80 



Sowing Wheat — Morns MulticanUs^ SfC. 



Vol. III. 



highly charged, so, calcareous substances (and 

 especially lime, its natural opponent) are ex- 

 actly calculated to produce the effects whicli 

 are contemplated in my communication." — 

 Passing over the dubious character of this 

 statement, in a chemical point of view— how 

 does it accord with the facts which experience 

 affords 1 Has the peach tree became more 

 healthy, and long lived, in those parts of the 

 country where lime has been extensively em- 

 ployed, as a manure 1 The very reverse is 

 the fact. Many of my readers will remem- 

 ber — young as I am, the period falls within 

 my own recollection — when the peach tree 

 flourished in almost every soil, and situation 

 — when the peach fly was scarcely, if at all, 

 known — and, when lime was very seldom 

 and sparingly applied as a manure. They 

 will also remember, that the people began 

 to apply lime more extensively — the peach 

 fly made its appearance — and, the trees be- 

 gan to decline ! almost simultaneously. — 

 The excrescences on the morello cherry are 

 of more modern date. These remarks apply 

 to the more improved parts of Pennsylvania. 

 Now, it is a remarkable co-incidence, that 

 the peach trees which had flourished well be- 

 fore, began to decline with the early use of 

 lime, and has become almost extinct, in places 

 where that mineral has been much used, as a 

 manure. Acidity, cannot, therefore have 

 caused the "disease," for it must have been 

 greater before the use of lime began. Lime 

 cannot be a cure for the " disease," for since 

 its application, the malady has become more 

 extensive, and inveterate. The " ferruginous 

 and acidulous" soil of Jersey, may be rendered 

 more fit for the growth of peaches, by the ap- 

 plication of lime — but the reverse would seem 

 to be true, in Pennsylvania. As the general 

 decline of the peach tree, is, probably, owing 

 to the operation of similar causes, in both 

 places, we must look for some other reason, 

 than the one assigned by the " Old Farmer." 

 I admit, then, that lime may neutralize the 

 acidity of the soil ; — but, I do not admit acid- 

 ity to be the general cause of the decline of 

 the peach tree; — nor, that this decline is the 

 cause why it is infested with the worm. And, 

 for reasons already assigned, I df) not believe 

 that lime will prevent the evil. The " worm," 

 and the " yellows," are two great contempora- 

 neous evils, which, probably, have.no necessa- 

 ry connexion with each other. The worm does 

 not inquire whether the devoted tree is sick or 

 in health ; — the yellows is not always followed 

 by its ravages. Let us, tiierefore, persevere 

 in our investigation of those maladies, so dis- 

 tressing tx) the lovers of good fruit. The 

 causes once discovered, the appropriate rem- 

 edies wUJ hg KiUgge/sted by 



Common Sense. 

 Oertef Co,, arb «o,^ S8itv.. Jig38, 



To tlie Editor of llie Farmers' Cabinet: 



SoTving Wheat. 



Sir, — Many persons are divided in their 

 opinion with regard to the proper quantity of 

 eed to be sown per acre. I have always 

 found that if the land be clean and in good 

 heart, and is sown early in the proper season, 

 a considerable quantity of the seed usually 

 allotted might be saved without risk to the 

 crop. It was partly with the view of ascer- 

 taining how small a portion of seed would be 

 sufficient for the purpose, that Mr. Miller 

 conducted an experiment in the year 1766, 

 upon wheat, the particulars of which may be 

 foimd in the English Philosophical Transac- 

 tions, from which I beg to copy them for in- 

 sertion in your very useful and popular pub- 

 lication. 



He began by sowing some grains of red 

 wheat in June, and on the 8th of the follow- 

 ing August, he divided one of the plants into 

 18 parts, and planted each separately ; these 

 were taken up and again divided, when the 

 number produced was 67 plants; they were 

 again planted separately, and another division 

 of them made on the 12th April, 1767, pro- 

 duced .jOO plants ; they were then suffered 

 to remain until harvest. The plants were 

 in g'eneral stronger than the wheat in the 

 fields; some of them produced upwards of 

 100 ears from a single plant. The whole 

 number of ears produced from one grain of 

 wheat, was 21,109, which is more than 42 on 

 each plant. The total yield was 3| pecks 

 of clean corn, weighing 47 lbs. 7oz. which is at 

 the raieof 631bs. 4oz. per Winchester bushel. 

 The total number of grains was 576,840, more 

 than 1153 on each plant! 



The land was a bad soil for wh^at; one- 

 half of it was very much dunged, the other 

 half was not prepared with dung, or with any 

 other manure. No difference, however, was 

 discernible in the vigor or growth of the 

 plants, nor was there any in their produce. 

 Respectfully, yours, 



J. P. 



For tlie Fanners' Cabinet. 



nioriis Mnltlcanlis and Merino Slieep. 



The introduction into our country of the 

 valuable animals, fruits, and vegetables of 

 other parts of the globe, is nji object worthy 

 the attention of patriots and philanthropists. 

 But it is the nature of man to run into ex- 

 tremes in whatever he undertakes, and when 

 an enterprise of any kind assumes the char- 

 acter of a wild speculation, it is the duty of 

 those who wi.sh to promote the general good, 

 and also to place that enterprise on a perma- 

 nent foundation, to check every attempt of 

 I 'mere speculators, who would force the busi- 



