1857. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



507 



in cash, the last year, including the sale of a part 

 of his lambs after fattening. 



I think that for the amount of capital invested, 

 and the expense of keeping and taking care of the 

 sheep, as compared with the dairy, or some other 

 branches of farming, no one can say there is not 

 profit in good sheep husbandry. P. J. 



Randolph, Vt,, Aug., 1857. 



THE CONCORD GRAPE. 



In several notices of this grape, we have spoken 

 of it in high terms of commendation, and expressed 

 the belief that it is worthy of an extended and 

 general cultivation ; these opinions were based up- 

 on a careful observation of its habits of growth, 

 hardihood and fruitfulness. This watchfulness has 

 been continued for several years. Within a week 

 we have visited the grounds of Mr. Bull, where 

 we found bunches of the Concord entirely turned 

 a dark purple, and measuring eight inches in length, 

 and six inches across the shoulder ! Up to that 

 time we had not seen a single Isabella grape that 

 had turned. In our own grounds the Concord has 

 turned, while the Isabella, standing in the most fa- 

 vorable spot we have, is still green. 



In his green-house, the Black Hamburg, the 

 Muscat of Alexandria, and others, were in luxuriant 

 profusion. The Grizzly Frontignan, however, sur- 

 passed in flavor any grape we have yet tasted. To 

 all who have thought our description of the Con- 

 cord overwrought, or who have not succeeded ac- 

 cording to their expectations in raising it, we advise 

 a visit to Mr. Bull's vineyard, and we think they 

 will discard all doubts about the Concord being a 

 grape worthy of general cultivation. 



For the New England Farmer. 



APIOS TUBEROSA, OR GROUND NUT. 

 The ground nut is worthy of trial as an article of 

 food, and no doubt cultivation would greatly im- 

 prove it in size and flavor ; it grows spontaneously 

 in most parts of New England, and many other lo- 

 calities, and is sometimes found of large size in the 

 wild state. In an extensive seed garden where I 

 was formerly employed, they were found larger 

 than a turkey's egg, on plowing a few furrows in 

 the grass ground of the border. In another instance 

 they were found equally large, in making a new piece 

 of road, directly on the line of an old fence ; we 

 cooked some of them, and found them palatable. 

 Eaton, in his Manual of Botany, states that they are 

 very nutritious, and ought to be generally cuhivat 

 ed. Wood, in his Class-book of Botany, says, to the 

 root are appended oval fleshy tubers, which would 

 perhaps be cultivated, had we not the potato. The 

 ground nut was extensively employed as food by 

 the Indians who formerly inhabited this region, 

 and sometimes it was nearly their only resource. 

 Great efforts have been made to obtain a substitute 

 for the potato since it became diseased. Would it 

 not be expedient to thoroughly test this root for 

 that purpose, in preference to ])lants of foreign ori- 

 gin, which are not adapted to our climate and soil? 



O. V. Hills. 



For the New Fngland Farmer. 



THE WHEAT CROP. 



I noticed in your paper of the 22nd inst., a com- 

 munication from Mr. H. Poor, upon the Wheat 

 Crop. He asks the farmers of New England the 

 following question, amongst others : *'Has experi- 

 ence taught you the safety and superiority ofioin- 

 ier, in preference to spring wheat ?" 



In reply to the above, I will give the result of 

 three trials of my own, with winter wheat, on a 

 small scale, however. Five years ago I cradled and 

 threshed from a little less than three-fourths of an 

 acre, (soil a sandy loam,) twenty and one-eighth 

 bushels of beautiful wheat. Encouraged by this, 

 an acre of land adjoining was sowed, and the re- 

 sult was, about two-thirds as much wheat was har- 

 vested as was sown. Not entirely discouraged by 

 this result, another acre adjoining the last was 

 tried, with a similar result to the last. The 

 crops preceding the wheat were, in all of the 

 trials, tobacco. My experience in this respect is 

 very similar to that of my neighbors, with an oc- 

 casional exception. I think one cause of the fail 

 ure can be attributed to the unpropitious spring 

 and winter ; our land is very level, and the ground 

 was covered with ice, and when it went ofi^ the 

 frost threw out the roots badly, and the consequence 

 was, it was badly winter-killed. I have not since 

 dared to try it again. Still, I am satisfied that by 

 covering the seed deeper it would prevent its heav- 

 ing so badly, and a good or a respectable crop be 

 secured. 



I want to give you the result of some of my 

 neighbors' efforts in growing winter wheat — the 

 crops just gathered and threshed. Moses Stebbins, 

 Esq., of South Deerfield, has one of those "gravel 

 knolls" alluded to by Mr. Poor, containing 7 acres, 

 which he informed me he has cultivated as follows, 

 for three years : First year, he plowed in 500 

 pounds of guano to the acre, to the depth of 10 

 inches, and planted with corn — result over 50 bush- 

 els to the acre. Second year, plowed in 150 

 pounds of guano to the acre, and sowed spring 

 wheat and oats — result, 40 bushels to the acre. 

 Third year, plowed in the stubble and 150 pounds 

 of guano to the acre, and sowed winter wheat on 

 4 acres — result, 22^ bushels of as handsome wheat 

 as I ever saw. Cost of guano for the three appli- 

 cations about $27. Value of the three crops to 

 the acre, over $120. 



Erastus Crafts & Sons, of this town, have har- 

 vested this year, from 4 acres, 118 bushels of beau- 

 tiful winter wheat, one acre of which was estimated 

 at from 40 to 45 bushels. I have seen quite a num- 

 ber of other good pieces, and quite a number of 

 poor ones, showing to my mind conclusively, one or 

 two things in reference to the wheat crop in this 

 section of the State, First, I think for winter 

 wheat, a porous soil and subsoil are requisite to a 

 tolerable success, and as I have remarked above, 

 covering deep, say two inches or more. When I 

 try again I shall plow deep, and subsoil at least 8 

 or 10 inches, provided it was not done in the spring 

 before. Spring wheat is grown extensively in this 

 valley, and with tolerable success — seldom have a 

 failure when the land is in a good state of cultiva- 

 tion. 



I wish that some of the pine plains in this sec- 

 tion of the State, might either be treated after the 

 plan adopted by my friend, Moses Stebbins, or 



