160 [Senate 



fields and discouraged some of our best farmers, from cultivating 

 wheat at all. This insect makes its appearance within the husk, soon 

 after the grain heads out, and if the kernel is not already formed, it 

 feeds upon the juices intended by nature to nourish the grain, and 

 leaves a barren husk. If, however, the kernel is fairly developed, 

 and has acquired some consistency before the insect makes its appear- 

 ance, the attack is harmless. This circumstance indicates the reme- 

 dy — namely, the selection of early varieties of wheat, good tillage 

 and early sowing. 



The red-chaff-bald-wheat, the kind hitherto most extensively in 

 used throughout the county, has suffered most. The Kentucky white- 

 bearded-wheat, better known among us as the Canada-flint, has been 

 recently introduced into the county. It has thus far almost entirely 

 escaped injury from either rust or the insect. It has given heavier 

 yields, than any other variety under cultivation in the county. In 

 the same field and under the same treatment, it has this year ripened 

 eight days earlier than the red-chaff-bald. To this doubtless may be 

 ascribed its exemption from damage by rust or the grain worm, for in 

 the field referred to, in the town of Brownville, 14 bushels of the 

 Canada-flint sowed upon 7 acres, produced 172 bushels, or 24 34-60 

 buphels per acre of beautiful clean wheat, while 8 bushels of clean 

 seed, of the red-chaff-bald, upon 4 acres, yielded but 30 46-60 bush- 

 els, or 7 41-60 bushels per acre of shrunken grain. In the early part 

 of the season there was no marked difference in the appearance or 

 promise of the different parts of this field; the red-chaff-bald was de- 

 stroyed by rust and the grain worm, while the Canada-flint escaped 

 by reason of its ripening earlier. It is the prevailing opinion, among 

 those who have cultivated both of these varieties — and the committee 

 think it well founded — that though the rust may strike the Canada-flint, 

 the berry shrinks much less than the red-chaff-bald, under the same 

 circumstances. In fact, this variety seems less liable to rust than 

 others equally exposed at the same stage of growth. 



Rawson Harmon, Jr., of Monroe county, the most careful experi- 

 menter upon seed wheat, and the best authority upon the subject in 

 the state, recommends this variety, especially for " clay soils, or where 

 wheat is late in ripening," and for its stiff straw which prevents it 

 from lodging; but his opinion that it is more liable to injury by in- 

 sects " than some other varieties," is not confirmed by experience in 

 this county as compared with any variety cultivated here. 



Mr. Harmon also highly recommends the " improved white-flint- 

 wheat." It has been introduced into the county this year, and we 

 shall soon be able to judge whether it is superior, or equal to the 

 Canada-flint in its capability to resist the evils which trouble us. 



