mixed with morning's milk, and had additional help to break up the curd slow and fine, and keeping the same at 85 degrees heat during the process. Curd worked very fine and scalded forty-five minutes at 95 degrees. The same quantity of salt added; pressed and weigh- ed the same. Oct. galls. lbs. galls. lbs. 1, 56 72 Oct. 11, 48 60 2, 56 70 12, 55 62 3, 58 69 13, 54 66 4, 57 69 14, 55 70 5, 59 71 15, 57 67 6, 62 72 16, 53 65 7, 58 70 l'7r 52 67 8, 58 66 18, 49 60 9, 55 63 19, 50 64 10, 55 61 20, 50 62 523 643 574 683 The above separate statements show an increased ratio from the given quantity, notwithstanding a diminution in the quality of grass by frost. The regularity of heat, &c. was improved during the last ten days of the experiment, which is the only difference in process. During the first fifteen days, the cows were fed with green corn raised by sowing broad cast. During the balance of the time they were fed four quarts of oat and barley meal per day, each, with whey. William C. Young. Litchfield, Oct. 19, 1842. No. 63.] 345 jYo^e. — The above statement, showing results in the maniifacture of this leading staple in this county, though valuable, is defective in some particulars. He ought to have stated whether any means were taken to mix in the cream which rises on the milk over night, so as not to have it run off with the whey. Some dairymen heat it with the milk and stir it in while hot. He should likewise have given the weight of pressure on the cheese. But this may be easily comput- ed. When the old fashioned press is used, which is by means of a weight on one end of a lever, resting on the cheese-follower as a fulcrum near the other end, the weight on the end should be multi- plied by the number of times the shorter end of the lever is contain- ed in the longer part, both measured from the point where it rests upon the cheese, and adding twice the weight of the longer end of the lever or stick itself. The more recent or improved presses are generally constructed to press by the application of a lever or pulley, and may be computed by the rules applicable to those powers. The use of a thermometer ought to become more general than it is, and would add much to the uniformity of the article and to the certainty of experiments to ascertain the degree of heat required to obtain the largest yield. A. KINGS COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. Report of the Committee on Farms and Grain. At a meeting of the Kings County Agricultural Society, held in Flat- bush, July 2, 1842, Jeremiah Johnson, Garrit Kouenhoven and Garrit Stryker, were appointed a committee on farms and grain on the part of said Society for the county of Kings. On the 19th of July the committee inspected the wheat fields of Mrs. Caton, of John Ditmars, of David Johnson, Adrian Vanderveere, and Lott WyckofF, of the town of Flatbush, and of John Remsen of the town of Flatlands, in said county. The committee found all the fields ripe and the crops good. They decided that the field of wheat of John Ditmars was the best; the yield reported at 40 bushels per acre. On the 6th of October the committee inspected the farms of Lott WyckofT, David Johnson, John Ditmars, Adrian Vanderveere, Nicho- las Williamson and Samuel Smith, which severally contain above 75 acres, and the farm of Richard Cooper, containing 25 acres. The committee decided that the farm of Lott WyckofF was the best cul- tivated farm, and that Nicholas Williamson's was the second best; and that the small farm of Richard Cooper was the best enclosed and cul- tivated land in the county. On the seventeenth of October the committee inspected the corn fields of Johannis Lott, of the Messrs. Elgeo, mid of Charles Betts, and they decided that the field of Johannis Lott was the bett. [Senate No. 63.] T* 346 [Senate The field of Mr. Lott contained six acres of land. The land had been sown with buckwheat the last year, and the land was poor. In the spring the land was spread over with barn-yard manure, about 20 loads to the acre; also with 140 bushels of ashes per acre; the whole plowed in together and planted the first week of May, with dented corn. The field had been well tended. The committee found the yield per acre to be 99 bushels and 8 quarts. Weight 48 pounds per bushel. The corn field of the Messrs. Elgeo contained 16 acres of sward land, plowed in April and planted about the first of May, with dented and flint corn; manured in the hills with barn-yard manure; the land had been well tended. The committee found the yield per acre of dented corn to be 72 bushels and 44 pounds. The weight, 48 pounds per bushel. The flint corn yielded 66 bushels and 36 pounds per acre. Weight, 54 pounds per bushel. The field of Charles Beits contained about eight acres, treated and managed as the land of the Messrs. Elgeo's had been, and planted with flint corn. The measure, 66 bushels and 36 pounds per acre. Weight, 54 pounds per bushel, corresponding exactly in measure and weight, with the crop of the Messrs. Elgeo. The committee have received reports of the products of three of the farms which they inspected. Dr. Adrian Vanderveere has 181 acres of land, whereof 12 acres was in wheat, the yield 36 bushels. 16 " in potatoes, " 3,000 '' 62 " in hay, " 180 tons. 20 " in oats, " 1,200 bushels. 30 " in Indian corn, crop good. Nicholas Williamson; farm 101 acres — reports 20 acres in Indian corn. 22 " in hay, and 17 in wheat. Samuel Smith's farm; 125 acres — reports 12 acres in wheat, 60 acres in hay, 20 acres in corn, and four acres in buckwheat. The commitee, on a review of the county, observed that the far- mers were improving in agriculture. They have discovered that the farmer who uses the most manure and cultivates his land best, makes the most money; and that it is folly to till poor worn out land. By order of the Committee on Farms and Grain. Jeremiah Johnson, Chairman and President of the Kings County Ag. Soc'y, Brooklyn^ December 21, 1842. No. 63.) 347 LEWIS COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. The undersigned, President of the Lewis County Agricultural So- ciety, reports as follows: The printed sheet herewith sent, contains the constitution and by- laws of said society, with a list of premiums, &c. The other papers contain all the reports and statements which have been received from applicants, &c. The Society held its first annual fair in the village of Martins- burgh, on the iSth day of October, 1842, and awarded premiums ao-reeable to the printed list, with some additions, to the amount of $140. It has been very difficult to excite an interest in the subject of the Society in the minds of the citizens; and yet the first fair was pretty well attended, and a favorable impression made upon the pub- lic mind, and some degree of enthusiasm kindled up. Enclosed you will find the report directed to be made to the Comptroller, which, after examining for your information, you will please transmit to the Comptroller's office. Clemence Whitaker. Martinsburgk, Dec. 28, 1842 Report of the Committee on Butter and Cheese. The committee apointed to examine specimens of butter and cheese at the Agricultural Fair, held at Martinsburgh, Lewis county, on the 18th October, 1842, report, that the number of specimens of butter offered for inspection was about 20, and of cheese, 15. In reference to the quality of the butter exhibited, the committee remark, that with few exceptions, it was deficient in one respect, viz: the buttermilk was not removed thoroughly. This is a great defect in the manufacture of butter. The flavor is injured by it, and cer- tainly it becomes rancid much sooner than when it is thoroughly re- moved. Some of the specimens exhibited were, in the judgment of the committee, oversalted, and two or three samples had evidently been worked so much as to become salvey. The committee would recommend to persons engaged in the manu- facture of butter, the observance of the following as important rules: 1st. Every particle of buttermilk should be removed. 2d. Great care should be taken in salting, that no more salt be put in than will dissolve readily, and if the ground or fine salt be used, (which is preferable,) more care will be necessary than in using the coarse, or an undue quantity will be used. 3d. In working the butter, too much care can not be observed, or it will be overworked and become salvey. 4th. It is recommended that each dairyman be particular to see that the tubs used are made of timber thoroughly seasoned, and that they are well and handsomely made, and of uniform size. 5th. That the milk room be kept sweet, and the rack be used in- stead of shelves, and that it be well ventilated, and finally, after the ubs are filled, they be kept on timbers in the cellar, removed slight- 348 [Senate ly from the wall and cellar bottom, and in as dry and cool a place as is possible. The samples of cheese exhibited, approached nearer to uniformity in quality than was expected, and the committee had some difficulty in satisfying themselves as to who was fairly entitled to the premi- ums, but came to a decision after using their best judgment. They were glad to perceive that generally the samples exhibited were not over salted nor scalded too much, the effect of either of which is to render cheese dry and hard. There has been a manifest improvement in the manufacture of cheese in the county in the last five years; and the remark will apply with equal force to the article of butter. Of this fact the committee are abundantly satisfied from personal observation. The fact too, that dealers in butter and cheese in the eastern States liaA^e, within the last few years, turned their at- tention to the productions of this county especially, furnishes grati- fying evidence of the improvement alluded to. It rests with the manufacturers to see that they hereafter retain the demand from that source; and if the improvement of the last six years is continued for six years to come, the committee hazard nothing in saying that a de- mand will be readily formed, and at home, for the productions of the dairy in the county of Lewis. Annexed will be found a statement from each of the successful competitors for the premiums on butter and cheese, of the course of manufacture pursued by them, and they are respectfully commended to the notice of all interested in the improvement of the manufacture of butter and cheese. M. M. Norton, Chairman. Statement from 'NouMAi^ Gowby of Martinsburgh^ Lewis co. of the manufacture of his Dairy of Cheese, which received the first pre- mium of the Ag. Fair, held \Sth Oct., 1842. To Chas. Da van, Esq. Sec. Lewis Co. Ag. Society: My dairy of cheese, a sample of which 1 propose exhibiting, and offering for the examination of the committee at the coming Fair in this county, was made from 38 cows. The quantity made the past season from them, was 14,500 pounds. My cows are stabled during the winter, and fed with good hay, and about the middle of March I commence feeding them provender made from oats, barley, &c. ground, and continue feeding it until I turn them into the pasture. I have two pastures adjoining each other, and during the summer I keep them in one during the day time, and turn them into the other at night. The day pasture has a good stream of water running through it, with a number of shade trees in it. In the manufacture of cheese, the following course is pursued: The comrjiencement of my cheese making is to have the proper im- plements, and these in good order. Pails, tubs, strainers, and every thing to be used about the dairy, I see that they are kept sweet and clean. I find by careful observation, that unless these rules are ob- served, cheese will not contain that good flavor that it may with an No. 63.] 349 observance of them, I find cheese made without any strong or rancid taste, before it comes to its state of fermentation on the shelf, stands the warm weather better and contains a smarter and pleasanter fla- vor when it is ready for the table. The vessel in which I set my milk, is a tin vat, which I set in a wooden one a few inches larger, and stands two inches from the bottom of the wood vat. To forty cows, (and in the same proportion for a less number,) during the warmest of the season, I turn in eight or ten pails full of cold water before I commence milking, and by the time the last is strained in, the first is cooled, and with two or three stirrings it all cools, so that it will keep till it goes through the process of making, in the warmest weather. During the night I cover it with a rack. I think this bet- ter than a strainer, as the heat, if any remains, will pass off better. In the morning I draw the water from under the milk, and put in a caldron kettle, which stands beside my vat. Then I take off the cream into a large tin pail, and set in the water, and by the time the milking is done, this is all sufficiently hot; then I put under my milk as much of the warm water as is necessary to warm it; then I put in the melted cream and apply the rennet. This, prepared in the ordi- nary way, takes one tea cup full to forty cows, and in the same pro- portion for a less number. The less rennet that can be applied, and have it coagulate good, the better. I have a tin knife * made for the purpose, with which I prepare my curd for the scalding, without much breaking with the hand. The heat I apply according to the tempe- rature of the weather, always aiming at a fixed point, which can be done in warm weather with less heat applied than in cool. The curd I work fine, so that it will scald even, and the whey all separate; and scald slow, so as not to start the butter or oil from the curd. In the salting, I apply one tea cup full of salt to fifteen pounds of curd. I have two presses, and press forty-eight hours, with sufficient weight to start the whey before it closes together; to prevent the whey from pressing out, I turn them in the press in warm weather in 24 hours, and in cool sooner. Norman Gowdy. Martinsburgh, Oct. 15, 1843. BUTTER— Mr. Adams' Statement. Agreeably to the request of the officers of the Lewis County Ag- ricultural Society, I give the following statement of my manner of making butter and treatment of the dairy generally. We set our milk in tin pans on rack or slat shelves, in a cool dry room, having rolling window blinds, so that we can in some degree regulate the current of air. A free ventilation is necessary but it is possible to have too much. As soon as the milk begins to become sour, or before it coagulates, it is carefully skimmed into stone jars or *The knife is made by first making a tin frame 12 inches square, with a wire handle running from each corner to the center, and forming a bow over the top, and twenty knives running across the frame from side to side, about three-eighths of an inch apart. The outside or tin frame, is about an inch wide, and the knives about half an inch in width. 350 [Senate tin pailsj and placed in a cool cellar. In warm weather we churn' all the cream we have on hand every morning. We use the dog churn. When the butter is thoroughly formed, it is taken out and worked with a ladle, (or by hand if you please,) in order to get out all the milk we can before salting. It is then salted with the fine salt which comes in half bis., and put in a cool place till next morning, when the operation of working is performed; and this is done with a sim- ple machine, of which I will give a brief description. It is an in- clined plane 2h feet wide at one end, 3 inches wide at the other, and 3i feet long, standing on 3 legs. On each edge of the sides of this plane and at the lower end, are fastened narrow pieces of boards which come up 4 inches above the surface of the plane. Then there is a lever 2| inches square, 4h feet long, made small and round at one end, which passes through the board at the narrow end of the plane, and by taking hold of the other end and moving it back and forth, it fits exactly to the plane and also to each side. With this machine my butter is worked, and if it is not sufficiently cool to work out all the milk and brine at this time, the operation is repeated again next morning, and sometimes again the third day, be- ing careful not to work it too much at either working, lest it become oily. And here I would hazard an opinion, contrary to what many dairy people entertain. I think it as detrimental to the flavor of butter to wash it, as it is to beef to wash that before salting. When the butter is ready for packing, we put it into firkins, previ- ously filled and saturated with strong brine, (^the same brine will an- swer for a number of firkins.) As soon as filled, the butter is sprink- led with fine salt, and the firkin well headed, so as to exclude all the air. We use no seasoning for our butter except salt, and of the quan- tity of that, the taste is the test. A great deal of care and close at- tion is requisite in keeping every thing in the room sweet and pure, the pans, the shelves, (my shelves are painted, so are the floor and ceiling,) the churn and reservoirs for holding the cream. No milk should be suffered to stand till the cream becomes slippery or mouldy. A little leaven leaventh the whole lump, and a little buttermilk or a little sour curdled milk sours all the rest. My butter-worker is well scalded, and then rinsed with water from the well both before and after using. My number of cows is 17. They were kept to bay in winter and also were fed a little meal during the latter part. Between hay and grass, fed potatoes. In summer, range in upland pasture; have free access to salt both summer and winter. Have made 3,060 lbs. of butter, or an average of 180 lbs. to the cow, besides raising six calves and supplying our family, consisting of six persons, with milk and butter. The above account of the product of my dairy, is mentioned, not in the spirit of boasting, but because it was urgently requested. Melas Adams. Martinsburgh, Dec. 24, 1842, No. 63.] 351 MADISON COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. The undersigned, President of the Madison County Agricultural Society, in pursuance of duty reports: The records of the Society have not been so fully kept as to ena- ble me to report as minutely, and on as many subjects as might be deemed necessary, for which reason this report must be compara- tively defective. At a meeting of the executive committee of this Society, held at Morrisville, the 12th of July last, there was a committee chosen to fix the rates of premiums, upon such stock and articles as they might deem proper. By reason of limited funds, and the numerous sub- jects that presented, the sums awarded were necessarily small; still, they had an influence in producing a very laudable spirit in favor of the agricultural interests of this county. The first cattle show and fair of this Society was held at Morris- ville, on the 11th and 12th of October last. The interest manifested by the farmers and mechanics upon that occasion, evinced their strong attachment to the objects calculated to be advanced by the Society. The first day of the fair, the animals and articles presented for competition, were examined by the judges and their reports made to the executive committee. The second day, as soon as the plowing match was completed, a procession was formed by Colonels T. C. Nye and J. M. Rockwell, which was conducted to the Presbyterian church, where an appropri- ate and eloquent address was delivered by Rev. Mr. Barrows of Caze- novia; after which the premiums awarded were declared off and paid. The Society then proceeded to the election of officers. The follow- ing is a list of the oflficers elected for the ensuing year: George B. Rowe of Canastota, President; J. Ten Eyck of Caze- novia, S. B. Burchard of Eaton, O. B. Lord of Hamilton, Vice-Pre- sidents; Thomas A. Clark of Chittenango, Corresponding Secretary; John W. Far well of Morrisville, Recording Secretary; Jeffers Cross of Morrisville, Treasurer; Lewis Raynor, Job Wells, Elijah Morse, William Ward, Joseph K. xickley, Thomas C. Nye, George Ritch, Benjamin B, Stewart; Ira G. Barnes, Curtis Hoppin, Charles Fos- ter, Marvin Scott, David Irish, and Horace Hawkes, Managers. Premiums were awarded upon the following stock and articles: neat cattle, foreign and native breeds, horses, swine, sheep, field crops, butter and cheese, household manufactures, farming imple- ments, manufactures, iron ware, silk and twist, and several other ar- ticles which the judges upon discretionary premiums deemed meri- torious, and small premiums were awarded. The exhibition of neat cattle was large, and many of them were fine. A few Durhams and grade animals were presented for com- petition, but most of the cattle exhibited were of the native breed. Several horses were exhibited, some of which were fine specimens. For the best stud, the first premium was awarded to Mr. D. E. 352 [Senate Hills, for his high-bred horse Sir Charles. The exhibition of swine and sheep were quite limited, but those presented for competition were of good quality. The swine were principally of the Berk- shire breed; the sheep, Merino and Saxony, South Downs and Lei- cester. For the competition in field crops, but few specimens were exhibited. For the best acre of spring wheat, the first premium was awarded to Nathan Tidd. The wheat was of good quality and pro- duced 32|J bushels per acre. The first premium for the best acre of Indian corn, was given to BicknelL Coman & Co. The quality of the corn was fair, and produced 117f | bushels per acre. There were several small premiums awarded for other field crops, the spe- cimens of which were good. The specimens of butter and cheese which were exhibited were of first quality, and were deemed highly meritorious of the premiums which were awarded them. Several articles of household manufactures were presented, in which was exhibited industry and good taste, well worthy of the premiums received. In farming implements there was no competition. The sewing silk and twist presented for examination were good specimens; but five samples were offered, the manufacture of which is quite limited in this county. George B. Rowe, President of the Madison Co. Jig. Society. Canastoiaj Dec. 26, 1842. MONROE COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. The history of Societies in the county of Monroe, for the improve- ment of the Garden and the Field, is recent and brief. In the years 1831, '32 and '33, Horticultural Societies were instituted at Roches- ter, and their influence has had an important effect on the productions of garden vegetables, fruits and flowers, and given an impetus to the spirit of improvement, which has distinguished that city and the neighboring towns over most locations in the Western District, and planted the germ of benefits for unborn generations. In the year 1833, an Agricultural Society was formed, of which William Garbutt, of Wheatland, was the presiding ofiScer. Its exhibition was joined with that of the Horticultural Society of that year; but, for the want of proper countenance and support by the public, it did not go off spiritedly, and was not renewed the next year. After slumbering for several years, the Society was again revived, in a somewhat different form, under the title of the " Genesee Agri- cultural Society." A meeting of the friends of agriculture was held at the Court House in the city of Rochester, on the 28th of May, 1841, when a Society was organized, embracing a large portion of the western part of the State. No. 63.] 