50 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



AUGUST 28, 1933. 



I this year lost by blight, was precisely such an 

 one as that described above as peculiarly exposed 

 to injury. It was on an alluvial meadow ; near a 

 river, surrounded by bills on three sides, and sub- 

 ject to copious exhalations from the stream. The 

 two blasted crops in my neighborhood, referred to 

 in my former communication, were similarly situat- 

 ed. The rankness of the growth of "'.V wheat, 

 and the fact that some portion of it was lodged, 

 no doubt contributed to create a predisposition or 

 liability to the disease. But it was obviously af- 

 fected by all the local and temporary causes above 

 referred to; and to them, and not to any particular 

 condition of the soil, to the superabundance or de- 

 ficiency of any particular ingredients in the soil, 

 its blight, in my opinion, is to be attributed. 



As the subject is of great importance, I beg 

 leave to mention other authority in relation to it, 

 and when 1 refer to John Brown, of Markle, it 

 will be understood by those competent to judge, 

 that for science in Agriculture and practical knowl- 

 edge and experience, no higher authority can be 

 quoted. 



In his treatise on Rural Affairs, vol. ii, p. 24, &c. 

 he says, " Whether blight and mildew are consid- 

 ered separately, or viewed as one and the same 

 disorder, appearing in different periods of the 

 plant's growth, we are convinced that both may 

 with truth be reckoned to proceed from an un- 

 healthy atmosphere, when the crop is in certain 

 stages of its progress to maturity." "Some soils 

 are naturally so moist at bottom, that dampness 

 issues from them at all times. Superior culture 

 and excessive manuring are apt to cause a crop to 

 be early lodged ; in which case one disease or 

 other is sure to seize upon it ; and a southern as- 

 pect, and every confined situation, are much more 

 hazardous than those of a northern or western ex- 

 posure and where the air has free egress. In a 

 word, when hoar frost or vapor of any kind is dis- 

 pelled by wind, no danger will follow to the crop, 

 but wherever a hot sun is the agent, we have re- 

 peatedly noticed the most serious losses." 



" The opinions already expressed respecting the 

 diseases of wheat receive considerable support 

 from what happened with crops 1808 and 1809. 

 That mildew acted, in numerous instances, as the 

 destroying agent of crop 1808, is universally ac- 

 knowledged ; but that the defectiveness of that 

 crop was entirely owing to mildew may safely be 

 questioned. Qy In fact the chief injury proceed- 

 ed from an unhealthy or pestilential atmosphere, at 

 the time when the grain was in an embryo or im- 

 perfect state. Owing to that unhealthiness some- 

 thing like abortion seemed to take place in the pa- 

 rent plant, after the foetus of the young grain was 

 formed, as was evident from more than one half of 

 the cups or vessels, prepared by nature for its re- 

 ception, being totally void of substance, notwith- 

 standing that every part of the ear bad blossomed 

 equally well, and promised to furnish a numerous 

 and healthy progeny." 



"It shall now be inquired, how this abortion 

 was brought about, which we have stated as so 

 destructive to the wheat crop of 1808. This may 

 be satisfactorily elucidated by a reference to the 

 weather, which prevailed through the months of 

 July and August, as it is in these months that the 

 diseases of wheat always appear, that of smut ex- 

 cepted, which is not generated by an unhealthy at- 

 mosphere. The month of July was excessively 

 warm, more so than remembered by the oldest 

 man living ; and from the beginning to the 20th of 



the month, the slightest moisture was not perceiva- 

 ble. Owing to this uncommon beat, wheat plants 

 upon all soils not composed of clay or strong loam, 

 were, in a manner, at a stand with respect to growth, 

 being enfeebled by the fierce rays of the sun, 

 while any wind that blew was so sultry, that the 

 evil was rather increased by its effects. The 

 ground in consequence of this intense sunshine, 

 felt something like burnt brick when taken from 

 the kiln; of course when the rains fell, smoke is- 

 sued from the surface, something like what pro- 

 ceeds from lime-shells when water is thrown upon 

 them; and this exhalation of vapor, continued in 

 a greater or less degree, till the soil was saturated 

 with moisture, when the air became cooler and 

 more temperate. Under these circumstances it 

 was not to be expected that the wheat crop could 

 escape from the danger with which it was encom- 

 passed. Apprehensions therefore, were entertain- 

 ed that the fields, already in a sickly and declining 

 state, would soon fall victims to the pestilence, 

 which raged in the atmosphere; and the result 

 soon showed that these apprehensions were too 

 well founded. With the exception of the lands 

 upon the sea shore, preserved we presume by re- 

 freshing breezes from the sea, every field was dis- 

 covered to be more or less injured." 



I have no disposiiion, Mr. Editor, to establish 

 or controvert any particular theory. The subject 

 is of the last importance to the agricultural com- 

 munity. It is from this consideration that I have 

 given you the results of my own limited experi- 

 ence; and the far more valuable opinions of the 

 distinguished, scientific, and practical farmers 

 quoted above. Other facts already in my posses- 

 sion and which I am taking means to obtain in re- 

 lation to this important culture, if thought likely 

 to throw light upon the subject, shall be placed at 

 your disposal. H. C. 



