38 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



AUGUST 14, JR.13. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



boston, Wednesday evening, aug. h, 1833. 



Brighton Cattle Show. The Cattle Show, Ex- 

 hibition of Manufactures, Ploughing Match, &c. 

 of the Massachusetts Society for the Promotion of 

 Agriculture, will take place at Brighton on Wed- 

 nesday 16th October 1S33, commencing at 9 o'- 

 clock, A. M. 



Remarks on the Culture of Wheal. The cause 

 or causes of the usual failure of wheat crops in 

 New England, especially in lands which have been 

 some years under cultivation, have been topics of 

 discussion in this and other agricultural papers, 

 without much coincidence of opinion. We have 

 long since expressed our belief that lime was an 

 indispensable substance without which wheat can- 

 not be brought to perfection ; and will here assign 

 some of the reasons for our belief. 



Mr. John Young, of Nova Scotia, a very ingen- 

 ious writer, and a practical as well as scientific 

 agriculturist, in an able work entitled "Letters of 

 Agricola" says " It is fact that lime is indispens- 

 able to the production of superior wheat crops. 

 The rye lands of Hertfordshire, [Eug.] which were 

 reported by Dr. Beale, in the year 1C36, as inca- 

 pable of producing wheat, have been so much fer- 

 tilized by the subsequent introduction of this fossil 

 manure as to be successfully applied to the growth 

 of that and every other grain. This and similar 

 effects may be referable in part to the subservi- 

 ency of this earth to the more perfect formation 

 of the vegetable structure ; for we know that birds, 

 if confined to a cage, will lay eggs with soft shells. 

 So wheat may labor under some analogous imper- 

 fection, unless the carbonate of lime comes within 

 reach of its roots. 



In " Anderson's Recreations," a work highly es- 

 teemed in Europe, the following passage occurs: 



" I had a field of good arable land, a mellow 

 loam in Aberdeenshire, which had been long in 

 culture, often dressed with animal and vegetable 

 manures, and was of course endowed with a con- 

 siderable degree of fertility ; but being full of weeds, 

 it was subjected to a thorough summer fallow in 

 order to get rid of these and bring it to proper 

 tilth in other respects; and as lime is found to be 

 an active manure in that district, it had a moderate 

 dressing of lime put upon it, and some dung at 

 the same time. The whole field was sown with 

 wheat at the proper season, which sprang up 

 equally thick on every part of it. For some time 

 no difference was perceivable in the appearance of 

 the crop over the whole ; by and bye it was ob- 

 served that the wheat on a small portion of the 

 field, which by accident had not had any lime put 

 upon it, became pale and sickly. While the crop 

 in other parts of the field advanced luxuriantly, it 

 dwindled in this particular patch more and more, 

 till towards the beginning of May, the whole had 

 died quite out, and not one stalk of wheat was to 

 be found upon it, though the weeds in conse- 

 quence of the richness of the soil at that time 

 grew there with extreme luxuriance. Perhaps the 

 proportion of calcareous matter did not in this 

 case amount to more than one thousandth part of 

 the whole, yet the qualities of this soil were there- 

 by totally altered, insomuch that though before the 

 application of that dressing, the soil was incapable 

 of producing wheat at all, it was found at all times 

 after that period well adapted for the raising of 



that crop. Nature has formed many soils with a 

 similar proportion of calcareous matter blended 

 imperceptibly in them over large districts of 

 land."* 



By this article it appears that small quantities 

 of lime will produce a permanently beneficial 

 effect, if applied to laud which is destitute of that 

 kind of earth. A quantity equal to one thousandth 

 part of the whole mould within reach of the roots 

 of the plants commonly cultivated, would not be a 

 dear dressing even in Massachusetts ; yet that 

 small quantity was found by Dr. Anderson to be 

 sufficient to effect such a change in the constitu- 

 tion of a soil as to enable it to produce good 

 wheat, though previous to its application it would 

 not ripen a single stalk. Larger quantities, how- 

 ever, would probably prove beneficial. English 

 farmers apply from 60 to 400 bushels to the acre, 

 as it measures when fresh from the kiln. 



Dr. Darwin, in Phylologia, states that " the 

 wheat produced after land has been much limed, 

 is believed to be thinner skinned, and to produce 

 more good meal than any other wheat, and to 

 make better bread." Loudon observes, " The ma- 

 nures best calculated for wheat are animal matters 

 and lime. The former has a direct influence in 

 supplying that essential constituent to wheaten 

 flour, gluten ; and the latter azote and lime, both 

 actually found in the straw of wheat. At all events 

 it is certain that wheat will not thrive in any soil 

 that does not contain lime. In this Sir H. Davy, 

 Chaptal, Professor Thaer and Grisenthwaite, fully 

 agree." 



There are other crops besides that of wheat to 

 which lime would seem to be indispensable. 

