60 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



SEPTEMBER 4, 1833. 



■From the Buck's County Intelligencer of 1831. 

 THE PRACTICAL FARMER No. i. 



The most eligible time for sowing the seed of 

 Orchard Grass, I am induced to believe, is as ear- 

 ly in the spring as the state of the ground will 

 admit ; and as clover is the best adapted to the 

 growth of this grass of any with which I am ac- 

 quainted, they may he advantageously sown to- 

 gether. I have usually sown clover seed at the 

 rate of about four quarts per acre, and afterwards 

 followed with orchard grass with one bushel on 



the same quantity of ground. This plan has 1 n 



preferred from a knowledge of. the fact, that the 

 latter grass does not generally advance as rapidly 

 as clover, (it not seeding the next season after 

 sowing,) but there is always sufficient of the blades, 

 if the seed takes well, to improve very much the 

 quality of the clover hay. The succeeding season 

 the orchard grass occupies much more space, 

 gradually increasing as the clover declines. The 

 experience of the growers of this grass has shown 

 that the crop improves for at least seven years. 

 Unlike Timothy and Herd, the bulk of this grass 

 consists in the blades; and of course, when the 

 top is cut for seed, the value of the crop for hay is 

 not much lessened, the part usually cradled being 

 of comparatively small value ; but after the seed 

 is gathered, it does not, like the grasses just men- 

 tioned, become dead and dry, but continues green 

 and in a suitable state for cutting during several 

 weeks. I have this season mown the stubble 

 which had been standing more than four weeks, 

 and the larger part of it furnished hay Of a very 

 good quality; on the other hand I have ohserved 

 several patches of Timothy and Herd that have 

 been cut for seed, the stubble of which would not 

 be worth gathering for any thing but manure. 



In sowing the seed of this grass, especial care 

 should he taken to distribute it evenly over the 

 ground, it being light', (weighing but about 15 lbs. 

 per bushel,) and easily acted upon by the winds. 

 On an eight pace land four casts should be sown, 

 the sower scattering seed with every step. But it 

 should not he mixed with clover or any Other 

 heavy seed, as the difference in tceiglit will vary 

 the extent to which a cast will reach. With re- 

 spect to the quantity of seed per acre, those who 

 sow with a view of making it the sole object, 

 would probably consult their interest in sowing 

 one and a half or two bushels per acre ; but one 

 bushel sown in the manner above mentioned, has 

 been productive of a profitable result, both as re- 

 spects the improved quality it has imparted to the 

 hay, as well as the seed it has afforded. The ap- 

 pellation of Orchard has been given to this grass, 

 from its known congeniality with shade. I have 

 known very luxuriant crops to grow in an orchard, 

 producing three cuttings in a season, although the 

 trees were large, and almost entirely shading the 

 ground ; but in such situations it will not pro- 

 duce seed. 



The fertilizing quality of this grass was formerly 

 mentioned, and it may probably be attributed to 

 the circumstance of its shading the soil more ef- 

 fectually than most other grasses, excepting clover. 

 If a field of it should be kept for mowing, there 

 will be very little time during the warm weather 

 in which the grounds will not be protected from 

 the heat of the sun ; and if for pasture, unless it 

 be too heavily stocked, the soil will be shaded by 

 a sufficiont covering of this luxuriant grass. 



It may be mown for bay at any time best suited 

 for cutting the clover with which it grows ; but if 



it is designed to save the seed, the mowing must 

 be deferred till towards the last of June, at which 

 time the seed will be ripe. This should be cradled 

 before it is ripe enough to waste, bound in small 

 sheaves, and .-hocked in rows. The stubble may 

 then be mown immediately, or to suit the conven- 

 ience of the farmer, the seed requiring some ex- 

 posure to the weather to render it in a suitable 

 state for thrashing. 



I subjoin the following analysis, contained in 

 Sir Humphry Davy's Agricultural Chemistry. The 

 quantity of grass from which the estimate is made, 

 grew on a spot of earth contained in four square 

 fret, in a garden attached to Woburn Abbey. The 

 soil was selected, as best adapted to the culture of 

 said grass — a circumstance which may account 

 for the great burden obtained for the estimate per 

 acre. 



Dactylis glomerata — Round-headed cocks-foot grass, 

 (or Orchard Grass.) 



lbs. per acre. 



Grass in flower — rich sandy loam, 27,905 



When dry, ... - 11,859 



Nutritive matter, ... 1,0S9 



At the time the seed is ripe, grass, 26,544 



When dry, - 13,272 



Nutritive matter, ... 1,451 



Roweti grass, (or 2d crop,) - 11,910 



Nutritive matter, ... 281 



This analysis is given as a mere matter of curi- 

 osity, as the climate of England, differing so much 

 from this, must make a great difference in the re- 

 sult. The time of the first crop's growing in that 

 climate continues to a period of one month beyond 

 the same growth in this section of the United 

 States ; and hence the Rowen or second crop 

 might be expected, (as the result shows,) both in- 

 ferior in bulk and quality to what it is in this 

 country. 



