208 



" Gap'''' in Chickens — Varielies of JVheat, <^-c. 



Vol. III. 



We have various testimony from the 

 north that cuttintr it in the rainy season will 

 have a tendency to decrease it, as the pelth 

 will continue open till it is filled, which will 

 have a tendency to rot and destroy the plant. 

 We, however, give it as our decided opinion, 

 that good cultivation, and a free application 

 of salt, are the only means of eradicating this 

 noxious weed. 



David Comfort, 

 Jamks Thornton. 



For tlie FarniPrs" Cabini t. 



••Gap" i« Ceiickens. 

 The Farmers' Cahinet heinij a medium 

 through vvhicli mu:;h useful information has 

 been disseminated, T am induced to send the 

 following- remedy for the "gap" in chickens. 

 My little son last spring undertook the man- 

 agement of the poultry, and was much trou- 

 bled by his young chickens dyinsr off with 

 the above mentioned disease. lie finally 

 discovered the cause by dissecting one, and 

 numerous long worms, about the thickness 

 of a common pin, were found in its wind-pipe. 

 He then took a feather, and stripped it ex- 

 cept a small tuft on the end, dipped it in 

 spirits of turpentine, and inserted it into the 

 wind-pipe of the affected chickens, turning it 

 around two or three times before withdraw- 

 ing it. It was attended with the most com- 

 plete success, and appeared to give almost 

 immediate relief In a few cases it required 

 a repetition. The disease was very soon 

 eradicated from his flock, and he afterwards 

 raised more than one hundred and forty 

 chickens. The entrance to the wind-pipe is 

 on the top of the tongue, and near its root, 

 and may easily be discovered by holding the 

 cliickcn's bill open a short time. 



M. 



Delaware co., 1st mo. 1, 1839. 



On tlic Varieties, Properties, and Classi- 

 fication of "IVlieat. 



[Cominuinl.] 

 ON THE PROPERTIES OF SOME VARIETfES. 



I have stated the relative weight, and fine- 

 ness of quality, of the varieties delineated. It 

 may be well to say a few words in respect to 

 their relative value as to produce of f-traw. 

 It is stated in the excellent work I have al- 

 ready quoted, at the article " P.riiish Hus- 

 bandry." " The straw is generally reckoned 

 to be about double the weight of the grain; 

 an acre producing three quarters of wheat 

 of the ordinary quality, may tliercforo be 

 presumed to yield about Ivventy-six hundred 

 weight." 



f If the results obtained by my experiments 

 ere of any value, the quantity of straw pro- 



duced from a single ear of the best varieties, 

 namely. No. 1, .Tersey Dantzic,* one of the 

 best varieties produced three pounds three 

 ounces of wheat in round numbers, dropping 

 the fractional parts, and three pounds nine 

 ounces of straw, only six ounces more straw 

 than wheat. No. 2, " Album Devsuw," pro- 

 duced two pounds twelve ounces of wheat 

 and eight oimccs more straw than wheat. 

 No. 5, " CotiirJaniim" six more straw, than 

 grain, and No. 8, " Koeleri" four pounds four 

 ounces of grain, and only three pounds thir- 

 teen ounces of straw. 'J'he next, No. 9, the 

 red compact, produced only two pound.", nine 

 ounces of wheat from three pounds fifteen 

 ounces of straw, an excess of one pound six 

 ounces of straw over the grain in the last 

 sort, whereas in the former. No. 8, a most ex- 

 cellent and superior variety, there was an 

 excess in grain, of seven ounces over the 

 straw. It must be obvious from these facts 

 that by a proper system of culture, Viheat 

 should be brought to such perfection, as to 

 produce more grain than straw, Nos. 8, 10, 

 and 13, having done so — but 1 particularly 

 allude to No. 8, from its being an exceeding- 

 ly valuable variety in every respect, with the 

 exception of retaining moisture in the ear a 

 considerable length of time after rain, from 

 its being velvet husked, or downy. 



The observation from the " Library of Use- 

 ful Knowledge" may be perfectly correct, as 

 far as it regards ordinary husbandry, but it 

 leads me to believe what I have already 

 hazarded to state, that the proper culture of 

 wheat is unpractised. 



It is a curious fact, that the fifth of a pint 

 of seed of the Dantzic variety similar to No. 

 1, sown in drills, about as thick as a drill 

 machine would have sown it, No.-^. 10, 10, 17, 

 18, and 19, should have nearly accorded with 

 the statement, 'or with the exception of No. 

 15, which produced only three pounds six 

 ounces of corn, from about " /?f;o thousand''^ 

 grains, tliey produced .six 2-oiinifs ten ounces, 

 or very nearly ilnuhle the weiglit of straw ; 

 correoponding witii theextnict above alluded 

 to — whereas row No. 1 of tiie very same 

 sort, from only sixhj-one grains, produced 

 within three ounces as much grain, but little 

 more than half less straw. These surely are 

 startling facts, worthy the consideration of 

 more able farmers than the writer. 



The straw of No. 1, is of a beautifully 

 while color, very fine, but rather apt to lay 

 in rich soils; the grain is tohrally tennc'oua 

 to the husk, not much liable to i-hcd. That 

 of No. 2, is rather coarser and stouter; tho 

 grain is very tenacious in the ear. No. 5, 



• Tlio reader is referred to the various inblea in llie 

 seroiiil niiiiibcr of the present volume of the Farmers' 



Cabinet. 



