NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



343 



ABILITY OF THE EAST TO GROW 

 WHEAT. 



The gradual failure of the Eastern States, and a 

 part of this state, to produce wheat, is an enigma of 

 difficult solution. The state of Vermont, even, -with 

 its Boreal climate, once was a wheat-growing region, 

 and continued to grow more or less, pre%'ious to the 

 advent of the weevil, or grain Avorm ; but it was 

 nearly abandoned in most of the New England States, 

 and in the eastern part of this state, long before this 

 period, as a reliable and profitable crop. 



The analysis of soils of the same apparent texture 

 and compo-;ition does not show any important differ- 

 ence in their constituents. The diluvium — drift or 

 soil that covers this continent — was not created in 

 the locale where it lies, but is the triturated masses 

 of the rocks covering a vast extent of country, and 

 ■was distributed by currents and disturbances of the 

 " world of waters " that once covered the whole 

 globe, before the " waters were gathered together." 



Now, although the western district is underlaid 

 by a sedimentary, calcareous substratum of rocks, yet 

 the soil is not found, by analysis, to take any distinc- 

 tive character from that peculiarity. It can hardly 

 be climate that affects the wheat plant, as we are in 

 the same latitude as our middle, northern and eastern 

 counties ; and yet with us it is a certain crop — the 

 great reliance for profit by all the farmers of this 

 region and the great west. 



If lime, or potash, which are admitted to bo im- 

 portant constituents of wheat, are lacking, and they 

 have been used up by cultivation, or if the soil lacks 

 any other required j^c-bulum of Avheat, let them be 

 artificially applied ; they are perfectly within the 

 reach and ability of the farmer. 



As the grain worm has ceased to exist at the east, 

 simply from the want of the means to propagate 

 itself, let the farmers commence wheat husbandry 

 again — clover, lime, and ash their land — sow early, 

 that the plant may have strong roots to withstand 

 the winter — and we feel persuaded that success 

 Avould follow their efforts. There is no witchcraft 

 about raising wheat : a few well-conducted exjjori- 

 ments would tell the story, and perhaps end in con- 

 ferring incalculable benefits to the present non- 

 ■wheat-growing regions. — Rural Xeto-Yur/ier. 



LEAVES AS MANURE. 



Leaves, buds, and tender branches are peculiarly 

 rich in the vegetable alkali ; besides which, they 

 contain other organic elements derived fi'om the soil, 

 enrich its surface, tending to prevent its exhaustion, 

 or, when newly applied, — that is, toother ground,— 

 to enrich it more than superficially. 



Leaves — and the remark is applicable to the ten- 

 der branches also — seem destined by nature for the 

 manure of forest land, and, indeed, of ground gen- 

 erally wherever trees grow. The roots collect the 

 inorganic elements essential to vegetation from the 

 soil, penetrating deeply and widely ; the leaves de- 

 tain and store up a certain portion of them with 

 other elements derived from the atmosphere, such as 

 are required for their growth ; and these, returned to 

 the soil with the fall of the leaf, and there under- 

 going decomposition, arc ready to be appropriated 

 again, and rc-administer to the process of vegetable 

 growth. — Farmer's Herald. 



The intelligent have a right over the ignorant 

 the right of instructing them. 



NOTICES OF PUBLICATIONS. 



Thk Farmer's Guide. — We have occasionally 

 noticed this valuable work, by Mr. Stephens, one of 

 the ablest and most practical agricultural writers of 

 Great Britain. In the eighth number is the com- 

 mencement of notes by Professor Norton, which are 

 very interesting and instructive, and are intended to 

 adapt the work to American agriculture. It is neatly 

 printed, at a moderate price, and is illustrated by nu- 

 merous engravings. New York : Leonard Scott & 

 Co. Boston : Fetridge & Co. 



The Illus-trated Domestic Bible, with Notes, 

 Reflections, Questions, &c., by Rev. Mr. Cobbin, is 

 very neat and instructive, and admirably adapted to 

 families ; it is beautifully illustrated, and published 

 at a low price. New York : Samuel Ilueston. Bos- 

 ton : Hotchkiss & Co. 



The (Old) Farmer's Almanac, by Robert B. 

 Thomas. — We gladly welcome this old social friend 

 to our table. It has made its annual visits to the 

 farmer for more than half a century, and as the 

 author is as young and jolly as ever, it seems a« 

 though he would live forever. Boston : Jenks, 

 Palmer, & Co. 



Catalogue of Fruit and Ornamental Trees, 

 from William Reid, Elizabethtown, N. J. ; contain- 

 ing a list of a large number of varieties of fruits, 

 with short descriptions. 



Letter to the Hon. J. M. Clayton, Secretary of 

 State, on the Independent Oriental Nations, &c., &c., 

 by Aaron II. Palmer. This pamphlet contains val- 

 uable information. Washington : Gideon & Co. 



ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. 



As we had many presents of fruits, wc could not 

 notice them all in our last. The greater part of 

 these fruits were received a few weeks ago. 



Of E. C. Purdy, I>Iedford, Editor of the Boston 

 Daily Mail, the Purdy peach, a seedling of his own 

 raising. This peach is among the largest size, and 

 the most beautiful, and wc have not tasted of a finer 

 fruit this fall. It ripens the last of September. If 

 others will cultivate it so as to bring it up to the 

 same size, it will be a valuable acquisition for the 

 market. Mr. P. has also kindly furnislicd us with 

 some of the stones, and wc hojjc to raise the same 

 from the seed. 



From Elijah Wyman, 3d, Woburn, several very 

 fine varieties of peach, the names of which are not 

 familiar to us. 



From Briggs Arnold, East Abington, a seedling 

 peach called "Penniman," which resembles the 

 Early Crawford in appearance, but it is sweeter, 

 and of less flavor. Another seedling (" Ben Pratt") 

 peach was picked too early for us to judge of its 

 quality. No. 4 was excellent, but we do not know 

 the name. 



From John Day, West Bo.xford, some fine pcachei. 



