78 Q U A R T E R L Y J O U R N A L . 



sowed to wheat ; and now, June 2d, it is a spotted concern- 

 here a bunch of spindling wheat — there a patch of rough nakec 

 ground — and certainly the prospect of success is no better that 

 with the oats the preceding year. 



Among many other things relating to agriculture, Mr. H. gavi 

 an account of a singular experiment which he had tried. It wa: 

 to see whether winter wheat could be treated as spring wheat, b; 

 which a crop could be obtained the first season after sowing. I 

 had been said that it could be, and said with so much confidence] 

 that Mr. H. determined to test the point by trial. 



Accordingly, following the precise directions, Mr. H. prepareij 

 a bushel or two of wheat by first moistening and then rolling it i]|' 

 plaster and a few ashes, and then wetting the whole so as to secui 

 its germination, when it was put away into his chamber and su; 

 fered to freeze. In this state it remained till near the time foi 

 sowing spring wheat, when it was again taken in hand and se 

 rated, the roots and plumulas being an inch or two in length ah 

 forming a dense interwoven mat. It was again rolled in plastt 

 and sowed on land well prepared for wheat. It soon appeare 

 green, or grew well, and looked flourishing, and with a prospect c 

 success for a time ; but after a while it ceased to grow, stoo 

 stone still, and only here and there did a stem consent to send up 

 slender, spindling head. It was therefore an unsuccessful exper 

 ment. It must, however, be conceded that there was soraethin 

 in the proposal which had a show of reason in it, a possibility, afx 

 hence it was well to put it to the direct test. 



Fearing I may not interest you, I will close by giving you on 

 or two results of Mr. H.'s success in farming. On one field < 

 about ten acres which I visited, this gentleman raised eighty buclil 

 els of corn to the acre, and this without extra labor or extra ti. 

 lage. The crop was preceded by wheat, on land which is usual! 

 termed a clay loam. I do not speak of this as any rcmarkabl 

 yield; I only speak of it as a profitable crop. Again, Mr. H 

 has raised forty bushels of spring wheat to the acre without goin 

 out of his ordinary mode of culture. The facts go to prove wha 

 I stated in the commencement of this letter, viz : that Auburn an 

 its vicinity has a rich soil. This is due in a great measure to th 

 gypseous shales which crop out from beneath the Onondaga limt 

 stone. These shales are brought up by a slight uplift or fractor 



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