548 



FARMERS^ REGISTER, 



[No. 9 



ment, would long since have become impoverish- 

 ed, and turned out as waste land. But the soil of 

 western New York has borne up, and may lonff 

 continue to he extremely productive, under a rigid 

 eystem of exaciion. Even in the oldest settled 

 districts, the fertilizing properties of the soil exist 

 in flill vigor, without ever having received mate- 

 rial aid from the proprietors. Relying, as they do, 

 on its natural strength, which, indeed, can scarcely 

 fail them in the most disastrous season, the most 

 abundant crops continue to be grown, whilst the 

 gratitude for such unmeasured bounty has not 

 been manifested by making that careful return to 

 the land, which, in less favored countries, is neces- 

 sary to perpetuate its fertility. Such being the 

 course of^ cultivation, some of the distinguished 

 agricultural writers of that state have apprehend- 

 ed that the soil might shortly suffer a rapid deterio- 

 ration, by the abstraction of the particular food, 

 necessary to the growth of their chief staple. 

 Judging, however, from the quantity of lime in 

 the land, it may be regarded as almost inexhaus- 

 tible ; and all fear, therefore, of its becoming im- 

 poverished for a considerable length of time, must 

 arise from ignorance of the fijrtilizino- ingredients 

 which Ciller into its composition. Rut it is the 

 part of wisdom to look ahead, and to provide in 

 lime against the possible occurrence of such a 

 contingency. If western New York would con- 

 tinue to be the granary of an immense extent of 

 country, the productiveness of its soil should not 

 onlj? be maintained unimpaired, but every effort 

 should be used to increase it. It cannot be deni- 

 ed, that, bountiful as nature has been, the products 

 of the soil might even now be much enlarged, by 

 a judicious use of putresent manures, and by oc- 

 casionally giving an additional supply of lime, to 

 repair the gradual waste occasioned by the heavy 

 cropping to which the country has been subjected. 

 So little necessity has yet existed, however, for 

 the application of lime, that its value and impor- 

 tance cannot be supposed to have claimed jiene- 

 ral attention. Indeed, it is more than probable, 

 that but a comparatively small number of persons 

 are fully aware of the source whence the fertility of 

 the soil is derived. But amongst the intelligent 

 cultivators, an interest has been awakened on the 

 subject; and experiments have been made to as- 

 certain its effects, even on lands already highly 

 calcareous. Should the result be found as bene- 

 ficial as is anticipated, a stimulus will thus be 

 given to a more extended application ; and the 

 example of practical agriculturists will doubtless 

 be followed by a people alive to their interests. 



The limestone lands of New York may be esti- 

 mated as capable of producing on an average 

 from twenty to twenty-five bushels of wheat per 

 acre. In some mstances, as much as forty have 

 been grown, and an approximation to this might 

 be more frequently realized, if the system of farm- 

 ing, were, in all respects, judicious. Of oats and 

 corn, the yield may be from fifty to seventy-five 

 bushels. There is, however, not that appearance 

 of luxuriance in the crops, which we h^cive been 

 accustomed to see growing on lands made rich by 

 manure alone. A traveller, therefore, in passino; 

 through the interior of New York,' v;ould fee] 

 some incredulity, or at least surprise, on being in- 

 formed that the fields within his view would yield 

 the above mentioned quantities, unless he 'had 

 ^nme knowledge of the products of calcareous 



soils. It appears to be an admitted fact, that the 

 action of lime does not tend to increase the quan- 

 tity of straw in the same proportion that it imparts 

 nourishment to the grain. For this reason, the 

 effect of putrescent manures on calcareous lands, 

 is not so obvious in the appearance of the crop 

 while growing, as it is in the product, when it 

 comes to be measured. The most productive 

 lands in eastern Virginia, can never, except under 

 the most favorable circumstances, be relied on for 

 a greater return than twenty bushels of wheat, 

 and forty or fifty of corn to the acre, accompanied, 

 in most cases, by a vast amount of straw or stalks ; 

 while these are the minimum products of land 

 containing any considerable portion of lime, and 

 the quantity of straw such as to promise only an 

 indifferent product of grain. 



The most serious evils which the farmers of 

 New York have to contend Avitli, in regard to the 

 crop of wheat, are, the liability of the plants to be 

 winter-killed in so r^igorous a climate, and the pre- 

 valence of that formidable pest, the Canada this- 

 tle. The f-Iessian fly is only to be dreaded on 

 lands of inferior quality ; and the rust or blight is 

 induced only by extraordinary seasons, when the 

 period of harvest is protracted beyond the usual 

 time. The comparative exemption from the rust, 

 is doubtless to be ascribed, in part, to the calcare- 

 ous nature of the lanil, which does not promote 

 the too luxuriant growth of the stem. To over- 

 come the effects of" climate, the culture of spring 

 wheat has been partially adopted in some districts 

 within the last few years ; and the results, in 

 most cases, have been highly encouraging. It is: 

 a beautiful crop, and is readily distinguished from. 

 the other varieties. The success which has at- 

 tended the culture of this grain in New York,, 

 has caused it to be introduced into more southern, 

 climates ,•• and the most sanguine expectations: 

 have been formed of its advantages, without duly 

 considering the character of our seasons. But 

 even there, the spring wheat is rejected by many : 

 and if it is profitable any where, it must be so in 

 a soil and climate so propitious, where the scorch- 

 ing rays of our southern sun, which frequently 

 dry up our latter grain, are seldom felt ; and 

 where an excess of moisture, so far fi-om producing 

 an over-growth of straw, and its consequent atten- 

 dant, the rust, is accompanied with no other ill 

 effect than a temporary suspension of the labors 

 of the farmer. Although the spring wheat suc- 

 ceeded so well in Virginia, and even farther south, 

 during the past season, yet it should be borne in 

 mind, that in many of its features, that season was 

 like a northern summer ; and it should not be 

 hastily inferred from thence, that this wheat will 

 do equally well during a series of years. On the 

 contrary, the successful results of repeated trials 

 should be regarded as indispensible to the general 

 adoption of this crop, in the agriculture of the 

 south. It is true, our discouragements have been 

 very great ; and it is natural that almost every 

 alternative should be resorted to, by our farmers, 

 which may promise relief from the continued fail- 

 ures of the wheat crop, like those we have been 

 subjected to, for the last four or five years. But, 

 on the other hand, let us not despair. It is not to 

 be supposed that these failures are to be of lasting 

 duration. And even if they are, the season that 

 would destroy one crop, would also destroy the 

 other, except in so far as one of them would be 



