292 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER 



3IARCII ai, 18-J8. 



(for the N. E. FarmerO 



WHEAT. 



A ronvicuinn of tlio iinportnnce of science to 

 asi'K'i'lli'i'f, 'li" nocesshy of tiioi-e iiiforitintioti 

 coiicertiiiin llie cnnnexion whicli it liolds with the 

 laliors of the field seeiiis to lie £!""ii'ir? jrn;iiiiil in 

 om- coiiiniiiiiity. The time is piissiiig hy, when 

 eilhsi'vviency to custom !in<l refjanl to " ohi snws 

 and vvliiiiis " founded on ti-adition, will mark the 

 [ilan of operation with the tanner. The relation 

 of scientific researches and of the operations of 

 business to each other is better understood. The 

 mysterious charming: rod, from the potent witidi- 

 hazel Ijiish has been laid aside for the better and 

 truer test of existini: geological facts. The wane 

 or increase of the moon has lost much of its in- 

 fluence in the sowing or reaping of crops, or cut- 

 ting of tiridier. The curious botanist in ipiest of 

 sam|des is beginning to be recognized as the stu- 

 dent into the mysteries of the vegetable world. — 

 The pursuer of butterflies and collector of beetles 

 is no longer the wasteful idler of time hut the ac- 

 tive friend to the interest of society: The inge- 

 nious clieinist, does not dissipate, as did bis prede- 

 cessors in alchemy, his talents and fortime in the 

 fumes of his crucible and in ibo blast of bis fur- 

 nace, but aiidd suffociiting vapors is extorting from 

 Nature those secrets, by which the energies of 

 matter shall become subservient to tlie pleasure 

 and benefit of man. 



These favorable results, which we cannot h<-1p 

 perceiving, gain gromul in society, are un<loMbt- 

 edly attributable to the spirit of information and 

 enterprise of this country. There can scarcely 

 be found a mechanic or fanner who has not in bis 

 power to acquaint himself with many if not with 

 most of the important improvements of the day. 

 Ours is a reading community ; it is something 

 more, it is a thinking comnnmity. Speculation, 

 enterprise, e.xperiment are in almost every intelli- 

 gent man's mind. The vast agricultural resour- 

 ces of this coimtry, are, among other subjects, re- 

 ceiving duo attention. Rich in every variety of 

 soil, the most useful and beneficial as well as the 

 less necessary and luxurious [iroducts of tlie vege- 

 table world are easily acquired. Primitive forests 

 need oidy the use of the woodman to render the 

 soil on which they grow, ready for exuberant har- 

 vests, and the more stinted ai\d meaner, the long 

 cidtivated and almost exhausted districts require 

 nothing but industry and the application of scien- 

 tific principles to renovate them in beauty and 

 luxuriance. 



The labors of Slldli men as Sir Humphrey Davy 

 in the application of chemistry to the farmer's in- 

 terest, or of Van IMou's in the production of fruits 

 suitable to the market or the table, or of our own 

 Harris, in the description and means of destruc- 

 tion of insects, so prejudical to the economy of 

 the farm, cannot be better api)reciated, than by 

 the attention to those subjects manifested among 

 our intelligent agriciilturists, in queries and the 

 j-esidt of experiments, which we eo frequently 

 meet with in our public papers. Much more of 

 Buch information, and indeed the impression of its 

 value ndght be diffused witere still needed, by the 

 eTorts of agricultural societies. Amid the numer- 

 ous ])remiums given with praiseworthy discrimi- 

 nation and liberality to individuals, who excel in 

 the production of thin or that article of the field, 

 the dairy or the folA, might it not be well to oiler 

 similar encouragement to the best dissertation on 

 subjects immediately connected yvitlt such pur- 



suits .' We do not know but this i)rartice ob- 

 tains with some already, but we think that it 

 might l)e highly beneficial if more general. Thus 

 in the present altentifin to the raising of wheat, 

 local information respecting method, soil, liability 

 to di.sease, or inject (le[)redation, experiment and 

 cure could not be otherwise than useful. Some- 

 thing sin]i!ar to this on all sidjjects connected 

 with the fiu-iu, is contemplated by the State Com- 

 missioner, but it is evident that the agricultural 

 interest is not confined to a state or district, and 

 that the experience of a southern farmer might 

 benefit n northern, or the ex|)erimeut of a New 

 England agriculturist prove beneficial to one of a 

 more genial clinic. 



The efficacy of lime in wheat districts, has led 

 to the more general rise of it as a stimulating 

 DJanure. New soils, even where limestone does 

 not exist, are more suitable to the growth of wheat 

 than oilier soils of the same character. The com- 

 ponents of soil are several and different. The 

 following ingredients enter into the constitution 

 of soil in a general sense, viz: earths, metallic 

 oxides, salts, vegetable and animal matter and 

 water. The earths are chiefly clay, sand and lime. 

 Iron is the most aliundant metal ; saline stdistnn- 

 ces constitute an important although a small part 

 of soil. The moidd being decomposed parts of 

 animal and vegetable bodies is called virgin soil. 

 15y a Happy nuxtiire either mutually or artificially 

 of these several parts in due proportions, the soil 

 is adapted to the growth of any species of plant. 