Meadowbanks, Deerfield, Aug. 15, 1833. 



Errata ia my last communicatioa. Second column, 3il 

 I'ne from lop, for juncture read junction; 2d line from l>ottom, 

 for second read recent. H. C 



ORES. 



From a late Geological Report, by Professor 



Hitchcock, published in the American Journal 



of Science. 



Is Hinsdale, N. H. An extensive bed or vein 

 of the black and silicious oxides of manganese 

 have been found in this town. It appears near the 

 top of a bill, and the adjacent rocks are not visible. 

 The ore strongly resembles that from Plaiufield. 



In Winchester, N. H. Between one and two 

 miles east of the centre village in this town mar be 

 seen large quantities of the black and red oxides 

 of this metal of the same character as in Hinsdale. 

 These localities have as yet, attracted no attention 

 except from a few mineralogists. My information 

 and specimens were furnished me by Mr. John L. 

 Alexander of Winchester. 



Gold. — It may perhaps excite a smile, to see 

 gold occupying a place in a description of the min- 

 erals of Massachusetts. It has not indeed been 

 found in this state; but I am able in this place to 

 announce the existence of a deposit of this metal in 

 the southern part of Vermont ; and I feel no small 

 degree of confidence, that it will be found in Mas- 

 sachusetts. A statement of the grounds of this 

 belief, may save me from the charge of extrava- 

 gant expectations. 



I have already described an iron mine, as oc- 

 curring in Somerset, Vermont. It is owned by 



S. V. S. Wilder, Esq. of Brooklyn, New York, 

 who has erected a bloomery forge near the spot. 

 Sometime ago, one of the workmen engaged in 

 these iron works, saw in the American Journal of 

 Science, a suggestion of Professor Eaton, of Troy, 

 that since the gold of the Southern States, and of 

 Mexico, is in talcose slate, we might expect to find 

 it in the same rock in New England ; especially 

 about the head branches of Deerfield river. He 

 commenced an examination in a brook near the 

 mines, and was soon rewarded by the discovery of 

 a spherical mass of gold, of the value of more than 

 a dollar; afterwards he found other small pieces. 

 At the request of Mr. Wilder, I visited this spot a 

 few weeks ago, and found that an individual con- 

 versant with the gold mines in the Southern States, 

 and acquainted with the process of washing the 

 metal from the soil, had just been examining the 

 region now spoken of. The result was a convic- 

 tion, that over several hundred acres at least, gold 

 was common in the soil. In a bushel of dirt col- 

 lected in various places, be found about three penny- 

 weights of very pure gold. Mr. Wilder proceed- 

 ed himself to exhibit to me an ocular demonstra- 

 tion of the existence of gold in the soil, by wash- 

 ing for it. From about six quarts of dirt, taken a 

 foot below the surface, we obtained (although not 

 very skilful in manipulations of this sort) twenty 

 or thirty small pieces weighing about seven grains. 

 Indeed, by the aid of my knife, I picked two or 

 three pieces from the dirt. 



The iron ore is in beds in distinct talcose slate; 

 and a considerable part of the ore is the brown 

 oxide, and contained in a porous quartz. In this 

 quartz, were found several spherical pieces of gold, 

 scarcely larger than a pigeon shot. Whether it 

 exists, as in the Southern States, in finer particles 

 in the yellowish iron ore, has not been ascertained. 

 But specimens of the quartz and iron at this place 

 cannot be distinguished from what is called gold 

 ore at the gold mines in Virginia, and North Car- 

 olina. Indeed, a suite of specimens from the 

 Somerset iron mine, could not be distinguished, 

 except by labels, from a similar suite from the 

 south. 



In every case in which gold has been found at 

 this place, in the soil, it was accompanied by more 

 or less of iron sand, and some distance north of the 

 mine, neither could be found ; but how far to the 

 South and East it occurs, has not been ascertained. 

 I am inclined however to believe, that the gold at 

 this locality, will be found to be always associated 

 with the iron. 



We were told at Somerset, that several ypars 

 ago, a mass of gold was found in the bed of Deer- 

 field river, three or four miles to the south of the 

 mine, which was sold for sixty eight dollars, and 

 we bad no reason to doubt the statement. Certain 

 it is, that a few years since, a piece was discover- 

 ed by Gen. Field, weighing eight and a half 

 ounces, in New Fane, a town twelve or fifteen 

 miles east of Somerset. 



Upon the whole, it appears to me that the facts 

 above stated justify the conclusion, that there ex- 

 ists a gold region in the lower part of Vermont, of 

 considerable extent and richness. It may be found 

 to be very extensive, and probably it is not confin- 

 ed exclusively to the talcose slate formation ; for 

 New Fane, I believe, contains but little of this 

 rock. The region west of Somerset is little known 



the iron mine there, lies at the foot of the Green 



Mountains, and it is chiefly a mountain wildernesB 

 for sixteen or seventeen miles west of this spot. 





