610 



NEW ENGLAND FARMEK. 



Nov. 



with a large admixture of sand and lime. It 

 is in fact the same soil as the crust which we 

 plough, except that it is devoid of humus, or 

 decayed vegetable matter. It is universally 

 asserted in Southern Illinois that their soil will 

 produce good crops of wheat, even if taken 

 from any depth down to the lime rock. This 

 will, in a certain degree, also apply to our 

 Missouri subsoil, but only on condition that 

 this subsoil be exposed to at least one winter's 

 thorough freezing after it has been thrown up. 



CUBCUIiIOS KEPT OFF BY HOGS. 



In confirmation of the theory that the cur- 

 culio will not meddle with the fruit on trees 

 standing in a hog-pasture, a correspondent of 

 the Eural New Yorker relates the result of 

 an accidental experiment made by him on his 

 farm in Indiana, some years ago. Wishing 

 for a lot to feed his hogs in, he made a fence 

 which enclosed about one-half of a parcel of 

 some twenty plum trees, which blossomed full 

 every year but matured no fruit, as it all fell 

 oflf before ripe. That season the trees out- 

 side of the hog-yard dropped their fruit as 

 usual, while those inside, though the hogs al- 

 most dug them up by the roots, not only grew 

 well, but were so full of plums that the 

 branches had to be propped up. The next 

 season the fence was changed so as to take in 

 the trees left out the year before, and the re- 

 sult was plenty of ripe fruit from all of them 

 for several years. Others, he said, tried the 

 experiment with the same result. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 ■WHEAT IIAI3INQ. 



Having seen several communications this 

 season, on the all-important business of rais- 

 ing wheat, I thought I would give you a little 

 of my experience, though but limited. 



In the spring of 1860, I had a field of six 

 acres that had been planted to corn the pre- 

 vious year, which I sowed to spring wheat. 

 The spring was so early that I got my wheat 

 all sowed and harrowed in, bushed and rolled 

 the 18th day of April. The result of the crop 

 was published in the Faiimer of Sept. 12, if 

 my memory serves me, but of which I will 

 only say here that I got 222^ bushels from the 

 six acres. Encouraged by that, I have sowed 

 more or less wheat every jear since, and dur- 

 ing that time there has beeu but one year that 

 I have not raised and sold over $100 worth of 

 wheat, besides the bread (or my family, and 

 in three years in that time, have sold from 

 $200 to $800 worth a year. 



Last year I harvested seventy-five bushels 

 from three acres of winter wheat, which sold 

 for seed readily at $3.50 per bushel. I also had 

 sixty bushels of spring wheat from two and 

 three-fourths acres, a part of which got 

 sprouted. Had it not been for excessive wet 

 and hot weather while harvesting, it would 

 have brought me $3 per bushel. 



This year I had four acres of winter wheat, 

 which I threshed one week ago, and measured 

 up a little rising of eighty bushel, which I am 

 selling for seed at $2.50 per bushel. This 

 year I have only one and a half acres of spring 

 wheat, which is not yet harvested, but will 

 probably yield twenty bushels in all, being 

 rather light. 



Now, Mr. Editor, I fully endorse Mr. H. 

 Poor's theory, that the New England States 

 can raise their own flour, and even a surplus, 

 if they will but try as hard as some do to hum- 

 bug the people with Norway oats and Early 

 Rose potatoes, «&c. But as my article is get- 

 ting too lengthy, I will stop for this time, but 

 should like at some leisure hour to give your 

 readers my method of raising wheat, and also 

 my luck with Norway oats. Early Rose pota- 

 toes, &C. R. H. SiMONOS. 



Hartford, Vt., Aug. 23, 1869. 



Varieties of Wheat. — A correspondent 

 of the Canada Farmer, who by way of ex- 

 periment, sowed the past season — the White 

 China, Soules, Treadwell, Kentucky White 

 Midge-proof, Meititerranean Midge-proof, 

 club-shaped ear (name unknown) , and common 

 Red Midge-proof, makes the following report : 



The Tre.idwell does not seem any earlier than 

 either the White China or Soules ; the Kentucky 

 White was almost all winter killed ; having sown 

 it now three years I would not advise any one to 

 do so hereafter. The Soi;les, of course, is as usual 

 excellent; the club-shaped ear is also good; the 

 White China also; but the Treadwell is best of all. 

 The other sorts, although very rank and tall, have 

 badly filled heads. No midge has made any per- 

 ceptible inroads on any of the seven varieties. 



TO INTEBEST BOYS IM" FABMINa. 

 Mr. J. Harris of Rochester, N. Y., one of 

 the editors of the American Agriculturist and 

 who was tendered a professorship in the Cor- 

 nell University, illustrates some of the means 

 by which boys may be interested in the affairs 

 of the farm, by the following personal remin- 

 iscences and suggestions : — 



When I was a boy my father made me keep 

 the accounts of his farm, and I soon began to 

 take an interest in it. He had ten children, 

 and worked hard to give us a good education. 

 When crops were poor, or prices low, it was 

 with a heavy heart he sat down at night to tell 

 me what to write in the book, and though 