353 The Society held a fair at Rochester on the 7th day of October, which was well attended by farmers from the adjoining counties and Canada. During the session of the Legislature for 1841, a law was passed giving a bonus of $8,000 to the different counties, in proportion to their population, on condition of their raising, in each county, an equal amount — the share of the county of Monroe being $194. In consequence of the passage of this law, the Genese^ Agricultu- ral Society, by a vote of the members, changed the name to that of the Monroe County Agricultural Society, and restricted its limits to the county. The Society was well supported, and had a brilliant and successful exhibition and fair on the 15th and 16th days of October, 1841. A spirited and eloquent address was delivered before the Society by E. Darwin Smith. Esq. The annual Fair of the Society for 1842, was held at Rochester, on the 25th and 26th days of October. It was numerously attended on both days, notwithstanding the inclemency of the weather and the badness of the roads; affording the most conclusive evidence of the increasing interest felt by our farmers in the success of the Society. Of the address, it is sufficient to say that it was delivered by Rev. Henry Colman, and was listened to by a large and attentive audi- ence, with the deep interest which his efforts for agriculture never fail to excite. A meeting of the Society was holden at the Arcade in Rochester, on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 1843. The attendance was good, and the So- ciety was fully organized for the year ensuing, by the choice of the following gentlemen as officers: ROSWELL HARMON of Wheatland, President. Wm. Garbutt of Wheatlandj ) E. Darwin Smith of Gates, > Vice Presidents. Wm. C. Cornell of Henrietta, 3 H. M. Ward of Rochester, Recording Secretary. L. B. Langworthy of Greece, Corresponding Sec'y. C. F. Crosman of Rochester, Treasurer. Committee of Management for the year 1843. George Sheffer, Wheatland, Mills Landon, Ogden, Nathaniel Harwood, Brighton, John H. Robinson, Henrietta, George C. Latta, Greece, Alfred Fitch, Riga, Caleb K. Hobbie, Irondequoit, A. Baldwin, Clarkson, E. H. Barnard, Mendon, T. P. Root, Sweden, Jacob Strawn, Chili, David M. Smith, Rush. Gideon Ramsdell, Perinton, The reports of the committees on Grain and Vegetable Crops, and on samples of Wheat, were then made to the Society, and the pre- miums awarded. These reports with the statements of the several claimants, will be found annexed, omitting only some of the certifi- [Senate No. 63.J U* 354 [Senate cates of the measurement of land and crops, which were according to the requisitions of the Society, and such as to satisfy the committees. It was then, on motion, Resolved, That the thanks of the Society, be presented to Mr. Henry Colman, for his faithful discharge of the duties of President of the Society during the past year. Resolved, That this Society most cordially approve of the plan of Mr. Colman, of visiting Europe for the purpose of examining into and reporting upon the present condition of agriculture in Great Bri- tain and on the continent, and especially into the management of the agricultural and manual labor schools and experimental farms, as likely to obtain an amount and kind of information in a very high de- gree valuable to the country; and that the Secretary of the Society present him a copy of the resolution. The effects and results of the labors of the Society have given an impulse to improvements in all the branches of rural economy. Whatever impediments may have been thrown in their way, by those who are too conceited and self-sufficient to learn, or too misanthropi- cal fo desire to enlighten their neighbors, yet the supporters of the institution are strongly impressed with the importance of pressing forward in the great cause of Agriculture; the art of all arts; the progenitor, father and mother of all that ennobles and sustains the family of man; and notwithstanding what the most inveterately pre- judiced, or the most determined cynic, may say of its benefits, at any rate the friends of the institution cannot be charged with doing any harm to society, or acting from interested or selfish motives. If nothing more is produced by their fairs and exhibitions than the introduction of its members to the acquaintance of distinguished individuals, and the establishment of an agreeable, harmless holiday, it will not, we think, be frowned upon by those who are kindly dis- posed to strew the sometimes thorny paths of life with fragrance and flowers. The advantages to be derived from the association of individuals for mutual instruction, protection and encouragement, do not require to be enforced by argument. Has not the experience of ages sanc- tioned its benefits ? Was any great object ever obtained except by organization and action in masses ? It is the lever of Archimedes, which moves the globe. The institutions of governments, of church- es, of charitable, missionary, temperance, literary and benefit socie- ties, are examples; and all branches of mechanics and trade have their associations and societies. Shall not the Farmer be equally entitled to its advantages ? Should he not be encouraged in every project that holds out a chance of improvement in this noblest of all improvements; the art which is the foundation upon which the whole superstructure of civilized society rests 1 There cannot be a rational doubt in :ulged upon the subject. It is a mere truism. The bringing together of so many of the liberal, talented and re- spectable individuals, the very elite of the country, during an annual fair — all able and willing to compare notes with their brother co-la- borers, and to diflfuse, free as air, the experimental knowledge of their No. 63.] 355 crops — the show of the finest and most perfect specimens of the ani- mal creation — the exhibition of the ingenuity of the country in all the mechanical implements of husbandry — all vegetable productions that eminently excel, including the grains, the fruits and the flowers — the beautiful productions of the loom, the needle, and the thousand triumphs of mind over matter; we say if all this display of the works of man and a higher power is not praiseworthy, and calculated to im- prove the mind and to impress the heart with gratitude to Him who conceived and created these paragons of excellence — then is the glo- rious sky and all its multitude of constellations a mere " congrega- tion of pestilential vapors." We cannot conceive a case in which the searcher after truth and knowledge may more improve his under- standing and gain new ideas for his future practice and improvement, and no one can be so stupid and careless as not to be moved by cu- riosity and admiration; two exertions of the faculties which will not at any rate prejudice his morals. Opinions are debateable things, and facts are not very safely arrived at by inquiring minds, except by collision with contrary views. As man is gregarious, it is well he should be brought in approximation with his fellows; and how and when can it be more judiciously per- fected than where men of his own craft " most do congregate ?" It is argued by some, that all societies and associations are wrong, and have a deleterious effect upon human society; that it renders them clownish^ and begets an esprit du corps that narrows the mind and shrivels up the universal genius of man. It may be so in a measure, but we must take the world as it is; and there cannot be any good reason assigned why the Farmer should not have the advantage, pecuniary and honorary, that may grow out of a course found beneficial by all the other classes. The writer, during the two or three years past, has had the good fortune to attend various agricultural fairs in this State; and the two last State Fairs, particularly at Syracuse and Albany, are marked trees and beacons of light in his memory. The Fair at Albany, in September last, was a most extensive and magnificent display. It seemed the World''s Farmer''s Museum collected in the Coliseum of the Empire State; and two hundred miles travel was araply compen- sated by this wonderful exhibition, and so we think thousands will respond who were there congregated. It was truly a feast of fat things; and no one was present at this show, who glories in the title of tiller of the soil, but must have left it a wiser and a better man, and felt ennobled in the dignity of his calling. Intimately connected with agricultural associations is the Agricul- tural Press; and however sneeringly the over-wise, self-sufficient and narrow-minded may decry " Book Farming," the insinuation is so flimsy and preposterous that no liberal-minded and inquiring man will tolerate it for an instant. Is it to be presumed that any one is per- fect? that he is all wise and beyond the power of increasing his know- ledge? Is the experience of the long life of an individual endowed with an acute and discerning mind, worth nothing, when a column of ordinary print can convey the experience of years on a particular 356 [Senate subject in the clearest manner and beyond a cavil or doubt ? If I dis- cover a valuable fact in the rotation of crops or in the application of manures, or produce a new and valuable grain, vegetables or fruits, and discover it only to my immediate neighbors, there perhaps it dies; but disseminated by means of the press, with its hundred thousand wings, to the four winds of heaven, it becomes a recorded fact, more durable than the sculptured marble, or the monuments of a nation's history, accessible and free to all alike. Who with the least public spirit or private enterprise can forego that greatest earthly pleasure we possess, the glorious privilege of reading and conversing with the great, the good and the wise of all time past — settling within our- selves a well grounded system of religion, morals, theories of gov- ernment, and the best plans for pursuing our daily avocations of life? We are not one of those, and from our heart we pity the man who is deprived of this privilege, or who possessing it, is devoid of this taste and pleasure. If the exertions of the press are worth nothing to the agricultural community, the grumblers are right, and reason is a bub- ble. Let chaos come again and universal darkness reign supreme. We humbly conceive that a contrary opinion will prevail. A well conducted agricultural paper, with its editorial, its commu- nications and selections, embracing the whole talent of the country, are so many individuals arrayed with their arguments ready for combat with any antagonist; and the reader may compare, discuss, digest, or refute, in his own mind, or with his pen, as with so many friends and neighbors; and among some of his paper opponents he may find his equal and even his superior, from whom it would be no disparagement to be instructed. We trust that the civilized community in the nineteenth century are too well informed, to need the wear and tear of much quill tim- ber, to convince them of the value of Agricultural Literature. We desire to remind the farming interest that the State fair for 1843, is to be held in this county, at the city of Rochester, and that it will require no little exertion and liberality so to conduct, and bring out the resources of the country, as not to disgrace the far- famed Western District. It is not the county of Monroe alone, to whom this appeal will be made, but to the whole western popula- tion. The premiums offered will be on a scale commensurate with the ability and resources of the State; and yet probably the laboring oar will be put upon us both as to funds and the materielle to make the exhibition respectable. It is proposed to merge our County So- ciety, its funds and members, in the State Society, and to declare no county premiums, allowing every member to compete for the larger bonus of the State Society. Unless the farming, mechanical and commercial interests come for- ward freely and liberally, we have some fears of the ability of the managers to do the thing in a style and order that shall be noted in after times, as the Banner Agricultural Fair of the West. L. B. Langworthy, Cor. Sec'y. No. 63.J 357 REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON GRAIN CROPS. The committee on Grain Crops beg leave to report, tliat there were two applications for premiums on Indian Corn, two on Oats, and one on Barley — all of which were highly creditable to the competitors. They aw^ard accordingly as follows: — The first premium on Corn, to John McGonegal of Irondequoit,for a crop of two acres and ten rods, averaging more than 82 bushels per acre, the first premium of $7. To Lyman B. Langworthy of Greece, for a crop of Corn on two acres, averaging 52 bushels per acre, second premium of $5. To George Sheffer, for a crop of Oats on nine acres, averaging 91 bushels and 28 lbs. per acre, the first premium of $5. To Rawson Harmon of Wheatland, for a crop of Oats on six acres of land, averaging 77 bushels and 17 lbs. per acre, the second premi- um of .^"3. To Robert C. Brown of Greece, for a crop of Barley on 6//^ acres, averaging 46 bushels to the acre, a gratuity of $2, as no pre- mium was proposed for this crop. J. McGonegaPs Crop of Corn. The land on which I raised the corn that I offer for premium, is a dry, loamy soil, and has been mowed the last three years. It has not had any manure on since I owned it, which is nine years. It was plowed but once, about the first of April. It was harrowed down smooth, and furrowed both ways, at three feet apart, and planted im- mediately after, which was on the 7th day of May. The corn was yellow, of 10 and 12 rows, rolled in plaster before planting. 1 plow- ed two furrows to a row, and hoed about the 10th of June. In about 10 days I plowed it again, two furrows to a row. About the 5th or 6th of July, I plowed again, two furrows to a row, and hoed. On the 22d and 23d of September, I cut up the crop by the ground, and set it up in bunches. It was husked between the 20th and 30th of October. The whole expense was $19.75. The product of 2 acres and 10 rods, is 175 bushels and 61 lbs. — making 85 bushels and 19 lbs per acre. The corn was measured by weighing, allowing seventy pounds in the ear to a bushel. The quantity of seed used is not exactly ascer- tained, but supposed to be about half a peck to the acre, allowing an average of four to five kernels to a hill, and wishing never to have more nor less than four plants to a hill. John McGonegal. Lyman B. Langworthy^ s Crop of Corn. At 70 lbs. per bushel of ears, the weight prescribed by the Society as a standard, the crop wxuld yield at the rate of 55 62-70 bushels per acre. 358 [Senate The soil upon which the crop of corn was raised that is offered for a premium is sandy, and is a part of the celebrated Ridge Road, upon which is a young orchard, 5 years from the nursery. Previous Crops. — The present crop is the 5th in succession of the same kind, having this and every other year had about 15 wagon loads of fresh yard manure per acre, plowed once, and marked out one way with a corn plow, ridged the other, and planted on the ridges, which I consider equal to another plowing, as it mixes up the ma- nure, brings a portion to the surface within the reach of the young plants, and by being raised a little, allowing them to receive a greater portion of heat in the early part of the season. The kind of seed used was the 12 rowed Button. It has been grown some years in the neighborhood of 8 rowed corn, which causes it to produce rather more than half of that kind, although the 12 eared rows have always been selected for planting. After Culture. — Before the first hoeing one-third of the field was dressed with plaster, one-third with plaster saturated with stale urine, and one-third with strong house ashes. I saw but little difference in the appearance of the plants; if any one part had the advantag e,it was that part that was ashed. It was hoed twice after the plow, and the last time it was hilled up rather more than was my common practice, on account of the cold and unfavorable weather, (a course that I would not advise for a good warm or dry season.) The crop ripened well; there was not one soft ear. The fault of the shortness of measure this year appears to be for want of setts on the stalks. I should think fully one-third of fine long thrifty stalks were without ears. I do not offer this crop as any thing extraordinary, even for this year; but to sbow my good will to the cause, being perfectly content to be exceeded in quantity, though not in good will to the Society. L. B. Langworthy. Robert H. Brown'' s Crop of Barley. The land is a loam, inclining to sand. The previous crop was corn and potatoes. It was manured with 15 loads per acre of coarse barn yard manure. The land was plowed for barley about 1st April, and plowed again 10th May; harrowed and sowed immediately with three bushels of four rowed barley. The seed was steeped in strong brine and limed previous to sowing, and dragged in. The crop was harvested about the 1st of August. The yield on 6/g\ acres, was 294 bushels. Value of crop, |110 25 Total expense, 77 38 Clear profit, ,.. $32 87 The land upon which the within crop of barley was raised, is situ- ated in the town of Greece on the Latta road, about 1 h miles from 359 [Senate Lake Ontario, and is of a quality that would be called a loam or clay. The said land has been tilled for several years past. Three years ago it was sown with barley after corn, then wheat after barley, and corn after wheat; manured with 15 loads to the acre when planted with corn and potatoes. This year plowed twice, and sowed with barley after corn and potatoes. Robert H. Brown. Oat Crop of Rawson Harmon-, Jr. Description of the soil and culture of the crop of oats I offer for premium, on 6 acres and 46 rods. The soil is part a gravelly loam, and part a sandy loam. The stone used in building 40 rods of fence were taken from the field in the spring of 1841. It was clover ley. I spread on it thirty loads of long manure per acre, which was made in the cattle and sheep yards during the previous winter. The land was plowed once and harrowed once; one half of the piece was af- ter corn, and the other half after potatoes. The corn and potatoes were a fair crop. The land was plowed in the second and third weeks of April, 1842. The seed sown was 2^ bushels to the acre of the Scotch potatoe oats, and sown with Hatch's Grain Sower. It was harrowed with a thirty toothed double harrow, once each way. The first week in August the oats were ripe to cut. On the gravelly soil they were cradled; on the other part reaped, on account of a storm which blew them down, causing a great loss by their shelling out. There were 32 double horse loads. The product was 487^ bushels, being 77 bushels and 17 lbs. per acre. Total expense of crop, $44.57. Rawson Harmon, Jr. REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON ROOT CROPS. The Committee on Root Crops respectfully report as follows: — On Potatoes — 1st premium $5, to Geo. Sheffer of Wheatland, for the best acre, 400 bushels and 10 lbs. 2d premium $3, to Robert H. Brown of Greece, for the next best, 388 bushels and 60 lbs. Carrots — 1st premium $5, to Wm. Otis of Gates, for the best J acre, product being 315 bushels. Mangel Wurzel — 1st premium $5, to George Sheffer of Wheatland, produce being 1,220 bushels to an acre. Sugar Beet — 1st premium $5, to George Sheffer of Wheatland, product being 955 bushels to an acre. MONTGOMERY COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. This Society held their second annual Fair in the village of Fon- da, on the eleventh and twelfth days of October last. The numer- 360 [Senate ous articles presented were worthy of notice. The large concourse of people in attendance, and the interest, zeal and good feeling which all seemed to manifest in behalf of the Society, we regard as the surest harbinger of its future success and usefulness. On the eve- ning of the eleventh, an able, interesting and appropriate address on agricultural pursuits, and other matters connected wuth the Society's interest, was delivered by John I. Nellis, Esq. of St. Johnsville, at the Court House, to a large audience, and was listened to with the most profound attention. Notwithstanding the limited means of the Society, a numerous list of premiums were awarded. Many horses of different grades were offered for competition, some of which were very 'serviceable, denoting both durability and action. The competion in cattle was large, and qualities very good, they being mostly of improved breeds, such as the Durhams, Devon- shires, &c. Swine — The competition nnt large, but the quality good, they be- ing the common, improved by the Berkshire, and the Berkshires. Sheep — The competition not large, yet those exhibited were an ho- nor to their owners and to the Society, being of the Bakewell breed. There were some plows presented by Mr. Chase of Amsterdam, that I consider worthy of special notice. Several specimens of butter and cheese were presented, of the very finest quality. But few specimens of grain and produce were allowed to be exa- mined for the premiums, in consequence of the applicants for premi- ums on grain and produce not having conformed to the provisions of the act in relation thereto. « At the close of the Fair on the twelfth, the election of officers of the Society took place, and the following named persons were elect- ed for the ensuing year: Simeon Sammons, President, Fonda. Lewis Averill of St. Johnsville, and Isaac Jackson of Amsterdam, Vice-Presidents. Richard H. Cushney, Secretary, Fonda. George Gortner, Jr. Treasurer, Canajoharie. Peter H. Fonda, James Mclntyre and J. V. A. Wemple of Fonda, Executive Committee. Cornelius Van Derveer and W. U. Chase of Amsterdam, James Lan- sing Jr. and Abraham P. Graff of Mohawk, George Wagner and Ed- ward Walter of Palatine, Abraham Smith and Josiah Nellis of St. Johnsville, Charles Lintner and Hale Shuler of Minden, Jeremiah Gardner and Morgan L. Harris of Canajoharie, John L. Bevins and Henry Voorhees of Root, Erasmus Barlow and Isaac Frost of Charles- town, Abraham V. Putnam and John C. Yost of Glen, George Howe and Cornelius Phillips of Florida, Directors. Tunis I. Van Derveer. Amsterdam^ Montgomery Co. JV. Y. No. 63.J 361 NIAGARA COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. At a meeting of the Executive Committee held at Lockport March 29, 1842, it was resolved that a list of premiums be offtred to the members of the Society at the next annual meeting, varying from 50 cents to 20 ilollars, and extending to 131 objects, and embracing cul- tivated forms, reclaimed lands, kitchen gardens, cattle, sheep, swane and horsesj wheat, corn, oats and barley; potatoes, carrots, ruta-ba- ga, sugar beet, mangel wurzel and onions; flax, clover seed and silk; apples, pears, quinces and grapes; butter, cheese and honey; plows, harrows, &c. &c. On household manufactures — flannel, woollen cloth, counterpanes, bed-blankets, carpeting and hearth-rugs; wool- len stockings, socks, mittens and yarn; bonnets and caps. At a subsequent meeting held on the 23d August, it was resolved that the annual cattle show and fair be held at ihe American, in the village of Lockport, on the iSth and 19th days of October, 1842; that the first day be devoted to the cattle show, and the following- one to the exhibition of domestic manufactures, &c. That the Exe- cutive Committee of each town be required to procure signatures to the constitution and funds for the Society. That a premium of $5 be paid on corn-stalk sugar. The committees for awarding premiums, also a committee of arrangements, were appointed. The cattle show was held on the 18th October. The morning commenced with hea- vy rain and continued until the afternoon, notwithstanding which, there was a general attendance. The show of animals was numerous and highly respectable in numbers, grade and appearance, aff"ording evidence that our farmers are alive to the improvements in cattle hus- bandry. The cattle exhibited were the full-bred Short Horn Dur- ham, Devonshire and native breeds, wath numerous grades of each. Several specimens of which would not suffer in comparison with the best animals in the State. The number of horses on the ground was numerous, 25 of which were entered for premium, and better pairs of matched horses for farm work, also two and three year old colts, can hardly be found. The swune exhibited were numerous, consist- ing of Berkshires, Leicesters, China, &c. showing that our pork ma- kers understand their interests. Of sheep, first rate specimens of Dishley, Cotswold, Leicester, South Down and Saxon Merino, ob- tained much commendation. At 4 o'clock, P. M., the membeis of the Society repaired to the Congregational church, and listened to a most adniii able address from the Rev. Henry Colman. The fair for the exhibition of household manufactures, &c. was held on the 19th, and was numerously attended. The show of vegetables was such as to prove that the soil and cultivation of the Cataract county, are not surpassed any where. As fine wheat as can be found in the world, producing 52 i bushels per acre; corn 107|, and barley 51^ were show^n. The various roots, such as potatoes, beets, carrots, &c. were admirable. The show of fruits was excellent. Samples of butter and cheese were numerous, and of a supeiior quality. The [Senate No. 63.] V* 362 (Senates ladies of the farm house graced our numerous assemblage not only with their presence, but also with the work of their hands. The ex- hibition of carpets, flannels, woolen cloths, stockings, mittens, hearth rugs and needle work, were all respectable and much admired. We do not hesitate to say, the formation of the Society, aided by the munificence of our Legislature, has already greatly improved our agriculture. The election of officers for the ensuing year, which took place on the day of the Fair, resulted as follows: William A. Townsend, Pre- 'sldent; Joel McCollum, Secretary. Executive Committee, three for each town in the county. Lockpori, Octoher 22, 1842. The Society met, per previous resolution, to attend the plowing match. Three competitors entered the lists. The work, jth of an acre, was performed within an hour, in a superior manner; and the first, second, and third premiums were accordingly awarded. William A. Townsend, President. Lockporf, December 31, 1842. Mr. Wm. Freeman raised 157^ bushels of wheat, on three acres. Soil, sandy loam; in peas previous season. Fifty loads of manure spread on the land, and once plowed. Seed, six bushels, sown about the middle of September. Cost of crop: — manuring, f5 .00; plowing and sowing, $6.00; seed, $6.00; harvesting and threshing, $10.00; marketing, $5.00; total, $32.00 — equal to twenty cents per bushel. Mr. Thomas Kilborn raised upon 6^ acres of land, 176 bushels of wheat; averaging 27 bushels per acre, at a cost of 25 cents per bush- el. It was sown after spring crops, and the expenses stated as fol- lows:— 4 days plowing, $8.00; 2 do. harrowing, $4.00; half a day rolling, .^1.00; seed lOi bushels, $10.50; sowing, 75 cents; har- vesting and threshing, $20.50; total, .$44.75. Mr. J. Gaunt raised 55i bushels by measure, or 57 bushels and 15 lbs. by weight, of barley, on one acre. The ground was once plowed, and twice harrowed after the seed; three bushels were sown. Mr. Peter Hess had 39^ bushels barley from one acre and eight rods. Land, a " stony beach and maple loam," in corn the previous year; plowed once, and sowed with 2^ bushels seed. Mr. Asher Freeman raised an acre of Indian corn, as follows: soil, a clay loam, an old pasture, once plowed, and thoroughly harrowed; furrowed three feet apart one way, by one the other; planted three kernels in a hill, and twice hoed. Harvested one rod; shelled and weighed the same, and found it to weigh 37| pounds, which would give 1074 bushels per acre. A very unsafe way to ascertain the prO' duct from an acre. Mr. S. Hess' acre of corn produced 169 and a half bushels of ears, which, allowing two bushels of ears to make one of shelled corn, would give 84f bushels. It was planted on ground in corn the pre- vious year; plowed in the fall, and again in the spring, and twice jNo. 63.J 363 harrowed; without manure either year. Rows about three feel apart each way. ONEIDA COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. A brief abstract of the transactions of the Oneida County Agri- cultural Society for the year 1841, was lurnished you by the corres- ponding officer of the Society, in which the Society was represented as being in a flourishing condition and exerting a favorable influence upon the agriculture of the county. It gives me great [.leasure to be able to inform you that the hopes of the friends of agriculture in this county have been more than realized in the success which has attended this Society through the seccond year of its existence. The fair of the society held in October last, was truly a splendid exhibi- tion, and one which reflects the highest credit upon the enterprise of the farmers in the emfire county, and we indulge the hope that our Society now rests upon a basis which will not be shaken by the few who still persist in their opposition to Agricultural Societies. The amount of money received from the State is two hundred and fifty- five dollars, to which the citizens of Oneida have added, by volunta- ry contributions, three hundred and four dollars, making the amount of funds at the disposal of the society, six hudred and fifty-nine dol- lars. Of this amount forty-four dollars have been appropriated to the current expenses of the Society, and the balance of six hundred and fifteen dollars has been paid in premiums to the successful com- petitors at the Society's exhibition. The by-laws of the Society are such as to require a statement in writing and verified by the oath of the appplicant to accompany every application for a premium, and it is believed that, in this re- spect, the rules of this society are such as will meet the approval of the farmers of the county. The accompanying statements will show the method of feeding the different animals, and mode of cultivation of the crops on which premiums were awarded by the Society at the last fair. Your obedient servant, ElON COMSTOCK, Cor. Sec'y Oneida Co. JJg. Sac. Rome, Jan. 29t/i, 1S43. Field Crops. From the several statements furnished, the follow- ing facts are obtained. It is proper to remark that the entire pro- duct, in each case, was measured by a committee appointed by the Society for that purpose. Winter Wheat. — The two highest crops of winter wheat, were 24 i bushels and 24 bushels and 6 lbs. per acre. The first w^as from bottom land, previous crop spring wheat, with one plowing and 30 364 [Senatje, loads good manure — the second on clover ley, three plowings, with- out manure. Both sown from 5th to 10th Sept. at the rate of H bushels per acre. Spring Wheat. — The two highest crops were 31 J and 27| bushels per acre. In both cases the crops were taken from ground in corn the previous year, once plowed — 2 bushels seed sown on each acre. In the first, 30 loads of manure to the acre were applied — the last, without manure. Barley. — Mr. H. Rhodes, Trenton, received a premium for 64 bushels of Barley from one acre. Soil, strong tenacious mold — in corn the year previous. Plowed in the fail and also once in the spring, 7 inches deep — 3 bushels seed sown 16th May. No manure used. The second premium was awarded to S. H. Church for 45 bushels 3 lbs. per acre. Soil, clay and gravel, in corn previous year — once plowed, 6 inches deep, wiihout manure — 2h bushels seed sown 10th of May. Indian Corn.— -Elisha Pattibone's crop — grown on bottom land, barley stubble once plowed six inches deep, with 25 loads of ma- nure— produced 95i bushels per acre. Wm. Wright's acre — soil gravel, barley stubble, once plowed? inches deep, without manure — produced 91 bushels 8 lbs. S. W. Stoddard's acre — soil, gravelly loam, wheat stubble, once plowed and manured in the hill — produc- ed 91 bushels 4 lbs. Oats. — Andrew Vredenburg raised 112i bushels on one acre. Soil, sandy loam— in potatoes previous year — once plowed, 6 inches deep — 4^ bushels seed, sown 14th of May, without manure. S. H. Church raised 94^ bushels per acre. Soil, clay and gravel. Previ- ous crop, spring wheat. Once plowed 5 inches deep, with manure. Seed, 3 bushels, sown 12th of May. Potatoes — Henry B. Bartlet raised 339 Bushels of potatoes on half an acre. Soil, loam, in corn previous year. Once plowed and harrowed — without manure. Three others procured from half an acre, 218, 216, and 196 bushels. ONONDAGA COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. The doings of this Society are briefly summed up in the following manner: The Executive Committee held a meeting at Syracuse, in January last, and a list of articles were presented and agreed upon, on which premiums were to be awarded, and the different viewing committees were appointed. On the 22d of September, the execu- tive committee held another meeting to make the necessary arrange- ments to hold a Fair. On the 5th of October, the Society met and held their Fair, which closed on the 6th, at night. The following is a list of officers chosen for the ensuing year: No. 63. J 365 William Fuller of Skaneateles, President; Silas Cheesbm of De Witt, 1st Vice President, and Fletcher Woodward of Camillus, 2d Vice President; Enoch Marks of Onondaga, Cor. Secretary; Chester Moses of Marcellus, Rec. Secretary; Thomas A. Smith of Syracuse, Treasurer; and an Exective Committee to consist of one member from each of the towns in the county. Whole number of members of the Society, about 400. Amount of money contributed, $208 00 " received from the state, 204 00 $412 00 Paid in premiums, &c 411 25 Balance on hand in the Treasury, $0 75 Wm. Fuller, President, General observations on the Fair. The whole number of animals that were registered for premiums, were as follows: 26 pair of working oxen, in yokes; 9 pair of steers, matched; 70 cattle of other descriptions; 7 pair of work horses, and over; 40 hor- ses of other descriptions; 129 sheep, and about 70 hogs. The working oxen, as the committee report, "were so geneially good, that it was somewhat difficult to decide to which the premiums ought to be avarded; and the steers were believed to give great pro- mise of future profit. Among the cattle, were some fine Durhams from the herds of W. Fuller, W. Cook, and others. The show of sheep was highly creditable; coarse, middle and fine wooled sheep were all represented, remarkably good, and by far exceeding any ex- hibition heretofore held in the county. Many of the horses were fine, but it was thought by good judges, that the colls were of a very promising character, well calculated to make serviceable horses, and that they showed a decided improvement in horses throughout the county. The swine — this " interesting family," were well repre- sented in all their various conditions of life, from fat to lean, from young to old, male and female, from the round, plump, well-condi- tioned, well made hog, to the more gaunt and lean kind; on the whole, showing an assemblage that the farmers of Onondaga may well be proud of. The amount of dairy products, and of household manu- factures, was small. It is to be hoped that the ladies will not per- mit an omission of this kind again to happen; an exhibition of the products of their skill might easily have been given, w^hich would have added increased interest to the Fair, and have proved highly beneficial to the exhibitors. Will the ladies of Onondaga ever learn that to be valued they must be useful, and if they are not industrious and useful, they cannot nor will not be respected. 366 [Senate report of committee on farms. The Committee on farms and growing crops report: — That they have had the pleasure of viewing but four farms by request, and very much regret that there is so little interest felt and manifested by the farmers of the county of Onondaga, as to create no more competi- tion in the honorable and pleasant business of tilling the soil^ a soil not surpassed in goodness by any county in the Empire State. The attention of your committee was first called to view a field of corn in the town of De Witt, owned and cultivated by Mason & El- bridge Kinne, containing 13 i acres. The land, before fitted for the corn crop, was 7 acres clover, 5 acres wheat stubble, H acre of corn hills, plowed once and well harrowed, and the whole covered with a light coat of barn-yard manure broad-cast. Corn planted about the first day of May, in rows both ways, 2>h feet apart; cultivated by passing a cultivator between the rows each way, then dressed with the hoe three times; the last time about the 20th of July. No hills were made about the corn; about a table spoonful of equal mixture of plaster and ashes was applied twice with good effect; and your committee are unanimously of the opinion, that the young men have done themselves much credit as practical farmers in cultivating the field of corn above referred to, which was not entered for premium. Your committee would earnestly recommend to all young men to do likewise, and by so doing relieve the country from its present dis- tressing embarrassments. _^The first farm your committee had the pleasure of viewing is owned by Silas Cheesebro, in the town of De Witt, about 2 miles from the village of Syracuse, containing 180 acres of first rate land; 150 acres under good and profitable cultivation. Your committee are of opin- ion, that better farms are rarely to be found in this county. Mr. Cheesebro's arrangements, as an intelligent and thriving farmer, are bright examples for the industrious agriculturist to follow. Mr. Cheesebro's farm is divided into fields averaging about 14 acres, enclosed by good cedar and chestnut Virginia or worm fence. By means of lanes most of the fields are accommodated with an abun- dance of good water. The growing crops, and crops that were har- vested this year, were very good. Wheat, 25 acres, mostly raised on fallow land, very little injured by rust; 27 acres in fallow, in good condition; 21 acres of meadow, very nice, producing in the opinion of your committee not less than 2 tons of good clover or timothy hay per acre; 10 acres of corn neatly cultivated, by removing all the w^eeds from among the corn without making any hills — and your committee would reccommend to the corn growers of this county to have the earth as nearly level as may be at the last dressing; 13 acres of potatoes very neatly cultivated, scarcely a weed appearing on the entire field. Your committee think that the average will not be less that 300 bushels per acre. Mr. C. says that he planted nearly every variety of potato that he could find in the country, and will be able to inform the potato growers of the county of the best varieties; 33 acres of clover pasture, giving support to five working horses, one breeding mare and two colts, one pair of fine workuig oxen, six cows, No. 63.J 367 two yearling heiferj^, two humlieil sheep; sheared 164; product 500 pounds of wool, marketed at 31 cents per pound; and one two year old bull, native blood. Barns well arranged, with good and conve- nient cellars for the safe storage of roots, a very good fixture to a farming establishment. Farm house comfortably and conveniently arranged, with a good and productive kitchen garden, and as a plea- sant and very agreeable appendage, a tastefully arranged flower gar- den decorates the front yard, an evidence of the ladies' good taste and industrious habits. The second farm to which the attention of your committee was re- quested, is owned by E. D. Cobb, located near the village of Orville, in the town of Dewitt, containing 103 acres; 97 acres neatly and sys- tematically cultivated and impoved under the following divisions or arrangements: 15 acres to wheat, 9 acres to corn, 4 acres to barley, 6 acres to oats, 7 acres to peas, 2 acres to potatoes and S acres to mea- dow; 30 acres of good clover pasture, and 10 acres in fallow. All of the above named crops large in growth and of good quality. Mr. Cobb adheres strictly to the rotation system of cropping, and with good success. Stock on the farm consists of five good, serviceable work horses in good condition, 4 cows, 2 yearlings, 100 sheep of the Saxony blood — sheared 84; product 274 pounds; sold at 45 cents per pound in exchange, and 4 Berkshire hogs in pasture, in fine con- dition. Mr. Cobb informed your committee that he plowed in the seed wheat on 7 acres of his fallow in the fall of 1841, about the 1st day of September, and the remaining 8 acres in fallow he sowed with the same kind of wheat about the Gth