58 EOArtD OF AGRICULTURE. 



answers to tlic circular were received, twenty-five per cent, men- 

 tion "insects; " twenty per cent., ''insects and rust; " two say, 

 "poor soil," one, "lack of liuic," another, '-fishing, coasting, and 

 pogy catching ! " another, "lumbering ;" a few say, "can't compete 

 with the south and west, can buy cheaper; " some, "that the soil 

 is too wet at proper time to sow," (remedy for this, under-drain- 

 ing,) while fi'om a third to two-fifths reply, "nothing," or "noth- 

 ing in the soil or climate," "notliing biiL lack of energy, or lack 

 of attention and entcrpi-iso." 



There is evidence that this crop is receiving greater attention 

 tliaii for some years past; on this point some reply, "more than 

 five years ago, but less than twenty years ago ;" some, "about 

 the same ;" only three report it as "diminishing," while more than 

 six-sevcntlis sav, "iucrcasina;." Winter wheat does not seem to 

 have been even tolerably successful, the replies being, with few 

 exceptions, that it has been tried, and resulted in failure. This, 

 I cannot but believe, is owing in large measure to its having 

 been sown on lands which were in urgent need of under drain- 

 ing, and had not received it. Not a small proportion of our 

 best wheat land is of a character to retain a surplus of water 

 beneath its surface, and on such, failure is to be expected, and 

 would be almost sure, unless a very favorable season, or a com- 

 bination of favorable circumstances occur to save it. There is 

 also reason to believe, that in another respect it has as yet 



•scarcely received a fair trial, having been often sown after corn 

 or potatoes have been taken off, which carries the time to the 

 end of September, or into October, which is too late to allow it 

 time to get rooted sufficiently to withstand the action of frost. 

 It will hardly be fair to reject it as unworthy of cultivation until 

 fairly tested by a sowing as early as the end of August or begin- 

 ning of September, upon land thoroughly under-drained. Per- 

 haps an advisable mctliod may be to adopt a system similar to 

 what is practiced abroad, of summer fallows and manuring. 

 Will not some of our enterprising farmers in different sections 

 of the State test this method thoroughly ? 



It is sometimes said that a State which does not grow its own 

 bread must be growing poor. This does not seem to me neces- 

 sarily to follow, for if we can grow other products at less rela- 



' tive cost, to exchange for flour, we may well buy it; and such 



