278 



NtlW ENGLAND FARMER, 



MARCH 13, tS.13. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



BOSTON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, MARCH 13, 1R33. 



PARMER'S AND GARDENER'S WORK. 



Spring ffhtat. In order to prepare seed wheat 

 in such a manner as to i)revent smut, the following 

 process has been recommended by a judicious 

 practical farmer. 



" The only successful course is to prepare the 

 seed about ten days before sowing time. This is 

 done by selecting clean plump seed, passing it 

 through water in a tub, about half a bushel at a 

 time, and washing it and skimming off all matter 

 that floats, then empty it into a basket to drain, 

 then lay it on a clean floor and rake in two quarts 

 of slacked lime and one quart of plaster to the 

 bushel, and if too dry sprinkle on water and con- 

 tinue to stir it till all is covered with the lime and 

 plaster. In this way you may proceed till you 

 have prepared your whole seed. Let it remain in 

 a heap one day, tlien spread it and remove it daily, 

 until it becomes perfectly dry ; it is then fit to 

 sow, and you may sow it if the land should he 

 quite wet. 



" The quanity of wheat to an acre," (continues 

 our adviser) " should be one bushel and twenty 

 quarts. In the process of sowing you may not he 

 able to apportion your seed exactly to the acre ; 

 therefore, when you have sowed and ploughed in 

 the quantity proposed for the acre, you may gath- 

 er all that remains, with the lime and plaster, and 

 sow it on the wiiole piece of land, passing across 

 the furrows. This will make it even, and cause 

 a very equal distribution of the seed, which may 

 then be harrowed. After the wheat has come up 

 three or four inches above the ground sow one 

 bushel of plaster to the acre, or house ashes equiv- 

 alent as .yon please, or leached ashes, increasing 

 the quantity." 



With regard to manure for wheat it is the opin- 

 ion of Judge Buel, that "the soils of New England 

 being of jirimitive formation are not naturally 

 adapted to the culture of wheat because they do 

 not contain all the elements of this valuable grain. 

 And that this natural defect can be remedied only 

 by the apjilication of animal manures, or manures 

 containing the elements of animal matter." This 

 indispensable animal matter he observed may be 

 found "in bones, urine, horn, hair, night soil, iu 

 the refuse of the tanner, morocco dresser, tallow 

 chandler, soap boiler, the offal of the butcher, the 

 dung of fowls, soot, woollen rags, fish, &c. And 

 the proper application of these substances will ma- 

 nure a crop of wheat,* 



Loudon likewise asserts "The manures best cal- 

 culated for wheat, are allowed by all agricultural 

 chemists to be animal matters and lime. The 

 former has a direct influence in supplying that es- 

 sential constituent to wheaten flour, gluten ; and 



the latter azote and lime, both actually found on 

 the straw of wheat. At all events wheat will not 

 thrive in any soil that does not contain lime. In 

 this Sir. H. Davy, Chaptal, Professors Thayer and 

 Grisenthwaite fully agi'ee." 



Lime is not only a necessary ingredient in every 

 soil which is intended to produce a vigorous veg- 

 etation, but is wanted to compose a part of the 

 substance of certain plants, and wheat is one of 

 the number. No plant can grow in a soil which 

 is utterly destitute of the ingredients, which con- 

 stitute its substance. Lime then or some of its 

 compounds is as necessary to raise wheat as it is 

 to make lime mortar. Dr. Darwin, and other phi- 

 losophers appeared to believe, that all the calcare- 

 ous (or limy) matter existing in the world is of 

 animal origin. Kirwan also found lime in barn 

 yard manure, and lime as well as gluten may be 

 furnished to wheat by all substances of animal or- 

 igin. Sir Hiunphrey Davy tells us the chemistry 

 of the manures, which act in small quantities, such 

 as gypsum, alkalies, and various saline substances, 

 has hitherto been exceedingly obscure. It has 

 been generally supposed these materials act in 

 vegetation in the same manner as condiments or 

 stiumlants iu animal economy, and that they ren- 

 der tl.e comn)on food of plants more nutritive 

 However, it seems a nmch more probable idea 

 that they are actually a part of the U-ue food of 

 plants, and that they supply a kind of mutter to 

 the vegetable fibre which is analogous to the bony 

 matter in the animal structure." 