of September, and harrowed in the same quantity of seed in each case. The soil was the same, but the product was widely different. The part plowed in pi oducecl only about half as much as that harrowed in, and the quality not equal. Therefore your committee are of the opinion that harrowing in seed is the preferable method. Mr. Cobb's buildings consist of one good and well finished farm barn, 41 feet by 31, and one shed with hay loft, 70 by 24; one sheep shed, 30 by 16; dwelling house, 20 by 48, two stories, with a wing 20 by 30; cellar 20 by 24, the whole finished very neatly from top to bottom, and all necessary outhouses and yards neatly and tastefully arranged; and finally every thing about the establishment exhibited neatness and comfort, and if attended with good health presents do- mestic happiness nearly approaching perfection. The third farm your committee visited, is owned by H. Avery, in the town of La Fayette, containing 145 acres, 122 under good and profitable cultivation in the following order: 24 acres to wheat, 18 acres to barley, 5 acres to corn, 1 acre to potatoes, 22 acres of mea- dow, 25 acres in fallow in fine condition, 27 acres of pasture, sup- porting in first rate condition, 2 good working horses, 25 head of neat cattle, 44 sheep and some hogs. Mr. A.'s farm is of a rich limestone soil, naturally productive, and aided by skillful farming produces ve- I ry largely. He makes no use of plaster; thinks his soil is sufficient- ly able to produce without stimulating. Every thing in and about the establishment indicates contentment and domestic happiness. Mr. 368 ^ [Senate A. farms according to the rotation system, and recommends that sys- tem to the cropping agriculturist as the most profitable and fertiliz- ing mode of farming. He has improved his farm much in building- good, substantial stone fences, and has about 500 rods of wall, and material for building more easily to be obtained. His fixtures are good and well arranged, and your committee are of opinion that in him we have an example for good farming and domestic economy, seldom equaled. The fourth and last farm your committee examined by request is owned by Enoch Marks, in the town of Onondaga, near Navarino, containing 140 acres of land; 110 acres in a high state of cultivation; soil mostly a sandy loam and muck; the central part of the farm nat- urally springy or wet. This Mr. M. has effectually reclaimed, and converted into very easy, productive plow land, by very judicious underdraining. He has about 1100 rods of stone underdrain, that takes from the surface all the cold spring water, and conveys it to some convenient place for discharge, where it forms good watering places for cattle. His farm is divided into fields of eight acres each, fenced with chestnut rails in Virginia or worm fence. He follows very strictly and tenaciously the rotation system of farming. His method of farming is to use each field in its turn for grain, meadow and pas- ture. Wheat is usually raised on summer fallow, about fifteen acres, by plowing two or three times and dragging or harrowing as many times. Sown about the first of September, nearly two bushels per acre. About ten acres annually sowed with one plowing after peas. Peas are usually sown by once plowing sward land, harrowing and rolling. Mr. M. uses all the barnyard manures on the lands planted with corn and potatoes. Uses plaster plentifully yet profitably. Mr. M.'s motto is plow often and seed often and plentifully with clover and timothy. Uses two bushels of plaster per acre on grass. Crops thirty-five acres of wheat; injured some by rust. Peas, eleven acres, good; eight acres of oats, very large; four acres of corn and pota- toes; fourteen acres of meadow, grass light; Mr. M. says in conse- quence of a departure from his general rule, having mowed the ground too long. Stock kept on farm, eight neat cattle, four horses for work, eight hogs and 224 fine wool sheep. Grain barn forty by fifty, with twenty feet posts, a good and convenient basement and root cel- lar, all nicely finished. Other buildings comfortable. Mr. Marks may be considered as having caused two blades of grass to grow where one grew before. After closing our view at the last mentioned farm, we took our friend Marks in our carriage and proceeded to Otisco, for the pur- pose of making a short visit to one of the editors of the Cultivator, (Mr. Gatlord.) We found him at his residence, which is of the cottage kind, of an antique appearance; and is surrounded by a fine grove of trees. Within was neatness, convenience, sociability, and a large library of useful books. We were highly gratified to find him practicing what he preaches, viz: that men should live plainly, pru- dently, and within their means. This has always been the recom- No. 63 J 369 mendation of the Cultivator, and in this situation we found one of its editors. Thus, after a ride of three days, we made our way towards home, well pleased with the performance of the duty assigned us. Although the committee receive no daily fee, they feel well paid in the per- sonal examination of improved implements, and the manner in which different persons manage their farms and business, besides meeting with a most hearty welcome among our brother farmers. The Com- mittee award to Enoch Marks of Onondaga, the first prize of $10. E. D. Cobb of De Witt, the second prize of $8. Harvey Avery of La Fayette, the third prize of $6. All of which is respectfully submitted. H. P. BOGARDUS, A. Eastwood, ^ Com. S. M. Brown. Mr. Woodward'' s Corn Crop. I respectfully notify you, that I would ofTer the growth of one acre of corn for premium. The most part of the land has laid to pasture for two years, had a light dressing of manure, plowed once, made mellow by harrowing. Planted the first week in May, in drills three feet apart; thinned out at hoeing, so as to leave the stalks between four and eight inches apart, excepting a small part of it which was left thicker, and did not ear so well. Was plastered as soon as up, ashed after the first hoeing, and hoed three times, without much hill- ing. Corn husked in the lot, put in a wagon and drawn to the corn house, measured in a basket; and in measuring, three baskets were weighed, and the medium one shelled, and the amount by measure of shelled corn is 96i| bushels, and by weight fell short two pounds on a bushel. The above I believe to be correct. F. Woodward. Camillus, September 30, 1842. Mr. Box's Potatoe Crop. I,Eldert V. W. Dox, of the town of La Fayette, in the county of Onondaga, in making claim to the premium for the best acre of potatoes in said county, for the year 1842, in pursuance of a requirement by the Agricultural Society in said county, do make the following state- ment: Its treatment previous to 1841, I cannot state, as I came into pos- session of the premises in the spring of that year. In 1841 it was well manured from the sheep and cattle yards, to an average depth of one and one-half inches over the piece — four acres; and one-half was then planted to potatoes, which yielded one thousand four hundred bushels. The ground was not stirred again until this spring, and not then until it had become perfectly dry. [Senate No. 63. J W* 370 [Senate About ten days previous to plowing, 1 sowed salt on the lot, at the rate of one barrel to the acre; plowed beam deep. I then planted three acres to potatoes again, of which the one on which I now claim the premium is one. The others, I think, will yield nearly as well as the one already dug. The potatoes on this acre are, to me, a new species, for which I have never yet heard a name. They are a light red, and of good size; they are excellent for table use, being preferred by the family to all the other varieties that I raised last year, viz: — Orange white, English do., Sardinia, round pink eye, June, black and Rohan. In selecting seed potatoes, I took those that were of good size and cut in two about three weeks before planting, in order to have the cut part coat over so that it would retain its moisture when in the ground. The ground was furrowed out with an instrument which I term a tripod, into three feet squares; the rows running S. W. by N. E., in order that they might have the more effect from the sun; two pieces were planted in a hill. Many of the potatoes were up when a frost came, and all of those were either killed, or pro- duced but a few small ones to the hill. I think I could say with safety, that that has caused a decrease on the acre of from twenty to twenty-five bushels. They were hoed but once, and that much later than it ought to have been done, in consequence of the wetness of the ground; this took place when they were about ten inches in height. The product from the acre was 419 bushels. E. V. W. Dox. ONTARIO COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. The Third Annual Fair and Cattle Show of the Ontario County Agricultural Society, took place at Canandaigua, on the 18th and 19th of October. The inclemency of the weather during the two days, prevented many of the friends of the Society, from attending this meeting, yet an unexpectedly large number was present, and an increasing interest in its success and usefulness was manifested. The spirit of competition which existed, controlled and chastened as it was by harmony and good feeling, is not less favorable to the objects and aims of the Society, than characteristic of the enlightened and enterprising farmers of Ontario. The first day of the meeting was devoted to an exhibition of do- mestic animals, and of these there was a much greater number than has ever before been collected together within the county, on a simi- lar occasion, and it may be added, they were generally of improved stock, and in better condition. It was regretted at the first and second annual meetings of the Society, that the number of good horses exhibited was so limited; but on this occasion a large number of superior animals was produced, affording evidence, that Ontario may successfully compare in this respect with the most favored counties in the State. No. 63.] 371 The second day was devoted to an exhibition of family manufac- tures, and articles of the mechanic arts for premium or show, to the plowing match, &c. Notwithstanding the unpropitious state of the weather, a large number of competitors, as well as spectators, attend- ed, and there was no lack of interest or enthusiasm. The great va- riety, the excellence and beauty of the fabrics exhibited, reflected much credit upon the industry and skill of the manufacturers, and atforded a gratifying evidence of improvement in the various branches of domestic industry. To the taste and ^ill of the ladies, particular- ly, are the Society indebted for much that gave interest to the occa- sion. Their handy work was displayed in various forms where utility and ornament could be combined. The products of the dairy, the loom and the needle, gave pleasing evidence of their well direct- ed industry, and some of their finer fabrics elicited universal admi- ration. The plowing match took place on the morning of the second day, and as usual, attracted a large crowd of eager spectators. Twenty- three teams of all descriptions were entered, and at the close of the contest, among some eight or ten of the competitors it was doubt- ful to w^hich the premiums would be aw^arded by the committee. At tM'o o'clock, P. M., the Society assembled at the court-house, to hear the annual address, to elect officers, award premiums, &c. The address was written by Myron Adams, Esq of East-Bloomfield, but owing to his indisposition, it was read by Rev. Mr. Stow of the same place. It was an interesting production, replete with practi- cal teachings, and creditable to its author. The members of the Society then proceeded to the choice of officers, and selected the following gentlemen for their officers for the ensuing year, viz: John Greig of Canandaigua, President; William Ottley of Phelps, 1st Vice-President; Myron Adams of East-Bloomfield, 2d Vice-Pre- sident; Peter Mitchell of Manchester, 3d Vice-President; Joseph Fellows of Geneva, 4th Vice-President; Charles Godfrey of Seneca, 5th Vice-President; Hiram Pitts of Richmond, 6th Vice-President; William W. Gorham of Canandaigua, Rec. Secretary; Oliver Phelps of Canandaigua, Cor. Secretary; James D. Bemis of Canandaigua, Treasurer. 372 [Senate ORANGE COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. Abstract of the proceedings of the Orange County Agricultural So- ciety, for the year ending October 12thj 1842, prepared pur- suant to the last clause of the 4:th section of the " Act to promote Agriculture^ passed May 5, 184 L The funds at the disposal of the Society consisted of cash on hand not expended last year, $75 10 Cash received from members this year, 162 00 Cash received from the Comptroller of New-York, 152 00 Total, 1389 10 In the month of August a notice was prepared by the Society, and published in all of the newspapers in the county, containing a state- ment of the time of holding the fair and cattle show, the premiums which would then be awarded, the rules and regulations for the fair and the committees of judges. The fair and cattle show was held on the 12th day of October, and was attended by a large portion of the agriculturists of the county; there was a very spirited competition for nearly all of the premiums offered by the Society, and the articles offered for premium were generally esteemed by the committees of judges worthy of the favora- ble notice of the Society, The whole funds of the Society were expended in the premiums awarded, but as a portion of the premiums have not yet been called for, the w'ritten statements required by the last clause of the 3d sec- tion of the statute above referred to, have not all been yet delivered to the president of the Society, and cannot therefore be transmitted herewith. At the time of the fair, the Society, after adopting certain amend- ments to their constitution, and receiving an address from their pre- sident, proceeded to elect their officers for the ensuing year, when the following persons were elected: Frederick J. Betts, Newburgh, President. Aaron Van Duzer, Jeffrey Wisner, Lewis H. Roe, William Sayre, James R. Dixon, Henry Robinson, Jacob C. Tooker, Robert R. Thompson, John C. Webber, William S. Little, Thomas Van Elton, Roswell Mead. Jesse H. Bull, and William Jackson, Vice-Presidents. John R. Caldwell, Samuel Wait, Jr. Alexander Thompson, Nicho- las Dederer and John J. Heard, Executive Committee. John Wilson, Recording Secretary. Joseph W. Gott, Goshen, Corresponding Secretary. Charles Downing, Treasurer. It was then resolved that a committee of three in each town in the county be appointed to solicit subscribers to the Society, and that the assessors in each town, to be elected at the ensuing spring elec- tion, be requested to compose said committees. The Society then adjourned sine die. No. 63. J 313 By the terms of the constitution, the annual meeting for the fair and cattle show, and for the election of officers, is to be held on the " Wednesday next before the full moon in October, in each year." By order of the Society, Fred. J. Betts, President. JYewburgh, March 2, 1843. Premiums were awarded on the following crops: F. J. Betts, best acre of oats, 3 bushels sown, 77 bushels. J. I. Dolsen, next best acre of oats, 4 bushels sown, 75 bushels. F. J. Betts, best acre of yellow corn, 205 ^ bushels of ears. S. J. Wait, 2d best acre of yellow corn, 93 J bushels. J. I. Dolsen, best acre of Mercer potatoes, 260 bushels. 1. B. Sands, 2d best acre of Mercer potatoes, 330 bushels. Mr. Betts' field of corn contained four and five-eighths of an acre, and 205 h bushels of ears was the average per acre on the whole piece. The corn was a cross of Button and the large Connecticut yellow corn, obtained by planting the two in the same hills ; the seed thus obtained, produces a very handsome ear, which is earlier than the old fashioned corn, and yields well, as the product of my field shows. The whole crop is very handsome, and scarce an ear which is not fit for seed. The field upon which it grew, was a tough greensward, plowed in the early part of February last, (when the ground w^as free from frost ) and manured with fifteen wagon loads per acre, of a com- post of muck and barnyard manure^m about equal parts; the muck having been spread over the surface of the barnyard during the win- ter. In planting, the corn was covered with half a shovel full of the same compost, instead of earth., and two bushels of salt per acre was spread broadcast over the field, immediately before planting ; the field was then cross plowed, and the corn planted about 3 -J feet apart ; it was twice plowed and hoed, and had the cultivator run through it once ; it was very slightly hilled, and had about an ave- rage of four stalks left in each hill. The oats were raised upon a field cultivated the year before in the same way, except that about twelve loads of manure per acre were used, instead o{ fifteen. The oats were sowed as early as the ground could be got in order for them, at the rate of three bushels per acre. ORLEANS COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. The following is an abstract of the proceedings of the Orleans County Agricultural Society for the year 1842. The Society has one hundred and eighty members. The amount of money contributed by them is $93.50; amount received from the State, $75. The executive committee held their first meeting on the lOth of 374 [Senate January, 1S42, at which time a list of premiums were agreed upon and published. The committee then adjourned to the 5th day of June following, at which time they again assembled and appointed committees in the several towns in said county, to examine faims and crops; adjourned to the 20th day of October, at which time the an- nual fair was held. A good collection of stock, and a variety of ar- ticles of domestic manufacture, were presented for competition: they were examined by the several committees and premiums awarded. The Society elected its officers for the ensuing year, and adjourned to the 26th of November, at which time an address was delivered be- fore the Society by Byron Dinsmore, Esq., and $152 was paid for premiums on farms, fences, cattle, swine, field crops, silk, horticul- tural articles, farming tools, &c., and $8.81 for printing, &c., and there is now in the treasurer's hands $36.56 unexpended. Enclosed are some of the reports received from members who drew premiums, which I regret to say are not as full as we could desire, and are not such as the law appeared to require. The executive committee have been unable thus far, to obtain such reports from the several viewing committees as appeared to them to be worthy of public notice; yet we do not despair of complying bet- ter with the law in future, as numbers of practical and intelligent men are beginning to give better attention to the subject. Barre^ December 24^, 1842. Charles Lee, Prest. Cobble Stone Wall. — A premium was awarded to C. Robinson, for the best stone wall, which was built in the following manner: The ground to receive the wall first made smooth by leveling cra- dle knolls, &c. Then place in the largest stones, selecting at the same time, the second size, or such as are suitable and of proper shape for topping stone. These stone should be long enough to reach entirely across the top of the wall as prepared to receive them, and they serve as binders. When the bottom is laid, properly filled up and leveled, lay on a course of cedar sticks, split one-third of an inch in thickness, and as wide as the timber will make — sticks laid close together — then ano- ther course of stone — then sticks — then stone, and so on, tapering up double wall, six or seven courses, according to the size of the stone, 3 feet 8 inches, or 4 feet high, till it is fitted by leveling off and put- ting on the top course of sticks for the topping stone. Place them snugly on, chink up both sides well with small stone, and it is fin- ished. I lay about three rods at a stretch, with lines. Face both sides; the sticks for each course corresponding in length exactly with the width of the course of stone on which they are to be laid. Width of wall on the bottom, 2 feet 7 inches. Height when com- pleted, from 4 to 4 feet 6 inches. Stone so selected that the lower courses receive the larger stone, and so up, so that the last course immediately under the topping stone shall be composed of the small- est of the whole. The width of the top will be determined by the size of the stone, both topping and other. C. Robinson. JVov. 26, 1842. No. 92. J 375 OSWEGO COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. This Society, of which Wm. Ingell, Esq., of Vohiey, is presi- dent, paid out, at its annual Fair at Mexico, in October, 1842, about $200 in preiniums on farms, farm produce, domestic animals, imple- ments, silk, butter, cheese, &c. From the statements furnished, the following facts are gleaned: Wheat. — The first premium for Spring Wheat was awarded to Calvin Goodwin of Mexico, who raised fifty-eight bushels on two acres and 64 rods of land. The second premium was awarded to C. G. Chillingworth, who raised 84 i bushels on three acres and 28 rods of land. Indian Corn. — The first premium on this crop was awarded to Wra. Ingell of Volney, it being the same crop on which he received the second premium