220 



Wheat. <^c. 



Vol. ir 



WSieat, 



Last sprinn- we published some siifrges- 

 tions on the late sowinir of spring' wheat, 

 as a means of saving- it from the' ravages 

 of a yellow worm which some incorrectly 

 call iceevil. A number of our subscribers 

 tried the experiment, and so tar as we have 

 heard, with entire success. A farmer in 

 Grange county told us that he sowed one 

 acre of spring wheat ten days later than the 

 rest in the same field. Tlie first sowed was 

 seriously injured, the last not at all. Several, 

 in other towns, made similar statements. 



It has been observed, from the first ap- 

 pearance of this insect, that the earliest win- 

 ter wheat was less injured by its attacks than 

 any other. It is evident therefore, that the 

 time of laying eggs is short. It is probably, 

 soon after the heads make their appearance. 

 Before they are defended by the leaf which 

 encloses them ; and when they appear, most 

 probably the huslc soon becomes so hard that 

 the insect cannot pierce it to deposit her eggs 

 upon the kernel. We have, then, only to as- 

 certain the time as exactly as we can, in 

 which the injury is done, and have our winter 

 wheat too forward, and spring wheat not 

 forward enough, for the operations of the in- 

 sect, and the damage is avoided. At pre- 

 sent sow your winter wheat as early as you 

 can, and sow your spring wheat as late as 

 you can, and give it time" to ripen. 



Farmers, and all who find either pleasure 

 or profit in any thing made from wheat 

 would be rrreatly indebted to any etymologist 

 who should make us better acquamted with 

 the character and habits of this destructive 

 nsec t. 



Cirapcs* 



Much trouble has been taken to introduce 

 foreign grapes and to render them familiar 

 to our climate, whilst the native plant, of 

 which our forests present a vast variety is 

 comparatively overlooked and neglected. In- 

 asmuch as the circumstances of their grow- 

 ing wild shows clearly their fitness for our 

 country, would it not be well to pay particu- 

 lar attention to their transplantation and 

 cultivation? IIow much fruits are improv- 

 ed by proper culture is shown by every day's 

 experience, and there can be no doubt that 

 some of our native vines, if properly tended, 

 would furnish fruit infinitely surpassing- the 

 product of other soils, whicli only dwindle 

 when transferred to climes for which their 

 peculiar organization unfits them. To show 

 tlie effects of culture in enlarging vegetable 

 growth and improving their flavor and deli- 

 cacy, we need only refer to the cases of 

 many of the vegetables, now in daily use and 

 highly esteemed, which in their unimproved 



condition were scarcely fit to be eaten.— 

 Baltinfore American. 



Care ineeded for sheep. j 



Farmers who wish to carry their sheep' 

 safely and in good condition through winter, 

 nnist recollect that the great secret is, to 

 keep them constantly comfortable — in every 

 sense of the word. To attain this, they must 

 be properly sheltered from the wind and 

 snow, they must have access to water, the 

 strong and the weak must be separated into 

 difl^erent flocks, and above all, they must 

 have a regular supply of mangle wurtzel or 

 ruta bag-a. It is indispensible too that con- 

 stant regularity both in the quantity and 



nature of their food be strictly observed. 



Gen. Farmer. 



Sheep. 



It is a well established fact that sheep as 

 well as cattle, thrive better and are not so 

 much inclined to sickness during the sum- 

 mer, if they are sheltered from the storms, 

 and cold of winter. They sliould at least 

 liave a hovel to protect them from the north 

 and easterly winds, and open towards the 

 south whitlier they can retreat on the ap- 

 prmching of a storm. They should be ted 

 tliere at sunset and sunrise, which will in- 

 duce them always to return thither at night 

 and remain till morning. 



These hovels can easily be constructed of 

 rails and dry seed weed or the branches of 

 the red cedar and stubble. On the approach 

 of a storm a farmer should always see them 

 safely folded. 



Strawberries. 



As soon as your beds are bare in the spring 

 spread over thein a slight covering- of straw, 

 find set fire to it. This will consume all the 

 decayed leaves, etc. left last season, and leave 

 the wiiole neat and clean. Then spread on 

 a little fine manure from the yard, or ashes 

 [which answers quite as well,] and then a 

 covering of chaff", say two inclies thick. This 

 method is said to bring the plants and fruit 

 forward earlier; and to make the latter 

 large, and of better quality. It keeps the 

 fruit clean and ripens it finely. The burn- 

 ing over is recommended by Dr. Miller of 

 Princeton, and other experienced cultivators. 

 The use of the chaff is practised by the 

 editor of t!ie Southern Agriculturist, [he 

 uses rice chaff,] who last year gathered firom 

 half an acre of plants, 4S bushels of thefiinest 

 fruit. It was sold for 25 cts. a quart; and 

 yielded therefore the aggregate sum of 

 $360. — Vermont Farmer. 



