190 Answers to the Queries of the State Ag. Society of S. C. Vol. XI. 



cription of wheat. Every year, while im- 

 proving in quality, it is losing its exemption 

 from the assaults of the enemies of the 

 wheat, so that it is evident that in a few 

 years its peculiarities will disappear, and we 

 shall have only the old Red Chaff bearded 

 wheat again. 



There has not been an unexceptionable 

 wheat year since 1835, when the crop aver- 

 aged 40 bushels per acre, on lands that have 

 rarely reached 30 bushels since, and gene- 

 rally not more than 25 bushels per acre. The 

 approved system, when it is intended to lay 

 down oats stubble to wheat and grass, is to 

 plough three times, and harrow as often. 

 The accumulated manure of the year is 

 spread, after the first ploughing, at the rate 

 of twenty large ox-cart loads to the acre, 

 which is ploughed under and suffered to lay 

 until it is nearly time to seed the land, when 

 it is again ploughed, and the sowing at the 

 rate of two bushels to the acre, is then per- 

 formed. After the grain is harrowed in 

 once, grass seed, mostly Timothy — Phleum 

 Pratense — at the rate of eight quarts to the 

 acre, should be sown and lightly harrowed 

 once. The seeding is finished by sowing- 

 red clover, — Trifolmm Pratense — in Feb- 

 ruary or March, at the rate of six quarts to 

 the acre. This being a biennial, leaves the 

 sod at the end of two years, in exclusive 

 possession of the Timothy, which is consi- 

 dered so valuable for horses, that it not un- 

 frequently brings §i20 per ton in Philadel- 

 phia. 



Rye. — Rye is sometimes introduced in the 

 system of rotation, either as a substitute for 

 wheat, or more usually as an independent 

 element in the course succeeding the crop 

 of wheat, and being followed by grass, as 

 above described. The straw of rye is con- 

 sidered the most valuable of any for manure 

 and the various purposes of the farm, as 

 thatching, making bands for bundles of corn 

 fodder, &c. Rye, of admirable quality, is 

 produced in the more Northern and hilly re- 

 gions of Pennsylvania, but it is observed 

 speedily to degenerate in the Southern part 

 of that State. This grain, for several years, 

 has not been productive, and the cultivation 

 in this vicinity is on the decrease. Fifteen 

 or twenty bushels per acre may be the ave- 

 rage yield, and its cultivation is chiefly con- 

 fined to lands of second quality. 



Buckwheat. — This grain is extensively 

 cultivated in Pennsylvania, and is frequently 

 as low as fifty or sixty cents per bushel. 

 The straw is of very inferior value for the 

 production of manure, and its cultivation is 

 chiefly confined to lands recently cleared, as 

 it is an excellent tamer of wild lands, or to 

 those of inferior quality. 



Barley. — This grain is not extensively 

 cultivated in our State, and is being gradu- 

 ally superseded by other more highly es- 

 teemed crops. 



Potatoes. — This most important crop has 

 been failing gradually for several years, and 

 in my apprehension exhibited a gradual de- 

 terioration in constitutional stamina, long 

 before it was overtaken by the fatal rot, 

 which is novi7 producing such disastrous 

 consequences in the Old World. The im- 

 portance of agriculture, in the eyes of states- 

 men, has never been more strongly developed 

 than now, when kingdoms are convulsed, 

 and empires may be overthrown by the fail- 

 ure of a single esculent. This, like some 

 great convulsion of nature, may be the 

 means of ultimate benefit, as the whole en- 

 ergy of science is now employed to disco- 

 ver a remedy for this fatal disease ; though 

 hitherto, unfortunately, without success, and 

 what is more discouraging, exhibiting by 

 disagreement a total failure of fixed princi- 

 ples. My own opinion is, that we shall 

 have to renew our seed from the Andes, or 

 wherever the root can be found in a state of 

 nature, as I apprehend that by propagating 

 almost exclusively from tubers for so long a 

 period, a diminution of vigor has gradually 

 taken place, which is but partially remedied 

 by reproducing from the seeds of these en- 

 ervated plants. Long before any public no- 

 tice had been taken of the failure of this 

 crop, I had almost ceased to attempt its cul- 

 tivation, even from sets recently produced 

 from the seed, because of a partial failure of 

 the crop, very perceptible in the premature 

 death of the vines, which instead of continu- 

 ing green until late in September, frequent- 

 ly died in July or August. It may, I think, 

 be laid down as a prhiciple, that any plant 

 propagated only from shoots or layers for a 

 long period, that is capable of reproduction 

 from the seed, will exhibit a tendency to de- 

 terioration, or in farmers' phrase, "run out." 



This crop has not been, however, much 

 worse this season than last — and I have 

 found by cutting off the tops, and allowing 

 the root to remain in the earth up to No- 

 vember, we got a better article than by 

 early digging and exposure to the air. Those 

 infected, "die in the earth, and leave only a 

 mass of corrupt matter, which may amount 

 in some cases to twenty-five or fifty per cent 

 of the whole crop. Low, moist grounds are 

 much more liable to blight, than high, dry 

 light soils; and I know of an instance on 

 the latter description of land, where a very 

 large and healthy crop has been produced 

 this season, by using horse stable manure, 

 very pure from the city. Two hundred 

 bushels to the acre, are considered a very 



