QUAKER, OR FRIENDS' FARMING. 



[We hope no offence will be taken at the use of 

 the term Quaker— it is associated with early and re- 

 spectful recollections.] 



The question of thick or thin solving of grain 

 has been much agitated and for a long time, 

 (among agriculturists, but more so recently, in 

 England.) Doubtless this dispute has been pro- 

 longed, as all others are, by inattention to differ- 

 ence of circumstances — such as quality of land, 

 time of sowing, variety of seasons, &c. But 

 what proposition so clear as not to admit of dis- 

 pute ? 



The following statement, founded on actual 

 experiment, as others have been attended with 

 different results, has, for us. the particular re- 

 commendation to that confidence which we 

 must confess we are inclined to repose in all ex- 

 periments and statements of this sort made by 

 Quakers, or " members of the Society of 

 Friends," over all opposing statements — other 

 things being alike ! They deny themselves re- 

 creation and amusement and eelf-indalgences, 

 which other people derive from so many sources 

 to which they have no recourse, or positively es- 

 chew ; that what they do give their minds to they 

 are apt to perform with earnestness, vigilance 

 and exactness. What they eat is clean, what 

 they wear is choice of its kind, and what they do 

 is well done. We once knew a Quaker fox-hunt- 

 er, and he kept the best dogs, and nothing but a 

 good brook could stop him. With them nothing 

 is wasted, not even breath ; they won't speak 

 until the spirit moves, and the best of it is, they 

 know when to stop. Pity but we could have a 

 Quaker Congress, but if all were Quakers, a 

 session once in seven years would be quite often 

 enough. Like a mule in mountain-path, they al- 

 ways mind how they step ; when you can get 

 them to write about Agriculture, what they say 

 tetls. We wish the spirit would move them to 

 write for the Farmers' Library. Hear what 

 an English one says about I 



EXPERIMENTS ON THICK AND THIN SOW- \ 

 ING.— ON THE BEST METHOD OF FEEDING 

 SHEEP.— ON THE POTATO CROP. 

 To the Editor of the Mark-Lane Express: 



Sir : Believing it to be the duty of every man 

 to contribute to the common .stock of information 

 whatever his experience may have placed in 

 his power deemed to be of importance, or his 

 position in society has enabled him to collect 

 from the experience of others, I request the in- 

 sertion in your useful paper, of the following ar- 

 ticles on subjects of stirring import at this time, 

 hoping they may be received by your readers in 

 the "Same spirit and feeling as they have been 

 (9201 



communicated to. and are now contributed by 

 me, and then, I am sure, great good will result 

 every way. 



The subjects which I propose bringing under 

 the notice of your readers are : 



Experiments on thick and thin sowing, by 



broadcast, drilling, and dibbling. 

 On the best method of feeding the largest 

 number of sheep in the shortest time, and 

 at the least expense, taking into the account 

 the value of the manure, and of the succeed- 

 ing cereal crops. 

 On the potato crop ; the causes of failure to 

 so large an extent in the present year, with 

 suggestions toward preventing a recuiTence 

 of the evil. 



EXPERIMENTS ON THICK AND THIN SOWING. 

 Commnnicated hy a member of the Society of Friends, 

 residing in Essex : 



" I remember that last year thou took an interest 

 in some experiments I made to ascertain the produce 

 of wheat from ditterent quantities of seed. I believe 

 I told tliee that I intended to pursue the matter a lit- 

 tle farther : I have done so ; and now enclose thee a 

 statement of the result, thinking thou maj-est wish to 

 see it. I was quite convinced, from the issue of last 

 year's trial, that the smaller quantity of seed then 

 used (viz., four pecks per acre) was insutficient, and 

 therefore did not try that ouantity again, but limited 

 myself to a comparison of the produce between six, 

 seven, and eight pecks of seed per acre. A penisal 

 of the accompanying statement will show a similar 

 result to that of last year, viz., that the greater quan- 

 tity of seed produced the largest amount of com, 

 and that the produce decreased in a lai-ger propor- 

 tion as the quantity of -seed was lessened^ Thus : 



qrs. bu. pks. qts. 

 No. III. Having eight pecks of seed 



to the acre, produced 2 2 3 5J 



No. IV. Having seven pecks of seed 



to the acre, produced 2 3 1 ,'W 



Difference '. 2 Oi 



Equal to 1 bush, per acre. 

 No. IV. Having seven pecks of seed 



to the acre, produced 2 2 1 .')} 



No. V. Having six pecks of seed to 



the acre, produced 2 1 2 OJ 



Dilference '. 3 4| 



P'qual to 1 bush. 3 pks. 1 J qt. per acre. 

 " I consider the autumn of 1844 was a vciy favora- 

 ble one for tlie planting of wheat, I micht say unusu- 

 ally so for the description of heavy stiff land which 

 I farm ; and, therefore, the trial was made under cir- 

 cumstances propitious to a small quantity :)f seed ; 

 and I, accordingly, sowed less by one peck per acre 

 than I generally do: the workins out of the above 

 results is, therefore, such as satisfies me that less 

 than eight pecks should not be sown. I. however, 

 by no means intend to say that a gieator quantity 

 may not often be beneficial ; I have lone entertained 

 the opinion that difi'erent soils and ditferent seasons 

 require a diflerence in the quantity of seed. I think 

 to follow this matter no farther, but will just add that, 

 having ju.st before harvest had an opportunity of look- 

 ing over the crops of J. J. Mechi, who, pei-haps thou 

 art aware, has obtained some notoriety by his agri- 

 cult^^l■al pi-ojects at Tiptree Hall. I there saw speci- 

 mens of thin sowing, viz , four pecks to the acre, side 

 by side with eight pecks to the acre. A lai-ge party 

 of agriculturists who were present were unanimous 



