farmer's miscellany. 309 



lent, and the condition of the whole field was all that a good farmer 

 could wish. The wheat was well cleaned, came up well, and pro- 

 mised something more than an ordinary crop. The snow disappeared 

 in March, or early in the spring, leaving a thick mat of wheat. Tn 

 April, however, or soon after, a heavy snow fell, covering the whole 

 field evenly, which remained two or three weeks. Now comes the 

 result : This field, which had been s^o promising up to the time of 

 the snow, entirely reversed its promise. There appeared, over most 

 of the surface, a mouldiness of an uncommon character, as if the 

 ground had been heated by a thick covering of manure ; and the 

 whole produce of the field, which had been sown with well cleaned 

 wheat, without wild seed of any kind, was chess, a heavy crop of 

 chess, instead of wheat. 



This is undoubtedly a strong case, and is certainly extremely per- 

 plexing ; nevertheless there are many analogous cases on record, 

 and in the observation of many. For instance, when a field has been 

 burned over, especially among the New-England hills, a crop of 

 fire-weed surely follows, if it is not otherwise occupied. So the 

 common red cherry, as we have often witnessed, succeeds other 

 growths of timber that have been destroyed. 



We believe we have slated the case fairly, and we are probably 

 driven to the adoption of one of two doctrines, either that wheat 

 does change into chess, or else the seeds of chess are pretty abun- 

 dant in the soil previous to its cultivation. 



ON MANURES. 



Of all substances used as manures, those consisting of the different 

 parts of animals have always been considered as the most efficient 

 as fertilizers. Whether we regard the quantity of nitrogen as the 

 criterion, or the inorganic parts, will make little difference here. 

 The truth is that both have their influence, and the presence of the 

 former, producing a tendency to rapid decay, the effect of these 

 substances is upon the present crop. Yet such parts as the hair, 

 nails, feathers, wool, bones, etc., on account of their solidity of 

 structure and the little water they contain, being slow to undergo 

 decomposition, are among the richest and most permanent of ma- 



