382 



FARMERS' REGISTER 



[No. 6. 



surface, the conclusion upon my mind is, that the 

 bearded should be preferred, particularly when we 

 take into consideration that it is more uniform in 

 product, less liable to rust, and will attain, on thin 

 land, a greater height. 



WM. B. WESTMOKB. 



[The comparison of the product in grains of a cer- 

 tain number of heads of wheat, or of the weight of a 

 certain number of grains, furnishes a very insufficient 

 test of the difference of general productiveness of two 

 kinds. The grains of the (mountain) purple straw, 

 (spoken of above) are certainly smaller than other 

 kinds, and the heads may also contain fewer grains — 

 and yet, the stalks standing more thickly, or there being 

 many more heads of wheat on an equal space, might 

 more than compensate for the smaller product of each 

 head. We have long been of opinion, that in every 

 other kind of grain as well as wheat, the product of 

 the separate ears, or the size and form of the separate 

 grains, are of much less importance to the amount of 

 the crop, than many other things scarcely taken into 

 consideration. We hold that the kind of corn, or wheat, 

 which is most suitable to the farmer's soil, climate, and 

 other circumstances — or which is best able to resist 

 the particular evils and disadvantages to which the 

 growth will be most usually exposed, will bring the 

 best average crops — without regard to the size of the 

 ears, or size or shape of the grain. Indeed, when ears 

 of corn, wheat, or other grain, are remarkably large 

 (for the particular kind,) and the product is very great 

 to each stalk, it furnishes evidence of insufficient pro- 

 duct from the land — or in other words, that a greater 

 number of stalks would have yielded a better crop, 

 though by reducing the product of each one. 



Every different kind of wheat has some one or more 

 peculiar advantage, and also some disadvantage of per- 

 haps equal weight, or liability to danger and loss, un- 

 der certain circumstances. In years when all causes 

 of such losses happen to be escaped (which is very 

 rare,) one kind of wheat perhaps will yield as well as 

 any other — or by its greater value in some respects, 

 will compensate for any deficiency of value in others. 



We prefer the mountain purple straw to any other 

 kind of wheat, and sow of it altogether; not on ac- 

 count of its being considered more productive, but be- 

 cause its peculiar disadvantages may be obviated by 

 using proper care, and it will better withstand the dan- 

 gers which no care can guard against. Its great ad- 

 vantage consists in the ripe grain being able to bear 

 more exposure to wet weather, than any white, or 

 bearded red wheat: and where we make large crops, 

 our wheat is exposed in the field from the beginning 

 of reaping, to the end of thrashing. Besides this im- 

 portant ground for preference, this kind of wheat is 

 heavier than the bearded, and makes better flour. In- 

 deed, for yielding flour, it is said by some of the most 

 experienced millers to be inferior to no other kind — 

 though the flour of white wheat sells better, merely 

 because it is of a purer white. In this respect, fash- 

 ion exerts great sway — and the best flour will not com- 

 mand the best price, unless it is free from the slightest 



tinge of the color which the skin of red wheat gives. 

 The smaller sized grain of the purple straw wheat, is 

 of itself, a gain to the farmer, as making a less mea- 

 sure of seed necessary — but is attended with the dis- 

 advantage of being more difficult to separate from the 

 seeds of weeds, by fanning and screening, than larger 

 grained wheats. This last is indeed the greatest ob- 

 jection to the purple straw. It is also much more sub- 

 ject to smut than bearded wheat: but though this is 

 perhaps the worst of all the diseases of wheat, when 

 unchecked, it is the one which may with most certain- 

 ty be prevented by washing, brining and liming the 

 seed. 



A neighbor of ours, who is a farmer of good judge- 

 ment, thinks that his golden chaff wheat this year has 

 only brought half as much as purple straw, on adjoin- 

 ing and similar land— and therefore has determined to 

 abandon the former, and sow the latter kind altogether. 

 But though, for some particular reason, there may 

 have been that degree of superiority this year, and in 

 that situation, we think that his ground for preferring 

 the one kind, is not less erroneous than that of our cor- 

 respondent for preferring the other.] 



For the Farmers' Register. 

 WHITE WASHINGTON WHEAT. 



A correspondent in the last number of 1he Re- 

 gister, requests a description of the White Wash- 

 ton wheat. As I am largely a debtor to the Re- 

 gister, for much useful information, and morally 

 and politically interested in tiie improvements of 

 agriculture, I desire to contribute my mite, how- 

 ever small, to its advancement. 



The White Washington wheat has been long 

 grown in this part of the country, and I have learn- 

 ed by tradition, that it was brought here from 

 Mount V r ernon, soon after the Revolutionary war. 

 It was the approved crop in this retrion, until about 

 the year 1798, when the Hessian fly, that terrible 

 scourge, made its appearance. Among other 

 schemes to arrest its desolation, new seed wheat 

 was resorted to. In many instances, the result 

 was favorable, and the crops better; but I think it 

 is now generally admitted, that it was the change, 

 and not the quality of the seed, which produced 

 the good eflect. Afler a few years' growth, in the 

 same soil, the new wheats, with the exception of 

 the Lawler, are found equally obnoxious to the 

 ravages of the fly. I believe the best security 

 against this pernicious insect, is to be found in the 

 improvement of the soil, and good husbandly. 

 The last winter was uncommonly severe, and we 

 have not had so heavy a visitation of the Hessian 

 fly since 1817. Notwithstanding these disasters, 

 from a well improved field of forty acres, I have 

 cut fourteen and a half bushels to the acre, and 

 from another field of the same size, (though some- 

 thing has been done lor its improvement,) I do not 

 think I shall find upon thrashing, more than five 

 bushels to the acre. 



The White Washington is a smooth wheat, the 

 straw a pale yellow, the husk thin, and when the 

 grain comes to perfection, is very white. In good 

 condition in the Baltimore market it will command 

 from six to twelve cents more than common wheat. 

 It is sought for by the millers, for family flour. 



