6(54 



FARMERS' REGISTER— WILD RICE— PilODUCTl VE CORN. 



earth taken from the trenches. Put about four 

 inches of good manure at the bottom of each 

 trencli, and dig it in; take up the plants, and pre- 

 vious lo putting them mto tlie earth, trim the roots 

 very carefully, being sure to cut ofi' the end of the 

 taproot, and eradicate all litde shoots and radicles; 

 Avhere the heartjon^.s on to the root, as these shoot 

 up and produce tliat mass of small hetids, seen in 

 our markets, instead of one large, solid, handsome 

 plant: j)lace them about three inches distance and 

 water well ibr the first week. As the jilant grows, 

 gently fill in the trench with the earth on eacli 

 eide, taking care not to throw in large lumps, 

 whicli twist and contort the celery, and spoil its 

 beauty; and continue earthing u]) until there is a 

 bank above ground as higti as the trench was 

 deep. 



1 prefer digging the trenches east and west, be- 

 cause the bank on each side shades the young 

 plants in July and August, from the rays of the 

 hot sun, and in September and October, when it 

 is desirable the celery should advance as much as 

 possible, the southern bank, earthed up, imbibes 

 the heat and retains it. 



I believe, by covering up the trenches well with 

 pine and savin boughs, it may be dug fresh all the 

 winter; but I have placed mine in an upright po- 

 eition in the cellar, half covered with earth and 

 kept moist — they appear to sutler but little. 



I have been rather explicit, and given my reasons 

 for each operation at the risk of being thought too 

 prolix; but, whenever I set earnestly to cultivate a 

 plant, I have generally found directions in books 

 rather too vague, and here and there a link want- 

 ing in the chain, wliich gave me trouble to annex; 

 those, therefore, who are well acquainted with this 

 process, must excuse this in liivor of those wl'io 

 are not so efiicient. 



1. E. T. 



For the Farmers' Register. 

 ACCOUNT OF THE WILD RICE OF THE NORTH- 

 ERN LAKES. 



Essex County, Dec. 13, 1834. 



Recently in reading "Flint's History and Geog- 

 raphy of "the Mississippi Valley," my attention 

 was arrested by the account given of wild rice, 

 and not knowing that any attempts have been 

 made to raise it on the Atlantic coast, I here give 

 you the account, hoping if no experiments have 

 been made, it may be the means of inducing some 

 to be tried. 



"Wild rice, zizania aqvafica, or fat v a avena — 

 by the French, folks avoines — by the Indians, 

 menomene. It is tound in the greatest abundance 

 on the marshy margins of the northern lakes, and 

 in the plashy waters on the upper courses of the 

 Mississippi. It grows in those regions on a vast 

 extent of country. It is there that the millions 

 of migrating water fowls fatten, before they take 

 their autumnal migration to the south. It is 

 there, too, that the northern savages, and the Ca- 

 nadian traders and hunters, find their annual sup- 

 plies of grain. But for this recourse, they could 

 hardly exist. It is a tall, tubular reedy water 

 plant, not unlike the bastard cane of the southern 

 countries. It very accurately resembles the cane 

 grass of the swamps and savannas on the gulf of 

 Mexico. It springs up fi-om waters of six or se\-en 

 feet in depth, v/herc the bottom is soft and muddy. 

 It risee nearly as high above the water. Its leaves 



and spikes, though much larger, resemble those 

 of oals, from which the French give jt its name. 

 Its culm is jointed, as large <is the little finger; 

 leaves broad, and linear; panicle more than a ibot 

 in length; the lov/er branches with spreading bar- 

 ren flowers, the upper, with fertile and erect ones. 

 The seeds are blackish, smooth, narrow, cylindri- 

 cal about three quarters of an inch long, deciduous. 

 It is said to have been discovered in the brooks of 

 Massachusetts. When it is intended to be pre- 

 served for grain, the spikes are bound together to 

 preserve them from the ravages of birds and 

 water finvls that prey upon them in innnense num- 

 bers. It thus has a chance to ripen. At the sea- 

 son for gathering it, canoes are rowed among llie 

 grain. A blanket is spread upon them and the 

 grain is beaten upon the blanket. It is perhaps, 

 of all the cerealia, except maize, the most prolific. 

 It is astonishing amidst all our eager and multi- 

 plied agricultural researches, that so little atten- 

 tion has been bestowed upon this interesting and 

 valuable grain. It has scarcely been known, ex- 

 cept by Canadian hunters and savages, that sucli 

 a grain, the resource of a vast extent of country, 

 existed. It surely ought to be ascertained if the 

 drowned lands of the Atlantic country, and the 

 immense marshes and stagnant lakes ol the south, 

 will grow it. It is a mistake that it is Ibund 

 only in the northern regions of this Valley. It 

 grows in perfection on the lakes about Natchitoch- 

 es, south of 32 degi'ees; and might probably be 

 cultivated in all the climates of the Vallej'. Though 

 a hardy plant, it is subject to some of the acci- 

 dents that cause fiiilure of the other grains. The 

 grain has a long slender hull nmch resembling 

 that of oats, except that it is longer and darker. 

 In detaching this hull the Indians use a process of 

 drying, that, probably, in most mstances dcstroj-s 

 its germinatino; principle. Those who have found 

 this grain unpleasant, have perhaps, eaten it when 

 smoked, and badly prej)ared. There is probably, 

 the same difference in quality too, as in other 

 grains. The grain that we have eaten, was as 

 white as the common rice. Puddings made of it 

 tasted to us like those made of sago.^' 



I imagine it could be easily seeded on land co- 

 vered by water. A few stakes could be set up to 

 form a line; then one hand in a small boat could 

 paddle, whilst another could seed; in this way it 

 could be done cjuickly, and with as much regu- 

 larity as seeding wheat or oats on liigh land. 

 Should they be found not readily to sink, they 

 could be fust rolled in dry tenacious clay. The 

 spring would probably be the best time to seed, 

 and the more muddy the water at the time the bet- 

 ter, as a deposite would be left which would, in a 

 great measure, prevent the seed from being de- 

 stroyed by fisli. 



EDMUND F. NOEL. 



For the Faiiners'^^Eegisttjr. 



A PRODUCTIVE KIND OF CORN, AND THE 

 MANNER OF ITS SELECTION. 



Many years ago Mr. Cooper, a gentleman well 

 known in Jersey as an experienced practical 

 farmer, by a publication recommended that seed 

 corn should be gathered from strong vigorous 

 stalks which bore two ears. I was not then en- 

 gaged in agriculture, but I well recoUect the pub- 

 lication attracted some attention, though I am in- 



