THE GENESEE FARMER. 



107 



$15 per ton. This would give $120 per acre. The 

 cost of culture would be about the same as carrots. 

 According to the analysis of Dr. Anderson 

 (High. Soc. Trans., 1853, pp. 63 and 655), the fresh 

 roots contain 80 per cent, of water. A crop of 

 eight tons, therefore, would give 3,200 lbs. of dry 

 roots (or coffee) per acre. 



=^v 



COMMON CHICORY PLANT. 



We annex an excellent engraving of the leaves 

 md flower of chicory. The plant in appearance 

 s not unlike the dandelion. The " dandelion cof- 

 ee " sold in our drug stores, is chiefly, if not en- 

 irely, chicory. 



ia i i 



Canada.. — The last London Mark Lane Express 

 lays: "Previous to the exhibition in London and 

 r'aris in 1851 and 1855, few people gave Canada 

 credit for aught beyond dense forest and hyper- 

 >orean climate ; and they were amazed to find her 

 iust#ining pretensions which indicated a fine cli- 

 nate, a fertile soil, wealth in mine and forest, and 

 i people who add to energetic industry a full aver- 

 ige excellence in the mechanic arts. Her soil is 

 )Oundless and fertile ; her forests, extending over 

 160,000 square miles, have no superior on the face 

 if the globe, and are waiting only the application 

 ;)f labor and capital. Her past progress is mar- 

 relious, and her future will be more so." 



CULTIVATION OF SPRING WHEAT. 



The principal aim in tbe cultivation of spring 

 wheat should be to get the soil into a fine, mellow 

 condition. It does best after corn that has been 

 well cultivated. The soil should be warm and ac- 

 tive. "We think it seldom does welr*on sod ground 

 plowed in the spring, and sowed at one furrow.* 

 On clover sod, however, that has been summer 

 fallowed, it succeeds admirably. It is frequently 

 sown on land that is too low and soft for winter 

 wheat. Heavy crops are occasionally obtained 

 from rich soil of this description. But with us 

 the result has not generally been satisfactory. If 

 the summer is dry and hot, a good crop may be 

 obtained ; but in a cool, moist season, the mildew 

 or rust is almost sure to strike it. 



In regard to the time of sowing, there is much 

 difference of opinion. Many farmers prefer to 

 prepare the land in the fall, and then sow as early 

 as the ground will work nicely in the spring. We 

 would not sow as long as the ground is wet and 

 clammy. Nothing is gained by burying seed in a 

 cold soil surcharged with water, and land plowed 

 while it is wet can never be got into good tilth. 



Others prefer to sow spring wheat quite late — 

 say the middle of May. They say that by doing 

 so, all danger of the midge is over before the 

 wheat comes into flower. We have known in- 

 stances where late sown spring wheat has escaped 

 the midge, while that which was sown earlier was 

 much injured. 



Our rule would be to sow early, if the ground 

 can be got into good condition. If not, wait till 

 after the other spring crops are sown. 



It is very desirable to give the plants a good 

 start. The roots of winter wheat ramify through 

 the soil much more than spring wheat. The latter, 

 like bailey, have a more circumscribed range. It 

 is, therefore, more necessary to have the "food 

 of plants" in the soil in a more concentrated and 

 more available condition for spring than for win- 

 ter wheat. 



Mineral manures are seldom needed for winter 

 wheat. But, for the reasons already mentioned, it 

 is not improbable that they may prove beneficial 

 on spring wheat. Last spring we made some ex- 

 periments with the view of testing this point. The 

 wheat was sown May 10th, and the manures were 

 sown broadcast the next day. The plots were a 

 quarter acre each. One plot was dressed with 50 

 lbs. of plaster, or 200 lbs. per acre. The next plot 

 received 50 lbs. superphosphate of lime (200 lbs. ' . 

 per acre.) The next plot, 50 lbs. superphosphate 



