1835.] 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



383 



This wheat grows to perfection only in the salt I paring the present, with the falling days of the 

 water districts. Some of my friends in the inte- Roman republic. But benef 



rior, have got seed from me, but it soon degener- 

 ates, both in color and quality. The reason I can- 

 not assign, but the fact is incontrovertible. I 

 should think there is much land in lower Virginia, 

 to which this wheat is well adapted. Since I 

 have been a farmer, I have tried many kinds, but 

 have settled down upon the White Washington, 

 and the red chaff bearded. The latter is a hardy 

 plant, and suits lor late sawing. 



Your correspondent complains of being deceiv- 

 ed and disappointed in a barrel of wheat purcha- 

 sed in Baltimore, for the White Washington wheat. 

 Some of our farmers here, have sustained loss and 

 disappointment from wheat purchased in the Bal- 

 timore market, said to be from Virginia, which 

 has proved to be of a different character, and in 

 some instances, so damaged, as to affect its ger- 

 mination. I have heard from intelligent farmers, 

 that if wheat has been much heated in the hold 

 of a vessel, it is hazardous to use it for seed. I 

 have proved by my own experience, the great ad- 

 vantages of changing my seed wheat, but I have 

 never thought it safe to sow wheat purchased in 

 the Baltimore market. It is to be lamented that 

 there is so little agricultural intercourse between 

 the states. We here know much of your politi- 

 cians, but little of your agriculturists. If a few 

 gentlemen of known probity, and carefulness, in 

 your state, and ours, would raise wheat which 

 they would recommend lor seed, it would produce 

 mutual advantage — and if one-tenth part of the 

 time and intellect devoted to party squabbles, and 

 the small schemes of ambition, were applied to 

 agricultural inquiry, it would conduce more to the 

 public good. In a body of farmers, high in intel- 

 lect, and high in fortunes, the republic will find its 

 best security, though I do not entirely concur in 

 Swift's apothegm, which you have taken as your 

 motto. I think that Locke, and Bacon rendered 

 more essential service to their country than Young, 

 and Davy; and I cannot in our country, consent 

 to place Mr. Bordley, and Judge Peters, before 

 General Hamilton and Mr. Jefferson. 



An inquiry has been made in the Register for 

 the best thrashing machine. On this subject there 

 will be much difference of opinion. I have been 

 thrashing this summer with Cooley's, but have 

 not finished. The time has been kept by my over- 

 seer, and I believe accurately. I have thrashed 

 out twelve hundred bushels, at the rate of twenty- 

 nine bushels per hour. I have been using Mr. 

 Nicol's improved wheat fan. I find it will sepa- 

 rate from the chaff' more than one hundred and 

 fifty bushels per hour. Mr. Nicols separated more 

 than two hundred. The difference is found in his 

 having a separator to his machine — and no straw 

 remains in the wheat. Modern improvements 

 have been highly beneficial; and if the mowing 

 machine shall answer, agriculture, though not "in 

 the full tide,'' may be said to be on the flood "of 

 successful experiment." 



I reprobate flattery — the mean and abject spirit 

 that offers, and the morbid appetite which delights 

 in it. Our politicians have become gluttons of 

 praise; and "he who praises the highest, pleases 

 the most." When I see the idolatrous adu- 

 lation bestowed on mere partizans, such as would 

 have made the cheek of Washington tingle with 

 disgust, in solemn sadness I detect myself com- 



fits may be acknow- 

 ledged without degradation, or offending modesty. 

 I have for some years past ceased to sow wheat 

 among my corn. The drag-log not only pulver- 

 izes my fallows finely, but being run before the 

 plough, crushes the clover, and the weeds, and 

 enables me to prepare the ground better, and with 

 more expedition; and I hope you will not except 

 when I say the drag-log which I am using, by the 

 recommendation of the Register, is more than pay- 

 ing three years subscription.* 



Eastern Shore, Md. Jtug. 26, 1835. 



IRISH POTATO TUBERS GROWING ABOVE THE 

 SURFACE OF THE GROUND. 



To the Editor of the Farmers' Register. 



Orange, Sept. 10, 1S35. 



I am induced to write to you for the purpose of 

 mentioning a fact, which struck me as being some- 

 what remarkable; it is this: when about to gather 

 my crop of Irish potatoes this fall, I perceived that 

 on a number of vines there were several small 

 potatoes, of different sizes, from an English pea 

 to that of a walnut, which induced me to examine 

 further, when I found one on which, I think, I 

 found seven and twenty growing, from an inch to 

 at least 12 inches from the ground. This land is 

 the spot on which our entire crop of straw has 

 been stacked for 12 or 15 years. This fact you 

 can publish if you choose. 



QUINTUS BARBOUR. 



For the Farmers' Register. 

 COMMERCIAL, REPORT. 



The cotton markets of the United States have 

 been dull during the present month, owing to dis- 

 couraging advices from England and France. 

 Some decline has taken place, and the present 

 quotation in Petersburg is 16 to 17§ cents. One 

 bale of new cotton was sent to that market on the 

 23rd of September, by the same industrious plan- 

 ter who has annually exhibited the first bale — in 

 1833 and 1834, at the close of August. This is 

 some indication that the crop is a month later than 

 usual. The gathering of it is not yet commenced, 

 unless on a very small scale, and indeed, little of it 

 is yet. matured. The weather has been very cool, 

 and several slight frosts have occurred. It is 

 therefore apprehended that the crop in Virginia 

 will be seriously injured. 



The ripening of the tobacco crop has been pre- 

 vented by the same cause, and although the pro- 

 duct may be large, the quality it is thought will be 

 inferior. The price of this article has been well 

 supported during the present month, and %6 to 

 .$11 embrace all but extreme prices. The receipts 

 and shipments of tobacco and cotton for the year, 

 (say to the 1st of October,) will be ascertained in 

 the course of a few days. 



The spirit of competition (founded on no appa- 



*See description of the dra° 

 Farm. Reg. 



•log, p. 757, Vol. II. 



