1835.] 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



59 



might meet, and each one only then discover for the 

 first time that he was not the undisputed owner. But 

 such difficulties have rarely occurred, and perhaps 

 more than from any other reason, because the lands 

 were found to be either in the moon, or on the moun- 

 tains ot Logan, or somewhere else oi as little value 

 as if forming a lunar freehold. 



But under any circumstances whatever, it is very 

 strange that Englishmen at home can be so gulled — or 

 that any can be persuaded to purchas.? lands in Ameri- 

 ca at any price, otfercd to them in London. If a prc- 

 testant clergyman having a church in the wildest and 

 most lawless part of catholic Ireland, was to offer his 

 claims on his Hock for tythes, for sale at auction in the 

 mountains of Virginia, the seller would not give 

 stronger evidence of desiring to sell what was worth- 

 less, and the buyer of being a credulous fool, than in 

 the case of land in Virginia beingr sold in London. 



REPLY TO "COMMENTATOR, OX MR. BAUER S 

 EXPERIMENTS ON DISEASES OF WHEAT. 



To the Editor of the Farmers' Register. 



Henrico, 9th May, 1S35. 



In noticing the comments of ''Commentator" 

 in the No. of the Register for this month [No. 

 12 of Vol. II.] on the papers contained in No. 9 of 

 the Farmers' Register, it is not with the view of 

 claiming any merit for the article on the supposed 

 diseases of wheat, &c. over the signature of A. 

 N. contained in that No., but to support the opin- 

 ion then given of the articles on this important 

 branch of vegetable pathology by Mr. Bauer, 

 contained in the October No. of the Register, co- 

 pied from the "Penny Magazine." I think it must 

 appear evident to every unprejudiced reader ol 

 these articles, that Mr. B. has not only been suc- 

 cessful in defining the several diseases therein sta- 

 ted, but in tracing out their true causes; and thereby 

 has been enabled to point out a remedy. If there 

 is nothing wonderful in these interesting experi- 

 ments, they are at least of sufficient importance to 

 arrest the attention of every farmer. Had Mr. 

 B. merely stated the results of his several experi- 

 ments, without detailing the way and manner in 

 which they were obtained, there might have been 

 room for continued doubt. But the known celeb- 

 rity and scientific attainments of Mr. B. coupled 

 with the patient investigation and highly satisfac- 

 tory results of these complicated experiments, 

 entitle them to very considerable credit. But the 

 true way to test the full value or correctness of 

 these results, and the remedy pointed out, is, for 

 every farmer to try the remedy for himself. Lime 

 water has longbeen used as a preventive from many 

 diseases in wheat, &c; and many respectable 

 farmers who have used it, have attributed no 

 Email degree of benefit to it — but being ignorant 

 of the causes producing these diseases, their rem- 

 edy — though accidentally the true one, was not 

 used to a sufficient extent to ensure the desired re- 

 sults. But, to use your own words, (in comment- 

 ing on those experiments,) "these coincidences 

 of accidental practice, with theoretical reasoning, 

 are highly satisfactory; and though in these cases 

 accident had discovered the remedy more early 

 than science had made known the "cause, it does 

 not therefore, lessen the value of the latter mode 



of investigation." There are many farmers who 

 have used supposed remedies tor many years, and 

 whom every years 1 experience must have told was 

 of no use. To such, Mr. B*s. experiments must 

 be higlily valuable. 



I agree with "Commentator" that these and 

 similar dissertations are comparatively useless, 

 unless accompanied by some remedy. I think, 

 however, that the result of Mr. B's. investiga- 

 tions alluded to, clearly points out a remedy, and 

 as such, are of no mean importance. If the pages 

 of every agricultural periodical were filled with 

 dissertations of as important, practical, and deci- 

 sive a character as are those of Mr. B., I have 

 no doubt that many who are now auti-"book 

 iarmers," would be glad to avail themselves of 

 the helps to be derived from such works. I do 

 not think that the reading of quotations such aa 

 "Commentator" has favored your readers with, 

 will tend to reduce the "bad odor" of "book farm- 

 hg;" but I do think that the reading to them somo 

 such articles as you have happily selected Irom 

 Mr. B^s. productions would; and by inducing ihem 

 to try the remedy there pointed out, a iew con- 

 verts might be added to this species likewise; and 

 perhaps, a i'ew hundreds of the "thousands" now 

 affected with this unpleasant odor, might be in* 

 djced to add their names to} r our list of subscribers, 

 and enable you shortly to carry into operation 

 vour proposed improvements on your valuable 

 Register. 



A. NICOL. 



VITTORIA WHEAT, YIELDING TWO HARVESTS 

 IN THE YEAR. 



Loudon's horticultural and agricultural notices, 

 last autumn, gave satisfactory accounts of the 

 experiment tried in Somersetshire, of planting this 

 valuable present made to his country by Sir Ro- 

 bert Kerr Porter, our Consular resident in that 

 part of South America where it is native of the 

 soil. Loudon reports it to have given great pro- 

 mise, both from its spring and summer sowing. 

 In YVarwickshire, we ourselves know that it suc- 

 ceeded so well as to produce a fine crop in July 

 last year, though, by an accident, it had been 

 planted a month too late; and it yielded a particu- 

 larly sweet and well tasted flour, from which ex- 

 cellent bread was made. The proper times for 

 sowing are, February (which gives its harvest in 

 June,) and in June (which yields its harvest in 

 October.) 



DESCRIPTION OF A CHEAP WATER-LEVEL, 

 AND THE MANNER OF USING IT. 



To the Editor of the Farmers' Register. 



In forwarding my annual subscription for your 

 third volume in advance, I embrace the opportu- 

 nity of tendering my respects to your correspon- 

 dent M. N., who, in Vol. II. No. 9 of the Regis- 

 ter, has added to the stock of information it has 

 already afforded us, on the subject of hill-side 

 ditches, and horizontal ploughing. In place of 

 the rafter level, which is generally used for such 

 purposes, he recommends a plumb level, as de- 

 scribed in his communication. I suggest to M. 

 N. as much better adapted to the purpose, a light 

 tin water-level, which can be procured for 81. 25 

 in Richmond, on the street leading to Mayo'a 