* See a valuable paper '• On ihe cultivation of wheal in New 

 Euglaud," by i. buel, N. E. Fanner, vol. v. p. 217. 



Lettuce. — To obtain a constant supply of good let- 

 tuce it is necessary to sow it every month from the 

 o))ening of spring to July for the main summer and 

 autuuui crops. For late autumnal crops you may 

 sow in August; and if you have hotbeds, frames, &c. 

 you may sow in September, and .so en through the 

 fall. It may be sown broad cast, or in drills, with 

 the rows from 12 to 15 inches apart; or it 

 may be sown between vacant rows, intended for 

 other |)lants, and pulled out for use before the 

 other plants are large enough to be cucumbered 

 by it. 



The common Cos Lettuce (Lactuca Sativa) 

 as been grown in England for feeding swine 

 and other domestic animals. Arthur Young 

 informed us, iu his Farmer^s Calendar, that he 

 first observed the sowing of lettuces for hops 

 practiced in a pretty regular system, on the farm 

 of a very intelligent cultivator, (not at all a 

 whimsical man) in Sussex. He had every year 

 an acre or two, which afforded a great quantity of 

 very valuable food for his sows and pigs. He adds 

 that it yields milk amply, and all sorts of swine 

 are very fond of it. And he thinks that the ccon- 

 uomical farmer, who keeps many hogs, should take 

 care to have a succession of crops for these animals, 

 that his carts may not be forever on the road for 

 purchased grains, or his granary open for corn 



oftener than is necessary. With this sort of grceii 

 food some kind of meal or other dry food should 

 he combined, as otherwise the lettuce is apt to prove 

 laxative. 



We shall not assume the responsibility of recom-' 

 mending the field cultivation of lettuce for feeding 

 swine, neither shall we assert that some of the large 

 and early kinds would not prove profitable for that 

 purpose. This crop might, perhaps, be brought 

 forward more early tiian potatoes or Indian corn, 

 and if less productive than other vegetables usual- 

 ly devoted to forwarding swine, it may prove not 

 lessusefid by filling a chasm in the routine of feed- 

 ing which might otherwise be a troublesome and 

 expensive vacuity. But sometimes fart/iers ata dis- 

 tance from vegetable markets have more lettuce in 

 their gardens than is wanted forfomily coMsumptioti 

 and may derivebeneftt from a suggestion that hogst 

 will prove good customers for a surplusage of that 

 article. The refuse leaves of lettuce are also said 

 to be good food for geese and ducks. Perhaps the 

 soporific or narcotic quality of lettuce, or the prop- 

 erty which gives it a resemblance to opium may 

 render it of some use in fatting swine and oth- 

 er animals. It predisposes to sleep, and sleep is 

 favorable to fatness. 



Radishes. For a bed four feet six inches by 

 Iwilve feet two ounces will be required forihe spring 

 sorts, and an ounce and an half for the autumn va- 

 rieties. They may be sown broad cast or in drills, 

 Imt the latter is preferable, as allowing the roots to 

 he drawn regularly with less waste. Kake in the 

 seed thoroughly at least half an inch deep leaving 

 none on the surface to attract birds. 



It is observed iu the Domestic Encyclopedia that 

 " Radishes ought to be sown on very rich ground, 

 and carefully tended, so as to grow quickly, if 

 not they become stringy, in which state they are 

 unwholesome and indigestible." 



Cabbage. According to Rees' Cyclopedia it 

 was the |>ractice of the celebrated Bakewell and 

 other cultivators, who followed his example, to 

 drill cabbage seed where the plants were to re- 

 main. Cure, however, in such case would be 

 necessary to thin out the plants in season. Much 

 injury arises to young cabbage plants from their 

 being allowed to stand too thick which causes 

 them to run up slender and weak. I'robably if 

 they were planted in the hills, where they arc in- 

 tended to stand for a crop, and thinned out in sea- 

 son they would grow with stems as straight and 

 strong as if they had been transplanted. 



Several favors from Correspondents unavoida- 

 bly postponed. The gentleman who requests a 

 copy, or a re-print of a certain "poetical efiiision," 

 which he attributes to the Editor, is respectfully 

 informed that we did not write nor do we know- 

 where to find the piece to which he alludes. We 

 will, however, make further inquiries, and comply 



