THE WHEAT CUETURIST. 319 



not have a good crop. But about this time I was seized 

 with an intolerable itching to try an experiment. I 

 wanted to do something that would destroy the weevil — 

 keep the wire-worms at a proper distance — prevent 

 smut, and at the same time make the wheat grow, like 

 Jonah's gourd. Now, what would accomplish all this? 

 Be patient, gentlemen, and I will tell you what I did, 

 and what was the result. 



" My cow stable is so constructed, that the urine runs 

 back into a gutter by itself, and can be very easily taken 

 up, free from manure. I concluded to give my seed a 

 good wetting with this urine, and dry it off with lime, 

 and then sow it. I did so. It lay about six hours wet, 

 before the lime was applied, and then it was immediate- 

 ly sowed and nicely dragged in. After waiting a suit- 

 able time for it to come up, I went to see how it looked, 

 with the bump of expectation considerably enlarged. 

 But I was a little too soon — it had not made its appear- 

 ance — it would come in a few days ; of course it would. 

 Who ever knew a field of wheat sown, and not come 

 up % Another week, and I went to take a look — but no 

 wheat ! The result was, it never did corns up. I do 

 not believe, that if all that ever made its appearance 

 above ground, had been left to mature, there would have 

 been as much as a man would take upon a wheelbar- 

 row. It was a total failure. This was wholly owing 

 to the experiment, for the seed was first rate. I sold 

 some to a neighbor, and it grew finely. Now, the ap- 

 plication made, like a great many things recommended, 

 was not adapted to the end desired. True, it destroyed 

 the weevil — kept the wire-worms at bay, perhaps. As 

 to the smut, cannot say what the result would have 

 been ; but it killed the germ of the wheat. 



