No. 12. Raising Wheat — Cow Peas — Will they kill Stock? 



367 



some parts of Russia the peasantry are said 

 to depend on mushrooms and bread for the 

 greater part of their sustenance. — Gardener 

 and practical Florist. 



From the Cultivator. 

 Raising Wheat. 



I DO not propose to relate any account of 

 raising big crops, which are few and far be- 

 tween in this section. Such are sometimes 

 made the text for a communication from your 

 correspondents, when the common method of 

 farming is left out of sight. I take for my 

 text, twenty bushels of wheat to the acre, 

 which I think can be raised under ordinary 

 circumstances, where wheat growing is an 

 important branch of farming. There are 

 here two dangers to contend with — the fly 

 and rust. My crop, for the last year, con- 

 sisted of 100 acres, which averaged as above 

 stated, grown on land that had been seeded 

 to timothy and clover two and three years. 

 It was summer fallowed in May and June, 

 ploughed deep, sheep kept on through the 

 summer. The first of August commenced 

 harrowing tiie fallows across the furrows, 

 and did it thoroughly. By the middle of 

 August commenced cross-ploughing in lands 

 from si.x to eight paces wide, marked out 

 straight and true; the centres of the lands 

 form ditches to carry off the surplus water, 

 and also serve as guides in sowing. The 

 land remained from two to four weeks after 

 ploughing, before sowing, which I am sensi- 

 ble was a benefit to the crop. The seed was 

 sowed on the furrows, so as to fall in drills; 

 two bushels of seed per acre, and harrowed 

 lengthwise of the furrows, which preserves 

 the ditches and drills. The ditches were 

 cleared out by running the plough through 

 them; and cross ditches were made where 

 the water would settle, so as to carry it off, 

 and leave the ground free from it. Wheat 

 will not grow where it is immersed in water. 



My method of manuring, is to sow four to 

 six quarts of clover and timothy seed per 

 acre, immediately afler harrowing-in the 

 wheat. Should the land be of a clayey na- 

 ture, the seed should not be sown until the 

 next spring. This is the cheapest manuring 

 I have found, and it answers every purpose 

 for raising wheat. On the sandy soil, I sow 

 three-quarters of a bushel of plaster per acre, 

 in the month of May. 



I commenced cutting wheat ten days be- 

 fore my neighbours, and as many days before 

 it was fully ripe, which satisfied me that 

 wheat is not generally cut in season. 



But allow me to indulge my organ of pro- 

 phecy: It is, that our wheat crop is gradu- 

 ally failing — falling before its natural ene- 



mies — the enemies that Nature produces, 

 and which are growing in their strength, 

 and the species greatly multiplying. 



James Otis. 



Berlin, Erie co. Ohio, Feb. 20lh, 1848. 



From the Southern Cultivator. 

 Cow Peas— WilJ they kill Stock? 



Mr. Editor, — There be many per.'-ons 

 who deny the fact, that cow peas will kill 

 stock of any kind, if proper attention be paid 

 to them. In my mingling with my species, 

 I find a great, number who know that peas 

 have, and will always kill stock of any kind. 

 I have proved the fact, beyond all question, 

 to my neighbours, that my hogs were killed 

 in 1844 and 1846. At first they denied it, 

 to a man, but at the second time, others hav- 

 ing suffered, they then saw it plain. 



I now advance the fact, that cow peas will 

 kill cattle weeks alter they have been in the 

 pea field, and I believe rotting peas will kill 

 them as well as hogs. Having lost my en- 

 tire stock of hogs in 1844, I concluded to 

 watch the weather, and not let my hogs in 

 when tliere was danger, but I was picked 

 up in 1846. I then determined not to admit 

 my stock hogs at all, and as I had not let my 

 cattle into my fields for many years, I con- 

 cluded to turn my cattle in, to use up the 

 peas. I attended to the salting, waterine", 

 turning in and out of the field tor several 

 days. The cattle improved finely. I left 

 home about the 9th of Decen)ber. That 

 night, and for some days, it did not rain, but 

 it poured, and I lost every milk cow but one. 

 There was nothing in the field but peas, 

 vines, dead grass and corn stalks. What 

 else killed theml From some 44 Saxon 

 and Merino ewes, I have only five lambs. 

 They ran in that field. Could I have lost 

 by them too? I do not say that sound peas 

 will kill stock, and as I have said before, I 

 know that sound sweet potatoes will not kill 

 horses and mules, but I am confident that 

 decayed ones of either, will kill. There is 

 no man in our land plants more peas than I 

 do, per hand, and I will continue, though I 

 may have to exclude my stock after frost. 

 It is high time that the experienced men 

 among us, should speak out and fear not. 

 There is too much at risk. I am yours, &c., 

 M. W. Philips. 



Edwards', Miss., 1848. 



Nothing is more easy than to magnify a 

 trifling circumstance into a serious misfor- 

 tune, by suffering the mind to dwell upon, 

 and place it in every possible point of view, 

 each assuming a darker shade than the 

 former. 



