1846. 



GENESEE FARMER. 



85 



Oats. 



Oats are undoubtedly far richer in nitrogen- 

 ous or muscular matter, in proportion to the 

 weight, than wheat- A comparison, according 

 to the analysis of Prof. Johnston, sliovvs this. 



One hundred pounds each of fine wheaten 

 flour and shelled or hulled oats contain 



Whtnt. Onts, 



Muscular matter, 10 U)s. 13 lbs. 



Fat, .- .3 '•• 6 " 



Starch, 50 " &ij " 



C,3 lbs. 80 lbs. 

 AWany Cultivatur fur March. 



Remarks- — We do not doubt that the editor 

 of the Cultivator quotes the above figures cor- 

 rectly from Prof. Johnston, but there is a sad 

 mistake somewhere. If 100 lbs. of "fine wheaten 

 flour" contain but 63 pounds of starch, gluten 

 (muscular matter,) and fat, all told, what shall 

 we call the other thirty-seven pounds of some- 

 ihing, in 100 lbs. of dry flour ? Will the editor 

 of the Cultivator explain ? 



In vol. L, p. 170 of Johnston's Agricultural 

 Chemistr)'', alter describing tlic process of sepa- 

 rating gluten from wheat flour, the author says : 

 "The flour of other grain also yields it [gluten] 

 by similar treatment, though generally in ^viuch 

 ■smaller quantity- This appears from the follow- 

 ing table. The grain of 



Wheat contains 8 to 35 per cent, of gluten. 

 Rye " 9 to 13 



Barley ^' 3 to (J " " 



Oals '' 2 to 5 



How wheats as is well known, can yield from 

 8 to 3.5 lbs. of gluten in 100, and oats only from 

 2 to 5 lbs., and yet oat meal contain 80 per cent. 

 more gluten than wheat flour, passes our com- 

 prehension. Indeed, tlic statement is an absurd- 

 ity. That a j)ound of oat flour Oi- meal con- 

 tains 100 per cent, more of the elements of '■'fat'" 

 than "fine wheaten flour," is an averment which 

 no practical man will credit. Nor will he credit 

 the other statement, that oat flour has 33 per cent 

 more starch in it than v/heat flour. If oat meal 

 will yield 18 lbs. of "muscular matter" where 

 the same weight of wheat flour will give but 10 

 lbs., 6 lbs. of " fat" where an equal amount of 

 wheat flour will give but 3 lbs., and 65 lbs. of 

 starch to 50 lbs. from wheat flour, then a bushel 

 of oats is worth at least a bushel and a half of 

 wheat ! 



A few Practical Hints on (rrowing Corn. 



By spreading long unfermented manure over 

 a piece of poor meadow or pasture land, which 

 now yields but little grass, one may raise a large 

 crop of corn, by turning under the manure, and 

 harrowing the sod thoroughly before [)lanting. — 

 The harrow should pass lengthwise with the fur- 

 rows. The rows should run north and south, that 

 the sun during the day may shine on both sides of 

 them. Ashes should be scattered over the hills 

 after planting. The afterculture may be in the usu- 

 al way, taking care to cut up the corn at the roots 

 Ijefore the crop is fully ripe, and secure the 

 stalks in the best manner for winter fodder. — 

 The lattef will be worth more than the hay or 

 grass, had the field not been broken up. 



Soaking seed corn in a weak solution of com- 

 mon salt and epsom salts is thought to be more 

 advantageous than steeping it either in sal. am- 

 moniac or salt petre, in solution. 



We intend to apply a compound of wood ash- 

 es, plaster, lime, and common fait, to a large por- 

 tion of our cornfield this spring, in just the pro- 

 portions, as near as may be, that potash, soda, 

 chlorine, lime, sulphur, and phosphorus are 

 needed by nature to form the crop. 



Ashes. — At a late Agricultural meeting at the 

 State House in Boston, Mr. Stanley said that he 

 had tried ashes every way. One season he put 

 ashes in the hill in one part of the field, when 

 planted, and on the remainder of the field, ap- 

 plied it soon after the corn came up. Where it 

 was put in the hill, the corn ripened about ten 

 days sooner than the other, and produced at the 

 rate of about ten bushels more per acre. The 

 next year, a part of a row was missed in apply- 

 ing ashes. The result was, that three times the 

 quantity was raised where the ashes was applied. 



Soaking Seed Oom, 



Mr. Editor ; — I wish to inquire what is the 

 benefit of soaking seed corn in salt petre, and 

 how much it requires to the bushel, and what 

 will prevent the worms froia injuring it soon af- 

 ter it comes up ? Yours in haste, 



Brighton, Ohio. A. KixcsiJURy. 



Remarks. — We have in another article in this 

 this number suggested that, a solution of chloride 

 of sodium and sulphate of magnesia (common 

 salt and epsom salts) is better to soak corn in, 

 than either salt petre or sal. ammoniac. Tlie 

 opinion is founded on the fact that kernels of 

 corn need both the chlorine and soda in the com- 

 mon salt and the sulphur and magnesia in the ep- 

 som salt ; and also on the results of some exper- 

 iments with the several kinds of brine. The 

 time of soaking or "steeping," as it is called, 

 and the quantity of each salt to be used, are 

 points as yet not so well settled as they should be. 

 We advise every ouc^o try a few kernels many 

 days before planting. The point to be attained 

 is this : Make the solution as strong as practica- 

 ble and not injure the germ, in the seed. In 

 Scotland seeds arc steeped from 12 to 48 hours, 

 and some times longer. Four ounces each of 

 the salts named, dissolved in water enough to 

 wet or cover a bushel of corn, have been used 

 with good effect. An equal weight of salt petre, 

 or sal ammoniac, if preferred, can be used in the 

 same way. 



Unleached ashes applied on the hill around the 

 corn plants will prol.iably .serve to keep oft' worms 

 and insects, >. 



