204 



THE GEKESEE FARMER. 



to use so mechanical an expression, I will say that 

 our trees and plants are to the earth what the 

 temperature' reaches a certain height, tiien vegeta- 

 safety-valve is to the engine: when tlie pressure or 

 tion opens— some at one degree of heat, some at 

 another, but all and each in beantit'ul order, and in 

 their respective places. One case in point will be 

 sufficient to show the correctness of tliis assertion. 

 Take the apple tree, which bursts into blossom 

 •when the temperature of the earth reaches 52 or 

 53 ® . Here let me remark tliat wherever degrees 

 of heat or temperature are spoken of in tliis paper, 

 the Fahrenheit scale is referred to. In 1860 I ob- 

 served the first apple-blossom on the Yth of May, 

 on which day the temperature of the earth was 

 54<=. In 1862 I observed the first blossoms just 

 ready to burst on the 4th of April, the temperature 

 of the eartli being 5H ® . I believe they would 

 have opened in a day or two had the temperature 

 risen, but tlie weather suddenly changing, it grad- 

 ual! v.receded to 46 ® on the i7th. The blossoms 

 were kept in this state of suspended animation for 

 21 days. When the temperature of the earth 

 reached 52 ^ on the 25th they then came out. The 

 trees produced a moderate crop of fruit, but they 

 were not fine, and did not keep. I believe this ac- 

 counts for tiie crop of apples being so partial last 

 year. In tl)ose localities where tliey were farther 

 a.lvanced on the 4th of April than mine,.! think 

 there were none (except on those blossoms in (he 

 most sheltered part of the trees); but in those dis- 

 tricts jnore backward, I believe the crop to have 

 been large and fine. 



I have for some years taken trouble in ascertain- 

 ing at what ten)perature different plants came into 

 blossom ; but I was led to keep a regular record 

 from a simple fact, which it may not be out of 

 place here to relate: In front of my house is a 

 fine horse-chestnut tree, which, from yearly coming 

 into flower several days earlier than any other in 

 the neighborhood, and on the same level, appeared 

 to be quite an exception to the general rule, and 

 perplexed me much, until I accidentally discovered 

 an old well, about 15 yards from its base. On 

 clearing it out, for the purpose of erecting apump, 

 it was found to be entirely filled with small fibrous 

 roots from the tree, to within 7 or 8 feet of the 

 surface. Tliese were all removed, and ever since 

 the tree has come out later, and about the same 

 time as others in the neighborhood, and now bears 

 fruit, wliich it had never done before. The differ- 

 ence of 4= in the temperature of this well at 18 

 feet deep, and the soil atl foot deep, quite explains 

 it8 being earlier in flower. 



It is said that summers with a temperature of 

 63 => are the most congenial to the produce of this 

 country. In the summer of 1860 the temperature 

 of hie soil reached 64 <^ in the Valley of the 

 Thames. This being a very early district, our 

 wheat ri[.ened well, and we had a fair average crop 

 of good quality. But I went over much land 

 where the temperature never reached 62^; here 

 the wheat was by no means good, either in quant- 

 ity or quality. And there was a great deal of 

 Ptrong land, in high and cold situations, where the 

 temperature of the soil never reached 60°; and it 

 )* needless to say that here the wheat was miserably 

 bad, and it can not be said that it ever ripened at 

 all, Vor when cut in a withered state it was still 



green. If, therefore, wheat will ripen at 64^ , and 

 not under 60 ° , I think we must all be impressed 

 with the necessity of deep drainage on cold lands ; 

 for I have observed tliat where land has been thus 

 drained, the temperature of the soil is raised 2 or 

 3 ^ , and this is of the utmost importance in cold, 

 wet seasons, besides bringing the harvest some- 

 what earlier. I am not prepared to say the pre- 

 cise maximum temperature under which our crops 

 will flourish, but there is abundant information on 

 the subject to satisfy us that wheat thrives better 

 where the Tnean summer temperature is 10 or 12 - 

 higher than ours. 



I will now remark on the crops which most af- 

 fect the farmer, and speak first of the wheat plant. 

 There seems to be great diversity of opinion as tc 

 the best or proper season of planting; many con- 

 tend that on poor land it is desirable to begin sow 

 ing by new Michaelmas Day, others as early in Oc 

 tober as possible, while only a few think Kovem 

 ber soon enough. The result of ray observation; 

 is, that it it is not a question of time. I do no 

 think it is safe to plant wheat in the autnmn nnti 

 the temperature of the earth is reduced to 50 ^ 

 which is seldom, if ever, the case until the las 

 week in October on warm soils, and the middle o 

 October on cold and more backward ones. I 

 1860 mine was reduced to 50 ^ on the 30th of Octo 

 ber; in 18G1, on the 31st of October, and m 186S 

 on the 1st of ^STovember. If wheat is sown befor 

 the temperature is suflficiently reduced, it does nc 

 remain long enough in the ground to take goo 

 root, and I have seldom seen a good crop of whes 

 grow from seed that came up in less than 80 day; 

 In 1860, wheat drilled on the 26th of Octobe 

 came up on the 28th of November, lying 32 da\ 

 in the ground, and took 1,426 - of heat, at a dail 

 average of 44 = . In 1862, that which was drille 

 on the 30th of October came up on the 1st of D< 

 cember, lying 31 days in the ground, and too 

 1379=^ of heat, at a daily average of 44i"= 

 Another disadvantage arises from sowing whe 

 the temperature is too high : weeds vegetate thi 

 could not at an earlier period, and if not imposs 

 ble are certainly very difficult to eradicate. Tl 

 first thing the young wheat plant has to conten 

 with is the winter season. Under most circun 

 stances I think we may safely say that, from i 

 hardiness, the severity of the winter season is ( 

 but little consequence, provided the seed was sow 

 sufficiently late so as not to become too gay ( 

 winter i)roud. I do not mean to say that whej 

 under propitious circumstances never recovers 

 check thus received, but I think you will all agre 

 with me that it is desirable, if possible, to avoi 

 subjecting it to such a test. The plant commenc< 

 its growth in the spring as soon as the temperatni 

 of the soil reaches 43 or 44°. In 1860 I fir 

 perceived the wheat begin to grow on the 28th ( 

 March, when the temperature of the soil was 44 = 

 It was 145 days to the 20 of August before it wi 

 ripe, from wliich we must deduct 12 days whe 

 the temperature was below 42 ° (when wheat ca 

 not grow or progress"); this leaves 133 days for 

 to m.Hturein. In 1861, I noticed the wheat begi 

 to grow on the 24 of March, when the temperatu? 

 was 43 ° , and it was 130 days to the 2d of Augu. 

 before it was ripe. T!ie temperature was not one 

 below 42®, 80 that there was no deduction tobemaci 