of the State Society. For amount of crop, manner of culture, &c., see the report of the State Society, in the preceding part of this volume. Potatoes. — K. E. Sanford received the first premium on potatoes, 338 bushels per acre. RuTA Bagas. — First premium to Martin Wiltse — 500 bushels per acre. Second premium to K. E. Sanford — 435 bushels per acre. Carrots. — First premium to N. Farnham — 684 bushels per acre. Mr. Severance's Farm Report. Having entered my farm, on which I reside, for a premium, and the viewing committee having; awarded me the first premium on farms, it becomes necessary, agreeably to the rules and regulations of your Society, for me to answer a variety of queries touching the management, productions and profits of the farm. I exceedingly re- gret that, owing to circumstances beyond my control, it is out of my power to give the particular information sought. In explanation, here, permit me to remark, that I have other lands adjacent to and cul- tivated by the same laborers as those employed on the premium farm; the lands occupied and improved the same as our farm, the produce collected and deposited in barns and granaries together; con- sequently the few answ^ers I am enabled to give must be very gene- ral, and I fear unsatisfactory, and were I enabled to give answers to all the various interrogatories, I have not the vanity to believe that any very valuable information would be elicited; for it is well known to you, sir, that I am not a scientific man; that the little agricultural knowledge I possess, has been obtained by experience and observa- tion, with very limited opportunities for acquiring know^ledge from books; and I wish here frankly to state, that though, through the kindness and liberality of the committee, the first premium was awarded me, I think it was more owing to the modesty of others in not entering their farms, than of any particular merit in mine. Our farm is rather light and sandy, but by a course of management, it has become tolerably productive. W^e endeavor to make the most of our manure, drawing it on to the 376 [Senate land in its raw unfermentetl state; applying it generally to green- sward lands intended for corn and potatoes, about twenty loads to the acre; in this way we are enabled to manure from twelve to fifteen acres yearly; the manure being laid in heaps, is carefully spread and immediately plowed in and not suffered to remain and dry in the sun; the furrows are then rolled, after w^hich a fine double harrow is applied, first lengthwise of the furrow, then crosswise, till the sur- face is completely pulverized; the row^s are then marked out as straight and uniform as possible, and it is then ready for planting. We cannot boast of having raised so large crops of corn and potatoes as some of our more favored fellow-citizens, never having raised, 1 believe, to exceed ninety bushels of the former, and a little more than four hundred of the latter. Our average crops of corn for a series of years, I think w^ould not vary much from fifty bushels per acre and potatoes about 250 bushels; I doubt not, by doubling the quantity of manure, we might increase the crops from 25 to 50 per cent, but then it will be seen we could manure but half as much ground, which, in our opinion, would be poor economy, for the amount we apply makes the ground rich enough for wheat or oats, which generally follows the corn and potatoecrop, seeding wath clover and timothy, say 41b. of the former and 61b. of the latter, and occupied again as meadow; at the time of seeding our sandy land, we apply a dressing of plaster, after w^hich we apply the roller for the purpose of ren- dering the surface smooth, and the ground compact; when this course is pursued, we rarely fail of a good seeding. Our average crop of spring wheat is 18 or 20 bushels per acre, and of oats from 40 to 50. When treating of manures, 1 should have mentioned leach- ed ashes, which, I believe, from actual experiment, are of more value when applied to light soils than an equal quantity of com- mon barnyard manure; and yet we find them almost totally neg- lected, and suffered to waste at our asheries ; they should be spread on ground prepared for corn or wheat, and harrowed, not plowed in ; they may also be advantageously applied to grass ground, meadow or pasture, twenty or thirty wagon loads to the acre. We do comparatively nothing at dairying, keeping but a small number of select cows for the rearing of stock. Our calves are fed on new milk till ten or twelve weeks old ; those kept on grass and hay generally sold at three years old: several of our steers raised in this way were butchered in September last, weighing over 750 lbs. each. Our cattle are the improved native breed crossed with the Devonshire; we keep from fifty to sixty head of cattle, three or four horses, sixty sheep, and eight swine; we cut annually from 75 to 100 tons of upland hay, meadows averaging from one to two tons per acre. Our method in fattening swine, is to steam potatoes and apples, mash them while hot, adding one eighth part meal. We have made a trial of barley, I believe twice, with no great success, and I think the soil in this vicinity is not congenial to its growth and cul- ture. As to buckwheat, I can give no opinion from experience, ne- ver having sowed any; and from the opportunities I have had of no- ticing it when raised by others, I regard the crop with but little fa- Mo. 63.] 377 vor. We have had some experience in root crops, especially rutvi baga and carrots, but do not think them entitled to all the com- mendation they receive in our agricultural journals. Near our cities, where hay always commands a high price, the ruta baga may be cultivated to advantage ; but where the average price of hay is not over $5, I do not believe it profitable to cultivate the crop to any great extent. Carrots, though not so easily raised, I think a much more profitable crop, being worth twice as much to feed to stock as the ruta baga — being a most excellent article to feed to cows or work horses. As to our clear profits from farming, it is enough to say, " the deposites are removed." I have thus very ge- neraly answered the several queries, though I trust frankly and ho- nestly ; and if I have contributed by it to the least advancement in agriculture, I shall be satisfied. Seth Severance. Mr. Lyon's Farm Report. In conformity to the rules and regulations of the Oswego County Agricultural Society,!, John W. Lyon, do hereby present to the offi- cial department of that Society an accurate description of my farm, situate in Hastings, on the stage road leading from Syracuse to Wa- tertown, entered for a premium, and visited by Messrs. Allen and Merrian of said county, as awarders and judges of the same. The management of fifty acres is thus: Ten acres in corn; five after corn, and five on wheat and oat stub- ble. The crop suffered on account of the frost on the 6th of June; had no manures, save one acre, that was thin plastered only once; hoed twice; cut up by the ground when fit; average 25 bushels to the acre — 250. Four acres of oats, sowed after oats; seed, three bushels to the acre; no plaster used ; seeded the same heavy to timothy and clover; had from the same, 50 bushels the acre ; 200. Seven acres in grass; upland without plaster; supposed to be about 10 tons. Two acres and a half in barley, after corn; sowed two bushels of seed to the acre; got 70 bushels; it is supposed by neighbors, that the crop was benefitted by sheeping the same down after it had got up green. 1 think the same; 1 left them on the barley ten days; in that time it spread'much; this crop was on worn out sand, so called. Two acres in spring wheat, after potatoes; the potatoe land was made rich the year before with long dung; put tv/o bushels of seed to the acre; got 40 bushels of wheat. Two and a half acres in winter wheat, sowed after spring w^heat; and although the crop was some injured by the timothy seeding and weevil, I had 28 bushels clean wheat; sowed Ih bushels to the acre; no plaster used; the land gravel. Eight acres in buckwheat, where my corn failed; sowed half bush- [Senate No. 63.J X* 378 [Senate el to the acre. I cut the most of it soon after it had turned brown; this did better than that which stood longer; had 160 bushels. Four acres are in woodland; of which I allow no grown timber to be cut down while there is dry on the ground. Seven acres in pasture; fed 4 horses, 3 cows, 36 sheep, the most of the season. One acre in garden, not surpassed in the county, either in beauty or variety, as to shrubs or plants. The other forty-four acres of my farm have been under nothing more than common tillage, worked on shares. My buildings have been arranged after the Buel plan: (See Buel's Cultivator.) One acre in potatoes — one acre on sod, and one on stubble; plant- ed in hills ; seed cut ; three eyes in a hill; hills three feet each way, and when up, covered over with long dressing. The sod was much the best ; had in all 350 bushels. I use about two tons of plaster per year, and all the manure I can conveniently obtain. My mode of applying dressing to the soil, is to draw it on to the land after it is plowed, and harrow it level, which covers the most of it up, and prepares it for present benefit. It should always be applied to the soil in the spring. Of saving, I am very particular, for there is nothing so poor as not to enrich the soil some. The work of the fifty acres has been mostly done by myself and son, about 14. J. W. Lyon. OTSEGO COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. The following premiums, on Field Crops, were awarded and paid by the Otsego County Agricultural Society, on the 22d December, 1842— viz: For the best acre of Wheat, to John W. TunniclifF, Richfield, be- ing 22 bushels and 40 lbs. For the best acre of Barley, to Olcott C. Chamberlain, Richfield, 55 bushels and 35 pounds. Second best do. to George H. Derby- shire, Hartwick, 45 bushels. Third best do. to Franklin G. Dun- ham, Middlefield, 39 bushels. Best acre of Oats, to Eliphalet Stickney, Hartwick, 84 bushels and 26 pounds. Second-best do. to Franklin G. Dunham, Middlefield, 68 bushels. Best acre of Indian Corn, to John H. Benedict, Otsego, 78 bush- els and 21 lbs. Second best do. to George H. Derbyshire, Hart- wick, 69 bushels. Third best do. to Eliphalet Stickney, Hartwick, 43 bushels and 24 lbs. Best acre of Potatoes, to Olcott C. Chamberlain, Richfield, 320 bushels. Second best do. to Russell Warren, Otsego, 289 bushels. No. 63.] 379 QUEENS COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. The Queens County Agricultural Society, was formed in October 1841, a constitution adopted and officers elected. The prospects of its usefulness at that time were very unfavorable, but little interest was evinced and only eighteen members obtained. A part of the officers and a few other members by great perseve- rance and labor obtained a sufficient number of members (generally at one dollar each,) to warrant the board of managers in making ar- rangements for a fair in the then ensuing autumn, and in March last, they published a list of most of the articles that they would offer premiums on, such as Cattle of the various descriptions, and of the improved and native breeds; Horses, confined to studs that had been kept in the county the six months preceding the fair, and matched horses bred and owned in the county; Sheep, fine and coarse wooled and South Dowms; Swhie, Butter and Cheese, Field Crops, Roots, Fruits, Honey, Seed Wheat, 8j-c. The managers met as business required, and early in September, an- nounced the time and place of holding the fair, and offered premiums amounting to $316, in money, and about $10 worth of books, and discretionary premiums on such agricultural products, household manufactures, and other articles as were worthy of encouragement. They also appointed the committees to award premiums, and to super- intend, and agreed on the rules and regulations to govern the fair. On the 33th of October, the fair was held at Hempstead, and pre- miums in money awarded amounting to $265.75, and $10 worth of books. The whole amount of money received was $325, and the whole amount expended was $314.25 leaving in the treasury $10.75. Accompanying this, are the statements received from those to whom premiums were awarded, and although not perfect, are the best we could get. Effingham Lawrence. Queens county, December 2Sth, 1842. ON BUTTER MAKING. Statement furnished the Queens County Agricultural Society, by Mrs. Isabella Stewart of Jamaica. The following observations are the result of many years experi- ence, and intended for families who make their own butter, and like it sweet, rich and to keep well. It is presumed that every mistress of a house in the country, en- joins upon her domestics strict cleanliness in every thing belonging to the dairy; it is indispensable that every thing used for milk should be daily scalded, and well dried; the milk-room should be free from damp and bad smells; if the shelves, (which should be in the mid- dle of the room,) have narrow, thin pieces of boards nailed on them 380 [Senate six or eight inches apart, to set the pans upon, the milk will keep longer sweet, and of course more cream will rise upon it than when standing on the shelf, as the air goes under the pans. Tin, or rather well glazed pans are better than wood, the latter being very apt to mold. The milk in summer will seldom keep sweet longer than twenty-four hours; it should be skimmed as often as the milk is thick, as the cream will very soon spoil if left on the milk; on no account should it remain longer than thirty-six hours if you want good butter; in damp, hot weather it will become musty and bitter, and spoil a churning of butter. Many dairy women think that once a day is enough to trouble themselves to skim milk — three times is hardly sufficient to examine it, and if thick to skim it without delay; put it into a stone jar, in which is a cream stick to stir it thoroughly each time cream is added; when enough is collected to churn, say two or three times a week, (if every day the better): in very hot weather place the cream-jar in the ice-house, or in a tub of cold water with ice in it, for a few hours, or all night, and churn early in the morning; the butter will come easily and be iirm; wash it well with cold water and put one ounce of common table salt, well rub- bed or rolled, to one pound of butter; work it gently with a wooden ladle, and in a wooden bowl; cover it, place it on the floor, which is best of stone or brick, and well cooled with water; in the evening it will answer to work it over, or the next morning early, but gently as too much motion will make the butter soft; put it into rolls for use or market, and place it again in a cool place; cold water or ice will burden it nicely for immediate use, but it the sooner becomes soft and oily when removed. Butter made in summer seldom keeps well; therefore it is hardly worth while to put it down for winter, but if necessary, oak or maple casks or tubs are the best to put it in; it should be pretty well salted and a cloth laid on the top of the but- ter and brine constantly over it. To make butter in winter is more difficult, as the cream requires the aid of heat, and it is difficult to get it of a proper temperature; the most certain method is to put about a quart of buttermilk into the cream-jar with the first cream; stir it well, cover it with a cloth to keep it free from flies or dust, and place it in a room where there is a fire, (but not by the fire) — by the time your next mess of milk needs skimming, it will be thick; after adding the cream, again mix it well — so on until you are ready to churn — if not then thick, place the jar into a pan of hot water, stir the cream until the chill is removed, set it aside until thick and cold, when you may churn it without trouble. Do not attempt to churn the cream while warm, as your butter will come too soon and be white and bitter. After the butter is washed and salted, let it stand but a few hours in winter before working it over, as it becomes so hard that you can- not mix it properly; have your tub or jar well cleaned and scalded, put some brine at the bottom: then your butter, press it firmly and tight with your ladle, lay a thin cloth on the butter and cover it with brine; remove the cloth when you again churn; put down ^our butter; cover it again as before, and so on until full; keep it No. 63. J 381 well covered with brine and cloth; put on the cover of the vessel and keep it in a cool place. The butter will be as good in May, as when made. Milk will not keep as long in a cellar in winter as it will in an upper room, and is more easily tainted by molil or damp- ness; therefore it should be skimmed, certainly before it becomes, spotted, say from twenty-four hours to thirty-six. Cream will cer- tainly rise longer if the milk is undisturbed, but the richest and best cream is that which is obtained in the first twenty-fours hours; the butter of course is better although not so abundant. If cows are fed once a day in winter with carrots, sugar beets, or potatoes with plenty of good clover hay, their milk will yield yellow, rich, and fine flavored butter. It is not desirable to have new milk cows in winter, but sometimes is unavoidable; by the above management the milk may be useful if not profitable. The butter herewith sent for exhibition is 11 pounds made in Jamacia, by Isabella Stew-art, from the milk of two cows, one farrow, both nearly dry, in one week, from fourteen quarts of milk per day. The cows have had nothing to eat but what they found in the common pasture at this season. My milk room is a cellar room with a glazed window and a slat door opposite each other, with a hanging shelf in the center; the floor is paved with brick; an ice-house is at one end, communicating by a door and stairs; my milk pans are mostly tin, some earthen glazed; cream jar is stone ware. Churn is a common hand churn and small, so that if I felt disposed to do otherwise I must churn very often in summer. I always in summer have the churning done early in the morning in the cellar. At this season of the year, I churn, and also keep the cream jar in a room where there is a fire, but remove the butter to the cellar when washed and salted. I keep butter in wood, in a cool dry place. The butter herewith sent was made within the last week at three churnings — is salted with common table salt, one ounce to the pound, and without salt- petre or sugar. I find ray butter made at this season, just as this has been and put down in the same manner, (except in tubs that contain more, with brine in them just to cover the butter,) keeps as sweet and fragrant as it is at this moment; therefore, I have never found the necessity of using any other means to keep it, than the simple salt. Good new made butter will continue so; poor butter needs many things to preserve it. Jamacia, Oct. 12th, 1842. RENSSELAER COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. The first annual fair of the Rensselaer County Agricultural Socie- ty was held at the village of Lansingburgh, October 4th and 5th, 1842. There was at this fair an unusual display of stock, as well as 3S2 [Senate of domestic manufactures, agricultural implements, and the various other articles usually exhibited on such occasions. The crowds of visitors attracted by the exhibition, from this and the adjoining coun- ties, sufficiently attested the deep interest of the farmer, and all class- es of our community in the success and continued prosperity of the institution. The reports of the various viewing committees, submitted to the Society at the fair, contained a great amount of interesting and va- luable information, and two of them are here annexed. REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON FARMS. The committee would respectfully report, that the number of farms entered for examination was six. Your committee commenced the performance of the duty assigned them on the tenth day of July, by calling on Mr. Abraham Knicker- backer of Schaghticoke, whose farm is situated in the valley known as old Schaghticoke, about one mile from the Hudson river, contain- ing 330 acres of land, about 100 acres of which is bottom land, which has been cultivated more than a century and a half; and its present, productiveness being evidence of its fertility under a good system of culture. Mr. Knickerbacker particularly called our attention to a field of wheat from which he took the last season two crops of clover hay of great burthen — the one in July, the other in September. Im- mediately after taking off the last crop, he plowed and sowed the same with wheat at the rate of nearly two bushels to the acre, the growth of which was very large and heavy, promising an extra crop, but we regret to learn since that it was much injured by rust. Mr. Knickerbacker's mode of farming is well systematized and praisewor- thy; the remaining 230 acres being upland, about one half under cultivation and the rest covered with wood. The manner of culti- vating his farm is such as is generally practiced by good farmers in that section of the county, being a rotation of crops, with clover every fourth year, and an annual top dressing with plaster, at the rate of about Ih bushels per acre. The out-buildings of the farm are numerous, large, and well ar- ranged; also the dwelling-house, being the old family residence, un- der the modern improvements made upon it by its present proprietor, makes a very beautiful and venerable appearance. Mr. Knicker- backer informed your committee that it was his practice, on the first of April of each year, when he commenced his farming operations, to appraise his stock, farming utensils, and every kind of produce on hand, and by keeping debt and credit, at the close of the year he not only has the amount of the productions of his farm, but he is better able to review and improve his future operations — a course of proceeding which your committee would most highly commend. By the within statement made to your committee of the produc- tions of the farm of Mr. Knickerbacker, it is gratifying to learn that the amount of the productions of his farm, over and above all ex- No. 63.] 