554 



FARMERS' flEGISTEK. 



ANTIDOTK AGAIKST MICLI. 



From the New England I'nrmer. 

 Mr. M'DonaidjOfScalps, in Ihe Hebrides, ha vin<r 

 eonie time aero sufferoii coiisideriibly l)y mice, pui 

 at ihe hoitoni, iierir the centre, and top of eacli ol 

 his stacks of jrrain, as ihey were raii?ed, lliree or 

 four stalks of wild mint with the leaves on, fija- 

 theied near a brook in a nei<rhborin!j field, and ne- 

 ver al'ier had any ol his {irain consuined. He then 

 tried Ihe same experiment wiih his cheese, and 

 articles kept in store, and with equal eilect, by 

 Jayinjra lew leaves, green or dry, on the articles to 

 be preserved. 



WHKAT CULTURE, 



From the Cultivator. 



or all the crops ctihivaied in the northern or 

 middle partofthe United Siaies, the. crop, par ex- 

 cellence, is unquestionably wheat. Its intrinsic 

 value as an article ol' Ibod, its importance as an 

 item ofexport, its influence on trade, and its vast 

 sway in reiTuIalin<^ the exchana;es and commerce 

 of the world, render it every where a crop oi' the 

 greatest consequence, and particular!}' so in this 

 country. To raise good wheat many things must 

 be kept in view ; the nature aiod texture o! the soil 

 —its quality, fc^o far as ru-imess or poverty is con- 

 cerned — the kind of wheat most suitable (or culliva- 

 lion under the circumstances of the case — ihe 

 cleanness and preparation of the seed — the lime 

 and meihod ofBowinu — and in short all the thiuizs 

 that go 10 ameliorate the soil acd secure a crop, 

 must be aitK-nd<"d to, rcudeiiuif the growiuir ol 

 wheat one olthe tuDSt arduous as well as pmiiiuble 

 occujjaiiuns ofthe laimer. 



A good wheat soil always cnMfainsc'jnsidt;r.ibie 

 clay, but it is so balanced and corrected by other 

 ingredients as never to be cold and sour ; "if such 

 is the character of any soil, good wheat need not 

 be ex|;ectf'ii. Freedom /I'om supcilluous moisture 

 or stagnant water, is an indispensable condiiion of 

 a good wheat soil ; and when such excmpiion 

 does not naturally exist, it must be produced by 

 draining. A moist cool climate is found not to be 

 unfavorable to wheat, if the roots are preserved 

 from stagnant water, and are allowed to range in 

 a pervious soil ; but in any climate wheat will fiiil 

 where the soil is saturated wi;h water that docs 

 not circulate. To give the requisite dryness and 

 depth where they do noi exist, draining and deep 

 ploughing may be relied upon, and where these go 

 together, with proper numuring a soil can scarcely 

 fail to improve, or to be productive. 



.Deep ploughing, on most lands as they naturally 

 are, atjd on all lands as they should be made, is 

 essential to good wheat crofts. The roo's of this 

 plant penetrate in a permeable soil to a great depth 

 and spread lo a con?id»'r;i!)le distance. The single 

 fact of its being firovided wuh two sels of roots, 

 one of which spreads near the surliice, and the 

 other strikes ileejjly, id a sulPicient proof of the ne- 

 .cessiiy which exists for deep ploughing in its cul- 

 ture. In a ['e\v instances subsoils may be found 

 which will not admit of doep ploughing, beingcom- 

 posed of materials injurious to the wheat crop ; but 

 great crops of wheat are not to he expected on such 

 sods. 



The application of manures is a very essential 

 pjiut in growing the wheat crop. Land can be 

 loo rich, as well as too poor lor wheat, or rather 

 the manure in the soil may be in that condition 

 which renders it unouiuible lor wheat. There are 

 some crops on whiidi fresh or unlermenfed manure 

 exeicises a good elfecl, and lo which it can scarce- 

 ly be applied in loo large quaniiiiee, corn for in- 

 stance; while on others thev produce results ofthe 

 most unfavorable kind. Nearly all the cerealia 

 are injured by fresh manures, the sialk growing 

 loo vigorous, wiiile the Lierry is usually ira()erlert. 

 Compost manures, or such as are tnatle tiy layers 

 of turf, stable manure, vegetable mould, lime, &c., 

 m which the decomposition is already ettecied, can 

 scarcely be applied too abundantly to land other- 

 wise well constituted. ']"he great crops obtained 

 around old barns, or other decayed or removed 

 buildings, is a proof that large quaiuities of decom- 

 posed manure may safely be used, while a much 

 less quantity of fresh or undecon)posed would be 

 fatal. One ol the greatest evils of direct manuring 

 for the wheat crop arises from the liability ofthe 

 grain so manured to lodge. The rapid grov/th of 

 the stem renders it unable to support its own 

 weight, it is soli and flexible, contains much less 

 silex than those grown in a poorer soil ; the wheat 

 does not usually perfect its berry, and at all limes, 

 from the thinness and weakness of its skin orcuiicle 

 is more liable lo mildew or rust. These things 

 render it certainly unadvisable, unless the land is 

 very poor anri reduced, lo apply unfermeuted ma- 

 nure, to wheat. 



The rotation of crop?, has furnished th.e means 

 of ajfplying fresh manure advantiigeously lo crops, 

 and at ih'' sariie time retaining its princi[)a! value 

 lor vvlierti. The culiivalion ol' corn or roots iu 

 atie'jiaiion with grain crojjs, clover, &,c,.. gives llic' 

 farn>er the metui?; of greatly iucreasiuij Ins crops, 

 and al the same lime constantly improving his soil. 

 It may be considered as a settled maxim in agricul- 

 ture, that land improves little or none while no- 

 thing is growing upon it. It is the general ac- 

 knowledgment of this truth, that has subsiilutcd 

 hoed or green crops lor naked (allows, in the prepa- 

 ration of hinds (or wheat. Peas and clover aie 

 among the best green crops to precede wheat, and 

 ihe latter may be considered inseparable liom the 

 successful culture ol this grain. Corn would be 

 one ofthe very best crops to precede wheat, could 

 it in all cases be removed liom ihe land in season 

 to get in the wheat properly. The thorough ma- 

 nuring and tilling required for corn, puts the ground 

 in good condiiion (ijr wheat; and should experience 

 prove {UiMvery lute sown wheat is more sale from 

 danger in winter, and more productive than that 

 sown a little earlier, a result said to be established 

 in some ofthe best wheat countries of Europe, the 

 crop of corn would cease to be objectionable, and 

 niiijrht be considered a.s nearly a clear gain. 



There is a practice v/hich has prevailed to a 

 considerable extent in our wheat producing dis- 

 tricts, ofgrowiuiT vvheat a(ier wheat several times 

 in succession. fSuch a system of iarmin<r deserves 

 the severest reprehension, and will never be adopt- 

 ed, except l)y those who are in a haste lo be rich, 

 no nuitter at what price, and in defiance of ac- 

 knowledged consequences. Farmers may have 

 succeeded in raising good crops in this way, where 

 the soil was ofthe; fine quality and excellent adapt- 

 ation to wheat of much of our western land, but 