 The analysis of a Mr Thaer has shown that the 

 best wheat land according to his observation consist 

 of 71 per cent clay, 10 per cent sand, 4 1-2 per 

 cent carbonate lime, 11 1-2 per cent virgin soil, in 

 100 parts. The necessary difference between 

 liine and limestone or carboiuite of lime to [iro- 

 fluce the saiiie result, I liave no means of deter- 

 mining. The fact however is the same, viz : that 

 actual analysis has demonstrated what actual ac- 

 cidentr.l experiment has proved. These facts 

 should encourage the farmer to further experi- 

 ment on his exbausK'd soils, in order to bring 

 them back to a state of nature or adopt them to 

 the production of the most iinjiortant and profita- 

 ble crops. 



The presence of lime in the form of carbonate 

 in regions destitute of limestone in situ, as for in- 

 stance in a newly cleared region, is attributable 

 to that slow acquisition from animal remains and 

 the like, for ages before. The most insignificant 

 means by accumulation produce the most efBcfe- 

 cious result, so wonderful is the operation of na- 

 ture. Nothing is lost or is inert, but a ceaseless 

 change is apparent, and in busy effect. 



The diseases of grain are often attributable to 

 the growth of parasite fimgi, upon the several 

 parts of the living plant. The smut of wheat has 

 been etlectually eradicated by sifting out the poor 

 imi)crfect seed, which process also rids it of cockle 

 and other weeds, then washing and mixing it af- 

 terward with quick lime. This article probably 

 acts in a two fold way ; by stinmlating the young 

 plant to great vigor and by the distinction of what- 

 ever sporidia or germs of srimt are dormant in the 

 envelopes and skin of the wheat. Adjacent fields 

 show distinctive marks of the use or neglect of 

 this precaution. Probably a similar application 

 .would destroy that more fatal disease, the rust. 



Another serious enemy to this most valuable 

 grain is the "Jly," an anomalous insect of which 

 uothnig certain is known. Its ravages in this sec- 



tion of the country have been great. Notwith 

 standing all our inquiries relative to its habit: 

 we could gather little information of much value 

 So general is the ignorance of the necessity o 

 precisiim on matters of entomology, and so neg 

 lecled have been all efforts to afford a better an( 

 more skilful dcterii)ination of the economy anc 

 destruction of insect pests among the ngricultura 

 community, nothing but personal observation cat 

 satisfy the inquirer. Arriving ut a season too lati 

 to detect the intrtider in its ravages, or secure it 

 cfirysalis change, we could only learn the effec 

 of the soil instead of the operation of the means 

 The worm or larvae has been more looked afte 

 than the fly, and while the former is described a 

 resembling a flax seed and being quiet within th 

 busk, the latter is described in general terms as 

 " fly," something like a house fly, oiily i~limmei 

 but with two or fom- wings, deponent saith not.- 

 A writer in the Albany Cultivator as copied inl 

 this paper p. 210, seems lo think it identical wit 

 that " seen in pea pods preying on the tende 

 ])ea." We know of a single insect only inhabit 

 ing that plant in that stage of growth, a sma 

 beetle called the "bug," which is no '' fly " by th 

 way, (Bruchus Pisi.) The insects hereabout 

 quit the grain and probably undergo a chang 

 in the earth while the pea bug remains behind, t 

 add to the delicacy of green peas, or to devoii 

 the seed when dry. Efforts have been made t 

 avoid its ravages through early or later sowinj 

 but probably a clringe to n new variety of grai 

 would be advisable. Information on the habits ( 

 the insect is indis[)ensable before much good re 

 ative to its extirpation can be expected. Spec 

 mens shoidd be collected and preserved in all sf; 

 ges of the growth of the ravager, to facilitate tli 

 inquiry of the occasional and intelligent travelle 

 We respectfully invite attention to the subject, af 

 sured as we are of the benefit likely to accru 

 from it. " J. L. R. 



Lancaster, JV. H., Feb. 1838. 



For llie N. K. Farmer. 



PROGRESS OF HORTICULTURE IN 

 AMERICA. 



Perhaps there is no art that keeps pace so nn, 

 formly with the march of improvement and polit 

 refinement as Horticulture, in all its various brat 

 cbes. 1 need not refer to what history has in s 

 many cases informed the intelligent reader o 

 the high estimation in which it was held by th 

 Greeks and Romans. In the time of the Coesar 

 the Hanging Gardens are recorded as a fine spec 

 imen of the perfection of the art in those dayi 

 Rut the point now in question is the utility of gai 

 deniiig and Horticulture at the present period, an 

 the probable bearing it has on an enlightened pee 

 pie who cherish it as a useful and interesting sul 

 ject to all classes, and promoting, as a natural cot 

 sequence, their moral rectitude. 



To speak of the utility of Horticulture in th: 

 country I need only refer to the encomagement 

 has received from most respectable people in th 

 various parts of the Norlhern States, particular! 

 in the vicinity of Boston, New York, and Pbili 

 delphia. This encouragement has not been col 

 fined altogether to any particular branch, bi 

 whatever belongs to it has been liberally patror 

 ized and supported in the most honorable mat 

 ner. In the vicinity of Boston the grape has bee 

 grown perhaps to better perfection under glai 