383 penses of cultivation, affords a generous remuneration for the capital invested in these times of low prices. Your committee next called to view the farm of Daniel Fish, in the town of Pittstown, on the south side of the Hoosick river, con- taining about 220 acres — 122 under the plow, 27 in meadow, and 78 in pasture and woodland. The greatest portion of this farm is com- posed of a gravelly loam, mixed with some sand and black muck, in swampy places. Mr. Fish has resided on his farm only four years. Its present appearance, in contrast with its former condition, is a pleasing evidence of the good effects of well directed skill and industry. Mr. F. called our attention to extensive underdraining, and the good effects of the same upon two fields which formerly were marshy waste land, which were now covered with very luxuriant crops of barley, oats, flax and potatoes. Mr. Fish has made great improvement in fences. We noticed a sod fence made over a field of wet ground, answering a double purpose, by also making a ditch in the excavation made for the fence. Mr. Fish pursues the usual course of rotation of crops, with manure, seeding and plaster, which, if judiciously done, is well adapted to the grain growing portion of our county, and will not ex- haust, but increase the fertility of the soil. Our attention was called to a field of flax, to the cultivation of which much attention is paid in the above town. The manner of raising it is to take the ground on which corn or potatoes were raised the previous year, and prepared as for other spring crops; the usual quantity of seed per acre is about I^ bushels, rendering a double profit from the seed and lint. The slow and disagreeable process of pulling by hand is about being ob- viated by a newly invented machine, worked by horse power, which is said to be equal to the labor of seven men; which, your committee not having had an opportunity of examining, are unable to describe. The buildings of Mr. Fish are extensive and in good order, having in view convenience and utility as well as appearance. The last though not the least pleasing to which our attention was called, was the garden, (an expression in relation to which may not be consider- ed within the province of the duty assigned to us, but we cannot refrain from making a few remarks in reference thereto,) in which were combined the ornamental with the substantially useful, contain- ing every variety of vegetables, shrubbery and flowers, and all ar- ranged and cultivated, as your committee were informed, by Mrs. Fish, without the aid or assistance of man power — thus setting an example for the effeminate housewife worthy of all imitation, and more conducive to health and the comforts of domestic life than the silly fondness entertained by too many in the fashionable circles for shining gewgaws and gilded baubles. We here give an extract from the written statement made to your committee, of the kind of fence on the farm, the quantity of blind and open ditches made, and an estimate of the production of the farm the present season. He has made of open ditch, 240 rods; of blind ditch, about 500 rods; of fence, as follows: Of picket fence, 70 rods; of board fence, painted, 300 rods; common board fence, 150 rods; stump fence, 200 rods; sod fence, 40 rods; stone wall, 250 rods; rail fence, 500 rods. 384 [Senate The productions of the farm are as follows, some of them estimated by thrashing and others from appearance: 24 acres of wheat, esti- mated at 350 bushels, being nearly 15 bushels per acre; 16 acres ;of rye, estimated at 200 bushels, being 12^ bushels per acre; 38 acres of oats and barley, estimated at 1600 bushels, being about 40 bush- els per acre; 8 acres of flax, the seed 10 bushels per acre; 10 acres of corn, estimated at 300 bushels, being 30 bushels per acre; 20 acres of buckwheat, estimated at 500 bushels, being 25 bushels per acre; 6 acres of potatoes, estimated at 800 bushels, being about 133 bushels per acre; of hay, 25 tons, Mr. Fish says he sells no straw from his farm, but uses all for fodder and manure. He plows from four to five inches deep, and says he has drawn large quantities of muck from his swamps on to his dry land, which has proved very beneficial. No statement made of the stock kept on the farm. Cost of cultivation, about $300. Your committee, after leaving the farm of Mr. Fish, passed up the valley of the Hoosick river about eight miles, through a good farm- ing country, and called at the residence of Gen. John J. Viele, who submitted to our inspection his home farm, lying in the town of Hoosick, on the south side of the Hoosick river, containing about 300 acres, 240 of which being under cultivation, the soil being a deep sandy loam table land, with a portion of bottom land along the Hoosick river. Mr. Viele called our attention to the general ap pearance of his farm and crops, which was farmer-like and w-ell or- dered. His crops on the ground, with the exception of corn and grass, were superior, which Mr. Viele attributed to his deep plow- ing, and mixing in part of the subsoil about once in four years, thereby increasing its fertility, and enabling the soil, by its depth ftnd strength, to resist the attacks of insects and drouth, those com- mon enemies to successful husbandry. The unfavorable appearance of his corn was caused by the backwardness of the season, and the ravages of the weevil and grub-worm, to prevent which is a matter of some difficulty. The best mode, in the experience of your com- mittee, is to manure highly, and plant stubble land. The habit of feeding meadows in the fall and spring with sheep, as stated by Mr, Viele, was probably the cause of their light and backward appear- ance, and deemed by your committee as of doubtful utility. Our attention was called to Mr. Viele's clip of w^ool, which was very su- perior, and which constitutes one of the staple products of the above town. Mr. Viele has made substantial improvements in stone walls, stump fences, and underdraining. This farm, as a whole, makes a very good and practical farmer-like appearance, and its proprietor has exhibited a degree of taste highly commendable, in transplant- ing fruit and forest trees about his dwelling, and along the road side. No statement of the productions of this farm has been re- ceived by your committee. Your committee next called on Mr. John Evans, In the town of Brunswick, about two miles east of the village of Lansingburgh, who submitted his farm to our view, containing about 120 acres, (100 under cultivation,) of rolling land, the soil of gravelly loam, mixed No. 63.J 385 with clay. Mr. Evans has resided on his farm four years, and has increased its productiveness three-fold by his system of manuring with bone manure, which he obtains in the manufacturing of glue, and applies it ground, at the rate of four bushels the acre. As a top dressing, he also applies the bones unground upon his meadow land, and rolls them down with a roller, which, from a barren and unproduc- tive state, he has made to produce from two to three tons to the acre. Mr. Evans submitted to our view his improvod stock, consisting of year- lings, cows and calves, which we deemed very fine, and well worthy the attention of cattle growers. In the industry, perseverance and skill exhibited by Mr. Evans, we have a fulfilment of the old adage, that " industry and perseverance will prosper." He commenced without friends or capital — a stranger in a strange land — and in a few years has secured a handsome^, competency, with a prospect of extended usefulness; and we would modestly suggest to some of our inert young men, who, lounging away their time in our cities and villages, and who are strongly prejudiced against the use of the hoe and plow, to go and do likewise. No statement of the productions of this farm has been received by your committee. Your committee next called to view the adjoining farm of Mr. John D. Vanderheyden, the former residence of tiie late Gen. Adam Yates, containing about 300 acres — 250 under improvement. The soil is a gravelly loam; that part of the farm he cultivates is mostly rolling land — about 95 acres being meadow. The attention of your com- mittee was directed to a field of wheat sown on ground where winter wheat was raised the preceding year, which appeared very promising. The treatment in preparing the ground for the second crop, was to burn the stubble before ploM'ing. Your committee would likewise state Mr. Vanderheyden's practice in preparing his ground. For corn, he generally plants on clover sod; plow^sas late as from the 10th to theSOth of May, so as to turn under some coat of grass; plants im- mediately after his ground is prepared, and hasnot had his corn injured by worms since he has pursued this course, which he attributes to the green grass turned under, upon which the worms feed. Mr. Vander- heyden has succeded in obtaining running streams of water through all the lots on his farm, which your committee deem of very great importance — there being a natural stream running from east to west through the farm. A part thereof has been carried through an arti- ficial channel through the south tier of lots and again discharged into the original stream on the southwest part of his farm; and in drain- ing about ten acres of swampy ground on the north part of the farm, he obtained a sufficient quantity of water from the drains and ditches, through the same, to convey by a ditch through the central part of his farm, and to discharge into the before-mentioned natural stream, by deep cutting in a few places. The appearance of his crops on the ground were proof of a judicious course of cultivation. The fences were substantial and in good order, mostly posts and boards. The fields appeared clean from noxious weeds. The buildings were numerous; three dwelling houses, three barns with sheds aiid neces- sary out-houses, all in good order, and several recently built, and is [Senate No. 63.] Y* 386 [Senate deserving of credit for the neatness and thrift exhibited about his premises. Mr. Vanderheyden applies all his manure upon his mea- dows, and seeds the land he tills with clover and herdsgrass, and gives it an annual top dressing with plaster; his depth of plowing is from six to ten inches. As to the expense of cultivating his farm, he em- ploys one person in addition to himself and two sons, with additional help in haying and harvesting, amounting to about $75. Here fol- low^s his statement made of the produce of the farm for the present season: In meadow, 95 acres, estimated at 150 tons of hay. Winter wheat, 10 do do 25 bushels per acre, 250 bush. Winter rye, 34 do do 25 do do 850 do Oats, 17 do do 40 do do 1080 do Corn, 13 do do 35 do do 452 do Potatoes, 15 do do 200 do do 3000 do Buckwheat, 8 do do 30 do do 240 do Fallow, 18 do Pasture, 30 do having pastured 9 horses, 30 head of cattlej - 32 sheep and 14 swane. Your committee next called to view the farm of Isaac Akins, Esq, of Greenbush, which lies on the bank of the Hudson river, about two miles below the village of Greenbush, containing 320 acres; 160 of which are under cultivation, 115 in meadow, and 45 in pasture and under the plow. About one-half of the farm is low bottom land along the river, the soil alluvial — being overflowed every spring by the river, consequently wants no manuring or plowing. About 40 acres of the upland of this farm are in meadow, w^iich Mr. Akins in- forms us he has for the last five years manured with about 40 loads to the acre, spread upon the surface. The soil of the upland is princi- pally a sandy loam, the ridges occasionally mixed with a slate gravel. Mr. Akins had 10 acres of spring wheat and 5 of corn, which ap- peared very promising, and had sown 8 acres of buckwheat. Mr. Akins plows from six to ten inches deep, puts his manure on the sur- face and harrows it in. The kind of manure he has used for the last five years is principally from a distillery, mixed wath his barnyard ma- nure, and the quantity he puts on his plow land varies from 25 to 40 loads per acre, according to the quality of the land. Your committee found the farm of Mr. Akins in a high state of cultivation; the fields well arranged; the upland divided into suitable lots. The fences are principally composed of cedar posts and boards, and put up with a great deal of neatness and regularity. His barn and out-buildings are well arranged and substantially constructed — his barn being seventy- two feet by fifty, and with an open floor, the posts twenty-eight feet high, with a hay press underneath the open floor; his barn and out-buildings placed upon substantial stone walls and painted. Among the several out-buildings, our attention was directed to his shops for repairing the tools and implements on his farm, and the pe- culiar construction of a work-bench in his carpenter's shop, with some five or six drawers underneath for the reception of various tools. A place for every thing and every thing in its place. While here, a No. 63.] 387 neighbor of Mr. Akins submitted to our view a newly invented hay press, and operating upon the lever principle, the utility of which had not as yet been fairly tested. If it should meet the expectation of the inventor, it must, from its simplicity, do away with the screw power. In the neighborhood of Mr. Akins we could not help but notice the good effect of example, like rays radiating from a center. We could here see an impetus given to improvement, showing con- clusively that it is not alone our own advantage, but also the good that we do around us, which ought to stimulate our exertions in the improvement of our farms, and the advancement of our calling. Here follows a statement of the production of Mr. Akins' iarm. In meadow, 115 acres, at two tons per acre, 230 tons; in spring wheat, 10 acres, from 20 to 25 bushels per acre; in corn, 5 acres, from 40 to 60 bushels per acre; in potatoes, 1 acre, fine growth; in buckwheat, 8 acres, fine growth; from 150 to 200 barrels of winter apples. Cost of cultivation about $400. Your committee have seen with much regret, the alarming and ra- pid spreading of the Canada thistle through the county, and we would most earnestly request all farmers to unite in a war of exter- mination against that noxious and disagreeable intruder upon our farms. If we cannot at once destroy, we can at least check its ra- pid growth. Plowing once in four weeks, or cutting them frequent- ly, so as to prevent them from getting a top during one season, will destroy them; and if that cannot always be done, they should at least be cut in season to prevent the seed from ripening. Your committee feel constrained to acknowledge that in awarding the premiums, where the claims of competitors are so nearly equal, they feel the task to be one of some delicacy, but would beg leave to say that they have not, as a matter of course, awarded to those who cultivate the richest natural soil and pioduce the largest crops, but have been influenced by the mode of cultivation pursued to improve the soil, the general arrangement of the buildings and fences for farming operations, and the reclaiming of waste lands — not only caus- ing two spears of grass to grow where but one grew before, but caus- ing luxuriant crops of grass and grain to grow where marshy and waste swamps occupied the places before. Your committee award the first premium on farms to Isaac Akins of Greenbush; the second to John D. Vanderheyden of Brunswick; and the third to Daniel Fish of Pittstown. And we would recommend that in addition to the premiums now awarded on farms, there be a preuuum given hereafter for the best cultivated farm in each town in the county, provided the town has fifty paying members to the Society; and if the funds of the Society would not permit the addition, that some of the minor premiums be hereafter abolished, because an overgrown pumpkin, a mammoth squash, or a large cabbage head, can excite but little interest com- pared with the interest we think would be awakened among practical farmers by the above additional premiums. And w'e would also recommend to the members of the Society who are not taking any of the agricultural papers of the day, to patronize 388 [Senate them, believing the valuable information contained in those monthly publications, would not only amply compensate every reader for the small expense of it, but would excite among the farmers of Rensse- selaer county, a laudable desire to improve in the cultivation of their farms, in the raising of stock, and give the earliest information of the various improved labor-saving implements constructed and used in the cultivation of the soil. All which is respectfully submitted. Martin Springer, William Teller, )■ Committee. William Van Veghten, Report on Household Products. The undersigned committee, to whom was referred the subject of household products, report that they have given this important sub- ject all due consideration. Highly gratified by the many neat, useful and substantial articles submitted to their inspection, they have been led to desire more strongly than ever that domestic manufactures may be increased, and presented at the next fair in still greater number and variety. They are fully satisfied that the household arts are complicated, and still admit of valuable improvements from science called in as an auxiliary to ingenuity and enterprise. The attention of farmers and their households is earnestly invited to this subject. The farmer who w^ould enjoy comfort and plenty must have more to sell than he needs to buy; indulging in luxuries only when they can be purchased by the surplus produce of the farm, after his neces- sary wants have been supplied. That this extra supply can be se- cured to him by moderate industry skilfully applied, ought not to be doubted, and with it he could not fail to have means for purchasing the raw materials whenever demanc'ed by the exercise of his skill in pre- paring household products. Water power was first applied to the spinning of cotton in 1804. Prior to that time, a large part of our cloths were household manu- factures. Many then thought the nation would be ruined by so seri- ous an interruption of spinning and weaving, but the spirit of inven- tion and enterprise which distinguish our country and the age, has originated other spheres for the exertion of skill and the display of industry in the domestic circle; and even in regard to products now more cheapened by improvements in machinery and by " division of labor;" in connection with the application of water and steam power; wherever domestic industry finds no more objects to test its skill and energy, it may yet continue to move in its wonted paths, under the full conviction that every exercise of skill, and all the habits of in- dustrious employment in themselves sources of numerous benefits, both direct and collateral, and that the products of skill thus exerted, will be duly noticed and appreciated. The manufacture of palm-leaf hats and straw bonnets, (even though steam in its wide-spread application has reached to them,) yet deserves the attention of housewives and their families; in other methods No. 63.] 