From the Vermont Chronicle. 

 THE WHEAT INSECT. 



The wheat crop in this vicinity, and if report 

 speaks truly, generally through the whole country, 

 never gave greater promise of abundance, than it 

 lias done this season, up to the time this insect 

 commenced its ravages. So far as examination 

 and inquiry have extended, (and we have taken 

 considerable pains to learn the extent of the injury 

 done by them to the crop,) very few fields have en- 

 tirely escaped the attacks of these insects. — Some 

 fields are supposed to be nearly destroyed ; while 

 others are affected in a much slighter degree. So 

 far as we can ascertain, the latest sowed wheat is 

 much less infested by them, than that which was 

 earlier sowed. 



In some fields these insects are numerous almost 

 beyond the reach of the imagination. — From five to 

 seven are found in the husk of a single grain and 

 in almost every husk in the ear. This iusect is 

 not, as has been described by some, a maggot in 

 the kernel of the grain, and confined to it ; but, 

 moves about at pleasure, within the husk of the 

 kernel ; and after a shower of rain, they have been 

 seen in such countless numbers on the beards of 

 the wheat, as to give the whole field the color of 

 the insect. 



The iusect is of a sulphur color, and one tenth 

 of an inch in length ; and through a magnifying 

 glass its skin appears hard and polished, like that 

 of the wire worm. It is beyond a doubt, a very 

 different insect from the one denominated the 

 weevil. 



It is probably the same species of insect, which 

 is described by Mr. Gome in the Quarterly Jour- 

 nal of Agriculture. He says "in May or June, as 

 soon as the temperature rises to 57 or 58 deg., for 

 a week or ten days, the flies begin to appear. If 

 this happens in May, the flies deposit their eggs be- 

 fore tin' ears of the wheat appear, and are then 

 comparatively harmless ; but if the ear which they 

 make their nidus, has burst the sheath before this 

 period, they fix themselves on the glume, and de- 

 posit clusters of eggs on the stigma. In nine days 

 after the eggs are deposited, the caterpillars appear 

 fully formed, of a sulphur color, and devour the 

 embryo grain. After the ear is fully developed, 

 and about an iucb above the sheath, the fly never 

 attempts to deposit its eggs upon it. In three 

 weeks, from the time the eggs are deposited, the 

 maggots disappear from the grain, and burrow in 

 the ground. The damage done by these insects in 

 three years, in the Braes and Carse ofGawrie, was 

 estimated at 400,000 dollars. No remedy has 

 been found for the evil." If the fly, which Gorrie 

 describes, be the same species of insect with those 

 which are now ravaging our fields of wheat, as it 

 certainly appears to be, from its similarity of hab- 

 its, there is great reason to hope, that late sowing 

 will prove a remedy. 



One important fact which goes to sustain this be- 

 lief is, that several fields of late sowed wheat on ex- 

 amination, appeared to be very little damaged. 

 Another, equally important, is, that the latest sow- 

 ed field of wheat which we examined, and which 

 appeared almost, if not altogether untouched, by 

 this insect, had a sprinkling of rye among it; and 

 this rye though not the natural, or cbosefl nidus of 

 the insect, was swarming with them. This is to 

 be accounted for from the fact that when wheat 

 and rye are sown together, at the same time, the 

 ears of the rye burst the sheath, from ten days, to 

 a fortnight sooner, than the wheat. There were 

 probably none of the maggots on the wheat of this 

 field, except what were produced from the eggs 

 originally deposited on the ears of rye, and which 

 might have escaped thence to the ears of wheat on 

 their appearing above the sheath. The most mi- 

 nute observation, however, of the habits of these 

 insects, can alone settle these questions. There 

 can be little doubt, but that a proper knowledge of 

 their habits, instincts, and time of depositing their 

 eggs, might enable the farmer greatly to lessen, if 

 not entirely to prevent their ravages. 



At our suggestion, a number of farmers in Or- 

 ange County saved their Spring wheat from the 

 worms last year, by late sowing. Winter wheat 

 cannot escape, except by being too early for the 

 worm, and therefore all possible pains should be 

 used to bring it forward. 



Who is Gorrie, and where are the "Brses of 

 Gawrie?" Are they in Scotland? Does Gorrie 

 give any farther information concerning the in- 

 sect? If so, let us have it, every word of it, in 

 his own language, — even those parts which seem 

 wholly unimportant. 



From the Virginia Farmer. 

 PLANTING IRISH POTATOES. 



Buckingham, May, 1833. 

 I planted a piece of ground in Irish potatoes, 

 some of which I cut in pieces, leaving an eye to 

 each ; the others I planted whole. Those planted 

 whole produced more than those cut, though the 

 same quantity in weight was put into each hill. 



D. G. 



