Account of Sedge Wheat* &fc. 27 



criterion to prove peculiar propensities. But plants most sub- 

 ject to injury by certain insects, might be noted, from time to 

 time. The potato flies, last summer, were found in plenty on 

 the pothosfetida, or skunk-weed ; and on the aetata racemosa 9 or 

 black snake-root, in the woods. If insects are not the cause of 

 the Stunt, the facts stated by Mr. Parker, nevertheless, shows that 

 it is wise to change the crops on the infected grounds. We know 

 that smut and other maladies, are propagated by the grain, chaff or 

 straw, of precedent crops. And, to prevent this evil, writers have 

 recommended burning such chaff or straw. If, however, the ma- 

 nure made with such straw and chaff be applied, and it appears 

 by many facts, that however Mr. P's experience may be, wheat 

 has been stunted on ground manured with cowpen'd dung, let 

 the crop be entirely changed, from the one producing the straw 

 and chaff. The account, given by our correspondent, of even a 

 change of the species of the same genus of plants ensuring per- 

 fect safety to the crop succeeding that tainted with infection, shews 

 that crops of entirely different kinds must be doubly secure. I 

 have no doubt but that if in Maryland, and other states, wherein 

 the stunted or sedge wheat prevails, they would sow clover, or 

 other grasses, on their grain fields ; the cow-pen'd or dunged 

 spots would throw up abundant grass crops, though those of 

 grain had been destroyed; and thus they would be remune- 

 rated for the labour bestowed on their fields, for an abortive 

 crop of wheat. Indian corn grew luxuriantly on the cow- 

 pen'd ground. The change of one wheat for another, seems, 

 however, to have succeeded with Mr. Parker, better than it did 

 with Mr. Hollingsworth ; and yet the success of the latter, was 

 encouraging ; for his white wheat throve tolerably, when the 

 red chaff perished. 2 vol. 287 — 8. My proposition to winter 

 fallow, or any other mode of cleansing their fields, will never 

 be attempted, whilst the southern farmers adhere to their here- 

 ditary bad style of farming, handed down from father to son. 

 If the evil be a disease communicable from Straw, or other 

 cause inherent in the manure; or if it be occasioned by insects; 

 their mode of sowing wheat contemporaneously with indiaft 



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