389 which their own ingenuity and good sense will from time to time sug- gest, they can show their fondness for domestic industry. But silk culture, in particular, opens before them an extended field for the profitable exercise of their skill and talent. The Committee were gratified to have evidence that in Rensselaer county this department of domestic labor is receiving attention, and it gives them pleasure to speak in commendation of the specimens of silk in this branch of industry which came under notice. They would fain hope the time is not very far distant when this subject will receive general attention — when we shall have orchards of mulberry trees as we now have apple trees, and when our ladies will be dressed in silks of their own manufacture. It can scarcely be questioned that our soil and climate are both propitious for the growth of the mulberry; we certainly have skill and industry equal to the enterpise of cultivating the tree, growing the worm, and ma- nufacturing the silk. And it is hoped these will soon be regarded as necessary appendages of a well regulated farm. On this subject, the ladies will give us the liberty of addressing to them a few words of special counsel. It is in our power to become a great silk growing community, and that such a consummation is exceedingly desirable cannot reasonably be doubted. But for securing this result we must call to our aidyema/e influence^ the lever that has been wielded with such potency for the accomplishment of benevolent and useful enter- prises. To us it seems a duty and privilege of every mother in the nation, to endeavor to call forth and guide the ingenuity of her daughters — giving it such a direction that it shall elevate our national character, and by diminishing our dependanceon foreign nations form the independence of our own. Are the females of our country infe- rior in point of taste and invention, to those of Francel They cer- tainly are not, though they have as certainly seemed to vie with each other in their servile dependance on French fashions and finery — to the positive injury of the nation in the consequent extravagant im- portations of French silks and fancy articles for their use. But would it not be far more independent, noble, and in every respect more becoming, for our fair countrywomen to employ their leisure hours in preparing dresses from materials of domestic growth and manufacture, after patterns harmonizing with their owm refined tastes, and better suited to our climate than those of ihe French? Let the ladies, then, adopt the position that growing and reeling of silk must become a prominent object of household industry. Let them employ their influence with their husbands and brothers to pro- cure and set out the mulberry before the next county fair, and them- selves, as soon as possible, begin the work of growing the silk. No work could be more appropriate for them than this — as it is periodi- cal, «nd allows of long intervals of rest — and the reeling is an employ ment at once easy, social, and accordant with feminine fingers and habits. If information be needed as to the required process, procure " Dennis' Silk Manual " and it will be obtained. Labor bestowed on the silk culture certainly will not be in vain, for no department of agricultural labor yields more ample remuneration 390 [Senate than this. And now will not the ladies take this department of use- ful effort and ingenuity under their own special patronage and super- vision? Could your committee obtain from them a pledge of their general and hearty co-operation, theirs would be the pleasing confi- dence that the business of silk growing would at once receive an im- pulse that must secure its extended and successful prosecution, and the ladies would weave for themselves fresh chaplets of honor by thus contributing to place our beloved country upon a loftier emi- nence of national independence and glory. All which is respectfully submitted. Alexander Walsh, Amos Briggs, ]> Committee. Albert R. Fox, SARATOGA COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. Pursuant to the act of the Legislature of this State, entitled "An act to promote agriculture," passed May 5th, 1841, I, the subscri- ber, president of the Saratoga County Agricultural Society, herewith transmit all the reports or returns, which the Society was required to demand and receive from applicants for premiums, together with an abstract of our proceedings during the past year. The Society was organized under the act, on the 24th of June, 1841, by the adoption of a constitution and the appointment of a president, two vice-presidents, a treasurer, a corresponding secreta- ry, a recording secretary and an executive committee of two from each town in the county, which said officers have the control of all the affairs of the Society. They are annually elected on the 1st Tuesday in October. The initiation fee is fifty cents, and the like sum to be paid annually. The whole number of members, admitted 1st year, ending Dec. 31st, 1841, was 226, and the amount received by the treasurer for initiation fees and voluntary contributions was $123. The full amount apportioned to this county by said act, and drawn from the State Treasury, amounting to $121, was received by the Society. Owing to the late period at which the Society was organized and the difficulty of complying with the act in relation to the raising of crops for that year, no premiums were awarded the first year of its organization. Oct. 5th, 1841. — This was the day fixed by the constitution for the annual fair and the awarding of premiums, as well as the elec- tion of officers. The fair and cattle show were postponed until an- other year. The election of officers took place and resulted in the choice of Howell Gardner, for president; Calvin Wheeler, for 1st vice-president; Jacob Denton, 2d vice-president; Hiram E. Howard, treasurer; Archibald Smith, corresponding secretary; John A. Co- rey, recording secretary; with an executive committee of two in No. 63.] 391 each town. At this meeting the Society was addressed by the Hon. Samuel Young, in an able and appropriate manner, a copy of which address was on request furnished to the Society and published in the county papers. This is an abstract of the proceedings of the Society for the past year, and is now furnished because this duty was neglected the pre- vious year inasmuch as an essential part of the proceedings, (the awarding of premiums) was then omitted. April 12, 1842. — The first regular meeting of the executive commit- tees for this year, was held April 12th, 1842, when it was resolved to hold a fair and cattle show, at Ballston Spa, on the first Tuesday in October, then next following. The list of premiums was also agreed upon and adopted, and appropriate committees were then ap- pointed. Oct. 4, 1842. — Annual meeting and fair. As this was the annual meeting and election of officers, and the only day on which, by the con- stitution, the same could be altered or amended, several alterations were made and the election of officers was held, with the following result: Elisha Curtis, president; Seth Whalen, 1st vice-president; Timothy Tripp, 2d vice-president; Reuben Westcot, treasurer; John A. Co- rey, recording secretary; Alonzo J. Chadsey, corresponding secretary; and an executive committee of two from each town. The 20 volumes entitled " Transactions of the State Agricultural Society," were received by this Society, and distributed for the use of the members, by delivering one to some member of the executive committee in each of said towns in the county. The annual address was then delivered by the president, Howel Gardner. The residue of the day was spent in examining the ani- mals and articles offered for premiums, and in receiving and reading the reports of the several committees. The president announced Monday the 10th of October, 1842, as the day on which the officers would assemble to examine the reports, and award the premiums. Oct, 10, 1842. — The committee met, and after examining the re- ports of the different committees, resolved to award premiums in mo- ney, amounting to $187. The sum of $121 apportioned to our county for 1842, from the the State Treasury, was withheld by the Comptroller, alleging as a reason, that we had held no fair the previous year, and had not re- ported the payment of any premiums. The whole number of persons who have renewed their membership and become new members of the Society for the present year is 152; and the amount received by the treasurer by way of initiation fees, annual dues and contributions is ^82.50. The balance remaining of last year after paying off the premiums and incidental expenses audi- ted and authorised by the committee, is $17.49, which added to this year's contributions, makes $99.99 now in the hands of the treasurer of the Society. Premiums to the amount of $20.70 were awarded 392 [Senate by the Society at its late fair, which have not been called for, and consequently the statements from the successful applicants have not been received. All of which is respectfully submitted. HowEL Gardner, President of the Saratoga Co. Ag. Society. Dec. 28, 1842. PREMIUMS ON FIELD CROPS. Wheat. — 1st premium of $8, to George B. Powell of Milton, for raising 58 bushels and 2 quarts of wheat on 2 acres, after a crop of barley, at an expense of $20. 2d premium, $4, to J. Cramer, 2d, of Waterford, for 55| bushels of good wheat on 2 acres, after a white clover sod, at an expense of about $26. Corn. — 1st premium of $8, to William Wilcox, of Saratoga, for raising 274 bushels of Indian corn on 2 acres, at an expense of $24 371. 2d premium of $4, to J. and W. Doty of Northumberland, for raisins: 206 bushels of Indian corn on 2 acres, at an expense of $22.53. 3d premium, diploma, to William Wilcox of Saratoga, for raising 190 bushels of Indian corn on 2 acres, at an expense of $24.37^ Potatoes. — 1st premium of $4, to Benj. K. Bryan, of Stillwater, for raising 183 i bushels of Mercer, Pink-eye and Oxnoble potatoes on half an acre. Expense not stated. 2d premium of $2, to William C. Caldwell of Saratoga, for raising 300 bushels of Merino potatoes on half an acre. Expense not stated. Mr. Wilcox's crop of Indian Corn. — The soil is a warm sandy loam. It was plowed last autumn. It had lain in grass six years. In the spring it was rolled down smooth, and harrowed twice tho- roughly, being careful not to disturb the sod; about the first of May planted the same, two and a half feet one way and three the other, in the first place putting a small shovel full of fermented barnyard manure to each hill of corn, say some ten cart loads to the acre. About the first of June commenced hoeing, and also thinned it out, so as to leave four or five of the best plants in each hill; the whole averaging about four spears. The first of July hoed it again; put but a small portion of earth about the corn, but carefully cleaned out all the weeds from the hills. About the fifteenth of September, top- ped the corn below the joint. The seed was simply planted dry. No. G3. ] 393 • SUFFOLK COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. The following are selected from the statements furnished by Wra. W. Mills, Esq. president of the Suffolk County Agricultural Society. INDIAN CORN. L. BRUSh's STATEMENT. This is to certify that one acre of Indian corn was planted about the 25th of April; planted on strong soil; put 20 loads of barnyard manure to the acre, and plowed it in; put about four loads of stable manure in the hills; it w^as planted 4i feet apart each way, and plow- ed out six times and hoed once, and I gathered 160 bushels of ears. My 3 acres of Indian corn were planted on a stiff sod about the first of May, manured in the hill about the same as the other, and same width. I gathered 100 bushels of ears to the acre. Lewis Brush. Huntington J Mov. 24:th, 1842. BUCKWHEAT. G. S. PHILLIPs' STATEMENT. Having received from the Suffolk County Agricultural Society a premium of three dollars for the best crop of buckwheat, not less than one-half acre, I certify that I plowed the ground in the latter part of May last, it being a fallow; that I plowed it again early in July, then spread upon it twelve bushels of ground or crushed horn piths, which cost forty cents per bushel; then harrowed the ground twice over; and on or about the fourteenth of July I sowed upon said ground (containing by measurment about one acre and an half) three pecks of buckwheat of the small grey kind, and again harrow- ed it twice over; that the buckwheat was cut about the first of Oc- tober, and threshed on the 8th of the same month; and that the quantity produced therefrom was thirty-six bushels, large measure. The expense of labor and manure was about fourteen dollars. The soil was a sandy loam. Geo. S. Phillips. Dated October 26th, 1842. RYE. A. roe's statement. I do hereby certify, that the rye on which the Suffolk County Agricultural Society awarded me a premium of five dollars, is the fifth crop that I have raised on the same field, by sowing 4 quarts of clover seed in the fall with the rye, and 8 quarts in the spring to the acre, and plowing in the crop of clover in the fall in li<'u of other manure for the succeeding crop of rye. Though the present is not so good as former crops, the past season is known to have been un- favorable. I can recommend the above system with conficUtice from my own experience. Austin Roe. Dated 21ih Oct. 1842. ("Senate No. 63.] Z* 394 [Senate Manner of preparing ground for Onions. Carted on 15 loads of horse manure about 15th April; plowed the ground immediately; spread 2 barrels bone manure, 10 bushels ashes; sowed them immediately in drills 11 inches apart; hoed and weeded them six times during the season; gathered them about the first Sept ; and from 100 feet by 50 of ground, they yielded 120 bushels. Chas. Clapp. POTATOES. MR. SMITh's STATEMENT. I do hereby certify that I raised from one acre three hundred and sixty-eight bushels of the black potatoe, and that the same were inspected by one of the measurers appointed by the Society of the county of Suffolk; and the course of tillage and preparation of the ground was as follows: a portion of the ground was plowed the year previous, and a portion was plowed from the sod some six weeks previous to planting. The same were planted 3 feet by 2 feet; ma- nured with sheep yard manure in the hill; plowed and hoed twice. Joel L. G. Smith. Smithtown^ January Sthy 1843. " TOMPKINS COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. I hereby certify that the within statements of grain and root crops, and also of milch cows, together with the printed doings at the fair of the Tompkins County Agricultural and Horticultural Society, held in October last, are a true statement of the doings of the Society for the year 1842, Benjamin Wood, President. Ithaca^ Jan. 3, 1843. The following premiums were awarded by the committee on milch cows, viz: Best milch cow of any breed, Rev. William Wisner, $3 00 2d best do do Geo. P. Frost, 2 00 3d best do do John Selover 2d, 1 00 4th best do do John Mitchel, diploma. The following premiums were awarded by the committee on grain ad root crops, viz: Best acre of corn, 107 J bushels, to Ezra Cornell, $3 00 2d do 75 do Jesse Heller, 2 00 Best crop of winter wheat, 26| bushels per acre, John Se- lover 2d, 3 00 No. 63.) 395 2cl best crop of winter wheat, 19 bushels and 19 quarts, Aaron K. Owen, 2 00 2d best crop of barley, 46 bushels per acre, John Selover,2d, 1 00 3d best crop of barley, 44 bushels per acre, Aaron K. Owen, diploma. Best acre of millet, 31 i bushels seed, and 21 tons fodder, Geo. Jones, 2 00 2d best crop of potatoes, 203 bushels on half an acre, Wright B. Reynolds, 1 00 Best crop Rohan potatoes, 135^ bushels on a quarter of an acre, Wright B. Reynolds, 2 00 Best crop of sugar beets, 431 bushels on a quarter of an acre, Wright B. Reynolds, 2 00 2d best crop of sugar beets, 237 bushels on a quarter of an acre, Aaron K. Owen, 1 00 Benjamin Wood, L. A. MoRRELL, y Committee. Geo. p. Frost, The following are true copies of statements presented to me by the several gentlemen whose signatures they bear. The original statements are on file in my office. Geo. P. Frost, Recording Secretary of Tompkins Co. Ag. Society. Ithaca^ December 31, 1842. MILLETT. MR. JONES' STATEMENT. Account of two acres of millet raised by George Jones, on his land; the land was in wood in April, it was chopped, logged and sown with twenty quarts of seed to the acre, on the eighth day of June; and on the fifth day of September it was cut, and it was finish- ed threshing on the twenty-eighth day of December, and was found to be five and half tons of fodder, and sixty-three bushels of seed. Sowed on the land without plownng, as it w^as burnt; dragged it in and hoed round the stumps; cut with a scythe. Expenses as follows: Seed for the two acres, 40 quarts, $1 25 Sowing 2 acres, 3^., and dragging do. 2 acres, 125, Hoeing round stumps, 8^., 2 88 Mowing and harvesting, 20s. Threshing 63 bushels, $3.15, 5 65 $9 78 bh tons fodder worth $6.00 per ton, $33 00 63 bushels seed worth 6^., 47 25 |80 25 Clear profit, $70 47 JYewfield, Dec. 28, 1842. G. Jones. 396 [Senate INDIAN CORN. MR. CORNELL's STATEMENT. The following is a statement of one acre of Button corn which I cultivated the past summer, and which I offer in competition for the premium offered by the Agricultural Society for the best acre of corn. This corn was grown on the same acre of ground from which I obtainefl 99 ?| bushels of the China tree corn in the summer of 1841; 100 bushels of Dutton corn, and five tons of well cured fodder in the summer of 1840, and 80 bushels of Dutton corn in the sum- mer of 1839. The ground was prepared by hauling on about 25 cords of unfermented manure from the horse stable, which was spread broadcast, and plowed under as deep as possible, probably about 10 inches, (the ground had not been plowed since taking the last crop from it;) it was then harrowed to render the surface smooth and uniform; I then marked it carefully both ways with the teeth of the marker set 2 feet 8 inches apart. The corn was planted the 15th of May at , the intersections of the marks from 10 to 12 kernels in a hill; the seed was prepared by soaking 24 hours in a solution of copperas wa- ter, and rolled in plaster when planted. When the corn was about 3 inches high, it was dressed with plaster and ashes scattered in small quantities about each hill; at the second hoeing it was thinned down to 4 spears in a hill. The corn was worked out with the cultivator twice; the first time about the 20th of June, the second time the 12th July, and followed each time with the hoe. The corn was cut up at the ground, and stouted up in the field about the middle of Septem- ber; in October it was husked and weighed, when it was ascertained that there was 7,716 lbs. of ears; the corn was then spread on the upper barn (loose) floor, where it dried, and about the middle of December I weighed out 100 lbs. ears taken promiscuously, and shelled it, and got 78 lbs. shelled corn, making 6,018-| lbs. of shelled corn, or 107f| bushels to the acre. The above result shows 5 lbs. of ears more than I got from my best acre (Dutton) last year, and 6j\ bushels less shell- ed corn, which 1 attribute to the corn being more thoroughly dried this year than it was last, before being shelled and weighed; as the corn appeared equally sound and well filled in the ear both years. The expense of cultivation was no more than is ordinarily incurred in a corn crop, except the hauling the extra amount of manure. It required two men and team two days to haul the manure. Yours, &c. E. Cornell. WHEAT AND BARLEY. I, the subscriber, respectfully report that I have raised at one crop 240^ bushels of wheat on nine acres of land; that said land, previous to the year of cultivation, was a clover sward; that no manure was applied till the year of cultivation, and then but half of it lightly with straw and fine manure; that said ground was twnce plowed, and four times harrowed during the year of cultivation; that the wheat sowed on said land is what is called the red bald wheat; that No. 63.] 