ESSEX SOCIETY. m 



Henry Poor^s Statement. 



The specimens of winter wheat are the growth and product 

 of my farm the present year. The sample of white flint I pre- 

 sent for premium, having obtained twenty-five and a half bush- 

 els from one acre, and from one and a half bushels sowing. 

 My soil is a dark brown loam, clay subsoil. I have also tried 

 an experiment of two varieties of Chili wheat, which promise 

 well, from the fact that the heads are well filled, and berry of 

 extra size. It is a bearded grain, produces less straw than the 

 white flint, or banner wheat. Having a few quarts now grow- 

 ing, I hope to be able to test its value another year, and report. 

 Dr. C. T. Jackson pronounces it a valuable grain, from the fact, 

 that its glutinous or oily substance far exceeds the white flint, 

 that being principally composed of starch. 



I also sowed two quarts of " Banner wheat," (Kloss blue 

 stem,) the product was thirty-three quarts. This variety ap- 

 pears to be the same as the white flint, I think it a superior va- 

 riety. It is quite common to find scatterings of rye mixed with 

 the wheat ; as rye runs up and heads out earlier than wheat, 

 I take the precaution to go through the field and cut ofl" the 

 heads. Winter wheat also makes chess grass, which is an an- 

 nual, and dies out with the grain ; the seed resembles dog grass, 

 (or twitch grass.) One of our best farmers was deterred from 

 sowing wheat this autumn, after purchasing his seed, by seeing 

 chess seed, which he took to be dog grass. 



My practice has been to plough in green sward if possible, 

 after a hay crop has been taken off". The stubble and grass 

 roots are of as much value to turn in, as an ordinary dressing 

 of manure. I spread manure and twenty or thirty bushels 

 leached ashes to the acre, and cultivate them in with the grain ; 

 leached ashes cost six and a quarter cents the bushel. I have 

 used air slacked lime, ten or twelve casks to the acre. I have 

 also raised thirty bushels of wheat to the acre without ashes or 

 lime. Gypsum would doubtless be good, where it is appropri- 

 ate to the soil, but as good barn cellar manures contain all the 

 necessary elements, properly composted, for producing any 

 CROP, I doubt much the necessity of other substances to eff"ec 

 that object. 



