FARMERS' REGISTER— SEASON AND CROPS, &c. 



189 



SEASON AND CROPS. 



Essex- county, July 5th, 1834. 

 To the Editor of the Farmers' Register. 



The crop of wheat was very unpromising in 

 the spring; we had about three weeks of dry wea- 

 ther in jMaj', which is generally as dcjfilructive to 

 the whfeat crop, as three weeks of dry weather is 

 to the corn crop in August; it enables the fly to 

 destroy the growing branches, while the growth 

 remains almost stationary, alter which the crop is 

 mostly dependent upon the latter branches, «rhich 

 never produce an abundant one. and but seldom 

 an average one, unless the weather is peculiarly 

 favorable, which was the case this year: for the 

 dry weather was- succeeded by frequent rains, 

 which gave the wheat a rapid growth, and though 

 the rains partially washed the bloom off and made 

 the head in some degree defective, this was more 

 than counterbalanced by an additional increase ol" 

 ])roduct. Tlie weather also became dry and fine a 

 tew days before it ripened, which saved it Irom 

 the rusf, which otherwise it would probably have 

 had, as it was filled ^vnth sap — in consequence of 

 which, it is probable the crop will bean averao-e 

 one, both in quantity and quaUty. After a warm 

 dry spring we may anticipate a small harvest; after 

 a cold and wet one an abimdant harvest; the cold 

 and wet keep the fly in checkj and the wet causes 

 the wheat to branch ii-eely. 



The corn crop at this time exhibits the most 

 lu.Kuriant growth, but this is by no means a proof 

 that we shall realise an abundant crop, but rather 

 to the contraiy. A growth of corn uncommonly 

 large lor the quality of the land, requires a con- 

 tinuation of moisture to bring it to perfection, 

 which is seldom the case in our climate, or else 

 the moisture goes to support the life of the stalk, 

 not to Ibrm the ear. Big stalks and little ears are 

 not uncommon. A stalk of ordinarj^ size for the 

 quality of the land, early in the summer, is greatly 

 to be preferred; though I have seen very- small 

 stalks produce abundant crops. One of the best 

 crops ot corn I have ever made, was remarkably 

 unpromising in the spring and the early part of 

 the summer, owing to the extreme diyness of the 

 weather. An acfjuaintance who saw my crop, 

 said he did not think I would make enough for 

 seed, and said that he would lurnish me; but about 

 the right time the weather became very seasona- 

 ble, and the little stalks began to tassel and silk, and 

 by the time the ears had completed their growth, 

 their ends hung down nearly to the ground, and 

 proved a most abundant crop. * * * * * * 



FEEDING STOCK. 



Mr. Ilowden, in the Transactions of the High- 

 land Society y says, "as a summary of lengthened 

 detail, it seems to me that the food for cattle, whe- 

 ther raised from the land in the shape of Swedish 

 turnips, potatoes, or mangel wurzel, is not materi- 

 ally different, provided the crojis are alike good of 

 their kind. A leas quantity, and inferior quality, of 

 manure, will produce the potatoes even on land 

 where the soil and climate are not so fiivorable; 

 but I have ever seen, at the end of a rotation, the 

 land upon which potatoes had been grown in the 

 worst condition; and to obviate this, it is of use, I 

 think, to cultivate a variety which covers well in 

 the drill. 