397 the number of bushels sown was eighteen; that the expense of gath- ering said wheat was nine dollars and lifty cents, and that the ex- pense of threshing and cleaning the same was sixteen dollars; yield, about 26| bushels per acre. I also report, that I have raised on two acres and twenty-two rods of land, 97^ bushels of barley; tliat previous to the year of cultiva- tion, potatoes had been raised on said ground; that the ground was manured the year that it was cultivated with potatoes; that the year of cultivating said barley, no manure was applied; that said ground was plowed once and harrowed twice; that said^^barley is what is called the two rowed barley; that four and a half bushels were sown to obtain the present crop, and that the expenses of gathering and threshinw said crop were five dollars. T CI John bELovER, 2d. STATEMENTS OF MILCH COWS. Mr. Wisner's cow run in pasture very near the door; feed generally good; w^ater and shade in lot; was fed a large pail of bran twice a day; milked three times a day; quantity twenty-five quarts per day in May and June, and from that down to sixteen quarts during the rest of the season. In May made forty-seven pounds butter, and supplied two families of eight persons in the two, with new milk. One day in June, from all the milk, made one pound and thirteen ounces of butter. Dark red cow, fine form; cow laid in pasture dur- ing day and night. Ithaca, October 6, 1842. Mr. Frost's cow. A dark red cow, five years old last spring; said to be common breed crossed with Durham; calved 3d of April last; calf vealed. Made in the month of May, thirty-nine pounds butter, and supjilied a family of twelve with new milk for all purposes, in- cluding custards, pies, and table use in various ways; the last ten days sold one pint per day; and several times during the month gave a pitcher full to friends. One day in June saved all the milk of just twenty-four hours, and made one pound and thirteen ounces first quality butter. One day in July, one pound and seven ounces. In August one day, one pound and nine ounces. Largest quantity of milk per day, eighteen quarts; averaged about seventeen quarts, in May and June; July, August, and vSeptember, from fourteen to ten quarts; was kept in the stable from November to May, and never turned out; had all the good hay she would eat; the slops from the house and a little bran each day, with fresh water. In May turned her away to pasture nearly a mile, where she fed during the summer; drove away in the morning and back at night, and laid in yard over night; at night had the slops of the house, and in the morning, before driving, a corn basket of fresh grass. Clean running water in pas- ture; clover and herds grass, part of the time very good, and part of the time very short. Cow, fine form and medium size. Ithaca, October 6, 1842. •5, 98 [Senate Mr. Selover's cow. The statement mislaid by committee; verbal statement fiom hira: twenty-nine quarts milk best day, weighing fifty-three pounds; and made one week, a few ounces over fourteen pounds. No other test during the season; feed not recollected; ap- pearance of cow rather rough. . Ithaca. October 6, 1842. MR. Reynolds' statement. To the Secretary of the Agricultural Society of Tompkins County. Sir — I have raised this year, on one quarter of an aire of ground, four hundred and thirty-one bushels of sugar beets — the previous crop potatoes:; had ten good wagon loads of stable manure; plowed the last of April, and previous to plowing, five more good loads of stable manure put upon the ground; ridged about eighteen inches apart, and planted in drills on the top of the ridges; the seed dropped about two inches apart; quantity, about fourteen ounces. Plowing, one quarter of a day; planting, one and a half days; first hoeing, two days; second do., one day; third do., one day; harvesting, four days. Planted the 1st of May; the soil clay. Also, one quarter of an acre of Rohan potatoes — the previous crop, manure and plowing the same as the beets. Planted the 6th of May, in rows about two and a half feet apart, and one f( ot in the rows; the quantity of seed one and one-quarter bushels, cut in pieces, one and two eyes in a hill; planting and preparing seed, half a day; once with horse and cultivator, one hour; do., do., with plow, one hour; one hoeing, half a day; harvesting, two and a half days. The quantity was 135 i bushels. Also, one-half an acre of round pink eye potatoes — the previous crop, culture and manure the same as the Rohan, excepting they were planted about eighteen inches apart in the rows. The quantity of seed was five and one-quarter bushels; one potatoe put in a hill. It took twice as much labor to raise them as the Rohans, and six days labor to harvest them. The quantity was two hundred and three bushels; the soil clay. Wright B. Reynolds. Ulysses, December 21, 184:2. I certify that in the month of November, 1842, I husked for Jesse Heller, two hundred and thirty baskets of corn, grown <3n a piece of ground purporting to be one acre, which yielded seventy-five bushels and five quarts by measure. Andrew Case. I certify that I assisted in measuring the above piece of ground, and there was one acre only. Stephen Hulbert. No. 63.1 399 I certify that the ground on wliich the above crop of corn was grown, had the previous year produced a crop of wheat; the soil a sandy loam; applied to the crop of corn thirty loads of coarse barn- yard manure; plowed once, previous to planting; crop hoed three times; ground stirred before first hoeing by a cultivator, and the se- cond and third hoeing by a common plow; whole number of days' work unknown. Jesse Hellek. Lansings December 2, 1842. statements of MR. AARON K. OWEN. Nineteen acres of wheat of the Hutchinson kind, sixteen of which were clover sod fallowed; the other three after barley, which was manured previous to sowing barley, at the rate of thirty-five loads per acre, mostly of a coarse, unreduced quality; plowed twice after the barley was taken off, ami harrowed twice. The fallow ground was plowed three times; harrowed but little previous to sowing; no manure; the quantity of seed sown was about two bushels per acre; after which it was harrowed twice. Both pieces included, yielded on an average nineteen bushels and nineteen quarts per acre, the quality above the medium for the past season, yet not as good as is generally raised on my farm. Two acres of barley; the crop preceding consisted of peas, oats, and potatoes, previous to which the ground was manured at the rate of thirty-five loads per acre, mostly coarse manure from wheat straw. In preparing the ground for the barley crop, it was part plowed in the fall, when the ground was frozen up, and left till spring, when it was finished, and then crossed, and the barley sowed and harrowed once; the seed was a mixture of the double and single rowed. The product was forty-four bushels per acre. Threshing with a machine, was well cleaned, and of a superior quality. The quantity of seed sown did not exceed two bushels per acre. Three quarters of an acre qf sugar beets, yielding six hundred and seventy-six bushels; the best quarter produced two hundred and thir- ty-seven bushels. Measured in a broad bushel and a half basket, (well put on.) The ground received an ordinary dressing of manure, say thirty-five loads per acre ; plowed in the fall, and again in the spring; plowed and ridged up; planted in drills on the ridges, ikree feet apart; went through twice with a horse and cultivator, and hoed twice. Aaron K. Owen. WASHINGTON COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. Gentlemen — A meeting of the executive committee of the Wash- ington County Agricultural Society, was held in the village of Ar- gyle, on the 29th day of June, at which a list of premiums was agreed upon, viewing committees were appointed, and other arrange- 400 fSENA' TE ments made for the fair of the Society. On 50 different articles, 92 cash premiums were offered, of $1 to $8 each, the total amount thus oiiered being upwards of $300. The fair of the Society was held in the village of Salem, Oct. 11th, and was honored by an attendance on the part of our citizens unex- pectedly numerous. On no occasion smce the last capital punish- ment was inflicted in this county, (A. D. 1808,) it is said by the older inhabitants of the vicinity, has so large a concourse of people been assembled in the village of Salem, and many have expressed their surprise, that an association with so limited an amount of funds, should be able to attract such a mass of our population as convened upon that day, and have all so highly gratified with its exhibition and proceedings. The viewing committees were convened and addressed upon the duties which the society had assigned to them. Those parts of the " Act for the encouragement of Agriculture," which prescribe the principle on which premiums are to be awarded, to wit: that the most economical or profitable article is the most meritorious^ was particularly held up to their attention. The committee then pro- ceeded to make their examinations and awardsj and their decisions with scarcely an exception, were received with universal approba- tion. Their reports, together with the certificates of the successful applicants for premiums, have been already transmitted, and will be found much more full and definite than those of last year. — The committee on field crops, awarded premiums as follows: Martin Rogers^ Greenwich, for the best 'Winter Wheat, $6.00; 29 bushels, on newly cleared sandy loam, a hill side facing the south and sheltered by woods on the north and west; bearded white chaff of superior quality, all sold for $1.45 per bushel. Nett profit of the acre (i. e. after deducting all the expenses of cultivation,) $31.04. JVathan W. Wilson^ Salem, best Spring Wheat, 15.00; 22 bushels 28 quarts; on elevated moist loam, in good condition, shel- tered on the north. In corn 2 years; sheep manure,|2 bushels plaster, and 14 bushels ashes applied last year. Seed (tea wheat) soaked in' brine and rolled in lime. Nett profit, (at 9s. per bushel,) $17.46. Asa Fitch, Jr. Salem, 2d best Spring Wheat, $3.00; 25 bushels 7 quarts; on loamy gravel, an open plain. Pasture broke up and in corn last year, no manure. Seed (bald red chaff,) washed in brine, and for half the piece rolled in unleached ashes, but with no per- ceptible benefit. Cradled Aug. 2d.; out in the disastrous rains till the Ilth, its quantity and quality thereby much impaired. Nett profit, (at 8s. 6d. per bushel,) $17.81. James Savage, Argyle, best corn, $6.00, 80 i bushels; on a levd meadow of sandy loam, broke up in the fall, harrowed in the spring, cross furrowed 3^- feet apart. Seed, (common 3 rowed yellow,) planted dry, hoed twice. Total of labor 12 days. Henry Holmes, Greenwich, 2d best Corn, $4.00; &lh bushels. On meadow land, broke up in the fall; harrowed in the spring; planted May 10th; twice hoed; cut up Sept. 25; husked Oct. 7, 8. No manure. Nett profit $30 . 00. No. 63.J 401 Fairness requires us to notice the crop offered by Constant Clapp, Jackson. From an acre he raised 85 bushels of China Tree Corn; on gravelly loam, greensward broken up last spring; no manure since 1839, when 40 loads were applied; hills accidentally 4 feet apart. Nett profit, (at 4s. per bushel,) $38.75. Over 100 hills were des- troyed by worms; and had the rows been 3 feet by 4, as was intended and thus yielded equally well, the single acre w^ould have produced one hundred and nine bushels. But in this county, 85 bushels, like a certain quality of wine, "needs no bush." Henry R. McLean, Jackson, best Potatoes, $5 .00; 5101 bushels; on a low dry meadow of loamy gravel, broken up in April, 5 inches deep; harrowed; seed, (Merino,) 20 bushels, sliced; plaster in the hill and after weeding; weeded middle of June, with cultivator and hoe; early in July cross-plowed and hilled; harvested Oct. 8, 10th. Nett profit $73.24. Peter Hill, Jackson, best Rye, $4.00; 25 bushels 11 quarts; on moist loamy gravel; after a spring crop which had 1 bushel of plas- ter, it w^as plowed and sowed Sept. 8, harvested July 20th. Nett profit $9.57. Henry Holmes, Greenwich, best Oats, $4.00; 53J bushels per acre, the average of 81 acres. On sandy loam, in corn last year; straw estimated to pay expense of cultivation, making the nett pro- fit at 2s. 6d. per bushel, (the oats being of superior quality,) $16.62^. [Certificate not suflficiently definite.] V/illia7nJi. Russell, Salem, 2d best Oats, $3.00; 97 bushels 4 quarts; on moist clay loam, in potatoes 5 years past, and 15 loads manure each year, none the present; plowed and harrowed in April; 2? bushels seed. Nett profit at 2s. per bushel, $12.34, or esti- mating straw to pay expense of cultivation, $24.28. John McDo7iald, Salem, 3d best Oats, a volume of State Agri- cultural Society Transactions; 80 bushels 6 quarts; on light sandy loam; 25 loads unfermented manure turned under early in June, last year, and potatoes planted. Plowed May 3d; 3 bushels seed; har- rowed; half the acre pressed by the roller, was much the thriftiest at first, but no difference perceptible at harvest. Nett profit at 2s. per bushel, $11.64, or estimating straw to pay expense of cultiva- tion, .'«20.05. The committee say: "All the specimens presented weie of supe- rior quality, and although there were no competitors for the premi- ums on winter wheat, rye and potatoes, the committee have awarded premiums for these productions as above, believing them meritorious. Accompanying tke report is a detailed statement of an experiment by Mr. Holmes, of sowing corn broadcast, which the committee would recommend should be published." Some dissatisfaction having been expressed, with reference to the awards on corn and oats, the chairman of the committee, in reply to a communication inquiring the reasons of the decisions on those crops, states that the quality of the respective samples of grain was a prominent consideration with the committee. Esq. Clapp's corn was shrivelled, and in the opinion of the committee, not at all adapt- ISenateNo. 63.J &* 402 [Senate ed to our climate and soil. Had he received the premium, it would, as it were, have stamped the China corn with the approbation of the Society; it would have been tantamount to a recommendation of this variety of corn to the farmers of our county; many of them would thereby have been induced to cultivate it, to their great injury; as from repeated experiments, it is deemed to be quite unsuited to our short summers, however admirably it may succeed in some particular situations, with a favorable season. With regard to oats, " I am not so positive that we were correct. We had not time carefully to com- pare the respective certificates, and supposed the nett profit as sum- med up on each paper was substantially correct. The principle that governed me, and I believe my colleagues, was the decidedly supe- rior sample offered by Mr. Holmes. Believing them the most profit- able kind that can be cultivated in this section of country, we, to bring them prominently to the notice of our fellow farmers, awarded him the first premium. Mr. McDonald's sample was fair, but Mr. Russell's, though a great yield per acre, certainly were of a quality so inferior that they could not be recommended for cultivation. Per- haps, considering the so much greater production per acre, our de- cision may have been wrong;, but those who examined the respective samples, will scarcely disagree with us." Neither quantity, nor quality, per se, should have governed the committee. The premium was for the best — which we utilitarian far- mers all know, means the most profitable — acre of oats, corn, &c. Which acre would bring the most money into the farmer^s pocket — that is the question. If Mr. Russell, or Mr. McDonald, can proba- bly in market sell the yield of his acre for more cash than |Mr. Holmes, (after deducting the fair expense of cultivation in each case) then was he entitled to the first premium. This is the true ground — nor would Mr. H., or any other intelligent friend of the Society, ask for a premium on any other. And whether, placed solely upon this ground, the awards in the above cases would have been varied, we do not presume to say. l MR. holmes' account OF HIS CROP OF CORN SOWN BROADCAST. On the 5th day of May last, I sowed broadcast, and harrowed in, twelve quarts of corn on helf an acre and eleven rods of ground, without any manuring; and it was not touched again until the 22d of vScptember, w^hen I cut it and set it up on the ground, in the same way that I did the corn which I planted in hills; and on October 5, husked from it 46 bushels of ears, (i. e. nearly 91 per acre.) I have got a much larger amount of fodder than from any piece of the same size which I have planted, and I have no hesitation in saying, even in this time of low prices, that the stalks will more than pay for all the labor of raising it. The soil was gravel, and was planted with corn last year. Henry Holmes, The nett profit of the above, must have exceeded the rate of $23 , - 00 per acre, and helps to demonstrate the uselessness of hilling corn. No. 63.J 403 Would it not be economy for all those farmers whose pastures are quite short at mid-summer, to sow a piece as above, to be cut up and fed green to their milch cows when yarded at evening. The officers of the society for the coming year, elected on the day of the fair,, are as follows: President, Edward Long, Cambridge; Vice-Presidents, John Crary, Salem; Henry Holmes, Greenwich; David Sill, Argyle; James Farr, Fort-Ann. Corresponding Secre- tary, John Savage, Salem. Recording Secretary, Asa Fitch, Jr. Salem. Treasurer, James Savage, Argyle. One hundred and forty-three persons connected themselves with the Society during the past year, and the amount of the State appro- priation, together with a balance on hand from the previous year, have made the amount of funds in the Society's treasury $322.00. Of this sum $224.00 have been expended in premiums, and $30.67 for printing handbills, advertising, and other incidental expenses, leaving a balance of $67.33 on hand, a portion of which is due for premiums awarded but not yet called for. By order of the President. Asa Fitch, Jr., Rec. Sec. Washington County Agricultural Society. WAYNE COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. Most of the proceedings of Wayne County Agricultural Society, in 1842, were in relation to the annual Fair, which was held at Pal- myra, on the 5th and 6th days of 10 mo. (Oct.) The amount pre- viously offered for premiums by the executive committee, was as follows:— For farms, $39. 00; for horses, $24. 00; for cattle, $67. 00; for sheep, $20.00; for swine, $12.00; for field crops, $68.00; ior domestic arts, $53.00; for horticultural productions, $3.50; for ag- ricultural implements, $23.00; for plowing, $28.00; total, $337.50. Discretionary premiums were also directed to be awarded. The amount actually awarded at the fair was, for farms, $39.00; seed wheat, $S.OO; horses, $29.00; cattle, $74.00; sheep, $20.00; swine, $11 .00; butter, cheese and honey, $13.00; wool cloth, &c., $12.00; silk and cocoons, $5.00; fruits, $4.50; agricultural imple- ments, $12.00; plowing, $14.00; miscellaneous articles, $24.50. At a subsequent meeting of the Society, on the 15th of 11th month, $23.00 were awarded as premiums on field crops. Total, |f)2S9.00. Most of the reports ot the committees were unaccompanied with statements of the practical management pursued, and in many in- stances the breeds of animals which drew premiums were not even named. The first premium for cows, was given for a specimen of native breed, which, according to the statement of the owner, has yielded fourteen pounds of butter per week, besides the cream used by the family. She had good pasture only. 404 [Senate The committee on field crops awarded as follows: To C. S. Button, for the best crop of corn, 2 acres 76 rods, at the rate of 99 bushels 6 quarts per acre. The seed of this crop was the Button — the previous crop peas and oats — the land was plowed twice in May, and manured with 12 loads at each plowing — harrowed, and planted about the 12th of May in hills 2 ft. by 2 ft. 8 inches — 12 to 16 seeds were placed in each hill, and afterw-ards thinned to 3 or 4 — the after culture consisted in cut- ting the weeds twice, with cultivator and hoe. To C. S. Button, for the best crop of wheat, 5 acres 11 rods, 1511 bushels, or about 30 bushels per acre. The variety was the White Flint — the previous crop was corn, manured, 20 loads to the acre. The ground was prepared by split- ting the hills, dragging down, and plowing once; 84 bushels of seed were sow^ed the first week in October, and harrowed once each way. To Marvin Roundy, for the best crop of oats, 4| acres, 312 bush- els, or 67 bushels per acre. The previous crop was corn, unmanur- ed, and the amount of seed sown, 10 bushels. To D. & G. W. Kenyon, for the best crop of potatoes — 72 rods, 167^ bushels, or 376 bushels per acre. The seed was a mixtrue, mostly a red variety. Each potatoe was cut in three pieces, planted in drills 3h ft. apart, one foot in the drill. The preparation of the ground consisted in covering it with manure and plowing it once. To Rocher and Miller, for the best crop of the Ruta Baga — half an acre, 549 bushels, or 1,098 bushels per acre. The ground was a clover-sod, mowed the previous year, plowed the first of May, and well harrowed; sheep manure was applied at the rate of 24 loads to the acre. The lanrl was plowed and dragged on the first of June, and planted on the 8th, in drills, 20 inches apart; the plants thinned to 8 to 16 inches in the drill. The crop w^as hoed twice and harvest- ed the 5th of November. Wayne County Agricultural Society has as yet enlisted but a part of the intelligent farmers, but its numbers and influence are yearly increasing. A large portion of the county is comparatively a new country, and it contains few w^ealthy landed proprietors, in compari- son wnth many parts of Western New-York. It possesses, however, eminent advantages in a soil mostly of great fertility, not so heavy as ;t 'uouippR uj -qv^uaJ^s 5[0B[ oj SB iqSi^ os jou 't[:ino.ip ui 83[T3q oa has scattered over its surface, numerous beds of peat, and vast quan- tities of shell-marl, which are yet destined to furnish immense sup- plies for manure. The softening influence of Lake Ontario, which forms its northern boundary, also gives it eminent advantages for the culture of the more tender fruits. Its resources, however, are but very partially developed, and are scarcely comprehended by many of the people. It is hoped the Agricultural Society will exert a highly beneficial influence in this direction. J. 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(^ ■ rN '^1 — I m 'en G _ O ^ O =" w Ml ^ a a 3 3 G 2 2 2.2'a'a ® a"a a a S S a QJ o) a; o 410 [Senate ^ o c Gs 1 00 ft O O o: (?Q ft 00 o c: I— 1 5> oc CO CO 3 '^ s^ o f^ -3 ^ « -^J ,^ O ^-CQ ■ o H ? te . ■ 1 t CO 1— 1 panying vc DSWORT C o H 0) bfl ' 3 ■ O 0) c^ ■> .o a O 3 |Z5 i^-'.ti 7 '^ O o -3 >-< cc QJ ?► • O s .--^ !/2 0) O PM C9 ^^1 a 3 -3 •4-» p^ 00 I— I s "3 5-H M &H PC re oc CN a Pi 1 — 1 Oi o o Oc5 [13 02 rH CO CO >-> 3 CZ2 cc ■ • a o X/1 -3 0) 3 1 • : co'^ 00^ a 3 3 d 0) a 3 carefully exami ust and true. ^ 0) ■^• 5 cvi 3 QJ Si O «v DhOO « H 3 . •5 <« 0) .^ ^.2 • 5-1-1 o t< oi 4-9 j3 3 «3 " a ■^ tu D 'cS H Ifs « (S ■ 00 1-H 3 o ^ *•<» ^ H j3 NEW-YORK STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 1 Life Members — By the payment of $50, or more. John P. Beekman, Kinderhook. Erastus Corning, Albany. j James Lennox, New-Hamburgh. I Edward P. Livingston, Clermont. . I Archibald Mclntyre, Albany. | J. McDonald Mclntyre, Albany. '. Ezra P. Prentice, Albany. . Francis Rotch, Butternuts. Philo N. Rust, Syracuse. ' John M. Sherwood, Auburn. . ■ John Townsend, Albany. Stephen Van Rensselaer, Albany. f Wm. P. Van Rensselaer, Albany. i James Wadsworth, Geneseo. James S. Wadsworth, Geneseo. I Wm. W. Wadsworth, Geneseo. ' ^ New York Botanical Garden Uibrary 3 5185 00257 61 79 t\