340 



Booh-Farming. — On the Disease called '' Sedging.'^ Vol. V. 



ble: hence it is, in reality, of greater vr.lue 

 in agriculture, as a much smaller quantity 

 will answer the same purpose." "Among 

 the fertile soils of France, magnesia is found 

 to be one of the principal fertilizing constitu- 

 ents." — Bergman, 



" Magnesia, in consequence of its solubility 

 in an excess of carbonic acid, exerts an ac- 

 tion in the soil analogous to lime, and enters 

 into the composition of plants." — Prof. Gio- 

 bert. 



"In sterile magnesian soils in the vicinity 

 of mines or quarries, where it is found pure, 

 the sterility is to be attributed to the cohe- 

 sion of their parts, oxide of iron, lack of vege- 

 table substance, alumina, and other ingredi- 

 ents. — Mons. Abbene. 



"Though it is now satisfactorily ascer- 

 tained, that the presence of magnesian earth 

 in lime does not in any way interfere with its 

 useful properties when employed as a fertil- 

 izing agent in the soil, yet its hurtfulness as 

 a flux'in the process of making iron, is well 

 established." — Fifth Amnuil Report, read in 

 Se7iale Feb. 1841, by H. D. Rogers, State 

 Geologist. 



" Most all the limestones of the United 

 States abound in magnesia, yielding lime 

 capable of hardening under water, or hy- 

 draulic cement." — Prof. W. B. Rogers. 



The latter quotation proving the superiori- 

 ty of magnesian lime for building and plas- 

 tering purposes, I set out to prove its superi- 

 ority for agricultural purposes, and reprobate 

 the prejudice which some few have urged 

 against it. Have I succeeded ? Lot the ad- 

 vocates of Tennant's experiment answer, and 

 give as good and high authority, 



W. Penn Kinzer. 



Springlawn Farm, Pequea, 

 Lancaster County, April 30, 1841. 



Book-Farming. 



Book-farming we know is not in favour 

 with farmers, otherwise we should find ad- 

 mittance into every farmer's library, and 

 every farmer has a library of some sort. But 

 although we know, and therefore admit, that 

 no man can be made a farmer by book, yet 

 we cannot admit that the best farmer may 

 not, at some time, find very valuable hints in 

 a book. They cannot know every article of 

 practice which is followed in every other part 

 of the country; and as many practices are 

 discovered by what is called chance or acci- 

 dent, it is clear that the discovery cannot be 

 made generally known but by being dissemi- 

 nated by books. A farmer who travels, ap- 

 preciates the information which he receives 

 in conversation with others, and by observa- 

 tion of field labour ; such a farmer possesses 

 advantages over him who always remains at 



home, or within the circle of bis markets; 

 and the object of an agricultural book, and 

 particularly of an agricultural periodical 

 work, is, at slated times, to carry hints, sug- 

 gestions and discoveries, important or un- 

 important, to the home of the farmer, that he 

 who prefers to stay at home, may possess the 

 advantages of him wiio travels at times 

 abroad ; and that he who travels abroad may 

 compare what he has seen with what he reads, 

 and decide which practice is best suited to 

 his particular purpose ; or, perhaps, when he 

 is comparing the hints of others, he may him- 

 self discover a practice superior to them all. 

 In this manner, a good periodical work is the 

 means of disseminating through the country 

 practices, which would otherwise be confined 

 to the district which gave them birth. The 

 collection and presentation of these desiderata 

 are attended with much trouble and expense, 

 and unless the labour is appreciated and en- 

 couraged — and hitherto it has not generally 

 been appreciated and encouraged as it ought 

 — it is impossible to employ the best means 

 to collect the most valuable kind of informa- 

 tion for presentation. — Quar. Jour. Ag. 



On the Disease in Oats called " Sedging." 



"There is a disease by which oats are 

 sometimes extensively affected, called " Sedg- 

 ing :" the oats beard well, and continue for 

 some time apparently to thrive, but soon get 

 into a bushy state, and the leaves become 

 broad, like flags or "sedge." Upon examin- 

 ing the roots, they are found diseased and 

 full of tubercles, which, upon being opened, 

 contain a reddish powder and animalculse; — 

 the plants, incapable of bringing their seed 

 to perfection, continue some time in this state 

 and then die away, reducing the crop, both 

 in quantity and quality, to almost nothing. 

 Potato oats are more liable than others to 

 this disease, and early crops have been at- 

 tacked, while those of very inferior quality, 

 and cut green, have escaped. Were a dis- 

 covery to be made of the cause and cure of 

 the disease, it would confer an obligation on 

 the farming interest to make it knowii." 



Note. In our experience of this disease in 

 oats, we have always observed its recurrence 

 on the same portion of the field ; and believ- 

 ing it from this circumstance to be a local 

 affection, we have, by local draining, suc- 

 ceeded in effecting a perfect cure. The pre- 

 sence of the insects we conceive to be the 

 EFFECT, and not the cause of the disease. — 

 Ed. Ag. Jour. 



The same disease, namely, the gouty protuberances 

 on the roots of the ruta baga, often arises, no doubt 

 from the same source, an unhealthy subsoil.— Ed. 