 Dickson's farmer's Companion states, that " it is 

 observed, that the common pea, whether white or 

 gray, cannot be reared to perfection in any field 

 which has not been either naturally or artificially 

 impregnated with some calcareous matter. But it 

 is remarkable, that a soil that could scarcely have 

 brought one pea to perfection, although richly ma- 

 nured with dung, from their running too much to 

 haulm, and after blossoming dying away without 

 becoming ripe, if it has had lime applied upon it, 

 is capable, when properly prepared in other re- 

 spects, of producing plentiful crops of peas ever 

 afterwards." 



It may, perhaps, be asked, why new lands, or 

 lands recently cleared from their native woods, will 

 at first produce good crops of wheat, but after 

 having been cultivated for some years, though 

 made rich with barn yard manure, will lose its 

 power of producing that grain. To this it may be 

 answered that, perhaps, the soil originally con- 

 tained small quantities of lime, which became ex- 

 hausted by tillage; and, perhaps, the ashes, which 

 were left in clearing might, by yielding potash, 

 present a substitute for lime. 



From the preceding we think it apparent, that 

 lime, or some other alkali, is indispensable for the 

 culture of wheat ; but the use of animal manure 

 for wheat crops involves another question, which 

 we hope to discuss hereafter. 



To destroy Insects in Fruit Trees. Two gallons 

 of boiling water poured on two ounces of tobacco 

 and three or four handfuls of the tender shoots of 

 elder. The trees sprinkled with a small hearth 

 brush for two or three weeks will effectually de- 

 stroy insects. Elder-water frequently sprinkled 

 on honey-suckles and roses, prevents the insects 



* Auderson's Recreations, vol. i, p. 16. 



lodging upon them. The above decoction may be 

 made of any strength as it is perfectly innocent to 

 the tree. — Horticultural Register. 



PRESERVING FRUITS PROM BEES. 



Mr. Fkssenden, — What is the best mode of de- 

 stroying Bees that attack Fruit, or what method 

 for preventing them? Is there any remedy for 

 these depredators ? J. II. 



By the Editor. — We have never been before ap- 

 prised of Bees becoming to any amount injurious 

 to Fruits, and are sorry to learn that they have been 

 guilty of trespass of that description. Mr. Forsyth 

 recommends the following as a preservative 

 against wasps, which, perhaps, might prove of 

 equal efficacy against Bees: 



"Several phials or small bottles, should be pre- 

 pared towards the time when the wasps appear. 

 These vessels are to be filled half, or three parts 

 full, with a mixture consisting of the lees of beer 

 or wine, and the sweepings of sugar, or the dregs 

 of molasses: next they must be suspended by yel- 

 low pack-thread, on nails driven into the different 

 parts of the garden walls, so as to reach nearly to 

 the bottom. When the bottles are filled with in- 

 sects, the liquor must be poured into another ves- 

 sel, and the wasps crushed on the ground. Should 

 the weather prove hot, so that these marauders be- 

 come very numerous, and will not enter the glas- 

 ses exposed for their reception, touch them on 

 the back with a little oil, and they will immedi- 

 ately fall down, and perish, the lateral pores 

 through which they breathe being closed." 



If, however, bees are the transgressors, it will 

 be necessary to decide which it were better to sus- 

 tain, the injury done to your fruit, or the lossofthe 

 bees which do the mischief, before you commence 

 offensive operations. 



ITEMS OF INTELLIGENCE. 



We now have beautiful weather for haying and har- 

 vesting. Our wheatfields are like to turn out more than 

 an average crop — grass is good, and corn which for some 

 time looked very unpromising is now coming forward 

 finely. — Frcdonia Censor. 



Revolutionary Soldiers. The whole number of appli- 

 cations for the benefit of the new Pension Act, will ex- 

 ceed twenty-five thousand, which added to those who 

 are embraced in the provisions of former acts, constitute 

 a total of more than thirty thousand survivors of the 

 army of the Revolution. Of this number more than six 

 hundred are living in the county of Worcester. There 

 are besides many who served a shorter term than is re- 

 quisite to receive a pension. — Worcester Spy. 



Large Mustard. A neighbor of mine has a stalk of 

 mustard that measures 11 feet 3£ inches in height, one 

 limb of it measures 8 feet 10 inches ; you may rely on 

 the accuracy of the measurement. The stalk was grow- 

 ing when measured. The seed is supposed to have 

 come with beans or some other seed of that kind — at all 

 events, it is an accidental growth. The seeds will be 

 saved; I am promised a part, of which you shall receive 

 a portion. — Hindes Co. Miss. June 28, 1833. 



One of the most extraordinary occurrences of modern 

 times was lately witnessed on the line of the Chesa- 

 peake and Delaware Canal. A Mr. Whelden who left 

 Easton, Pa. on the 27th June, 1832, was attacked on the 

 15th Aug. 3 o'clock, P. M. ; and at 7, the next morning 

 was to all appearance dead. In an hour after, he was 

 placed in a coffin, and taken to the burial place. Here, 

 as the coffin lay beside the grave, a deep moaning was 

 heard, and immediate suspicion of the fact inducing the 



