190 



FARMERS' REGISTER, 



[No. 3 



rich and extensive river bottoms of Virginia and North 

 Carolina. The great source ot injury to the wheat, 

 and which was anticipated as far back as last October, 

 and expected then to be unusually destructive, was 

 the Hessian fly. In addition to this, and to other mi- 

 nor evils, the very wet season latterly has done great 

 damage, either by filling the soil with water, or entire- 

 ly overflowing its surface. In the latter part of May, 

 andfirsthalf of June, there were 21 days in succession, 

 on which more or less of rain fell — and some of these 

 rains came in floods: and even since the close of this 

 uninterrupted series, there has been an unusual quan- 

 tity of raui. On high land, the usual estimates of 

 crops expected, vary from one fourth to three fourths 

 of an average. In some fewer cases, they are worse 

 and better than these ordinary extremes, varying from 

 nothing worth reaping, to nearly a fair product. Of 

 the latter cases, very few have been heard of — and 

 those not very lately. From the newspapers, we learn 

 that in Buckingham and the nearest adjacent counties, 

 the wheat was tolerably fair, and near Wheeling, still 

 better: if so, these are the only parts of Virginia as 

 much favored, of which we have heard. On our own 

 farm, we cannot estimate the crop of wheat at more 

 than the fourth of what the land could produce: and 

 where the damage from the fly was the least, and the 

 general growth the best, there the damage was great- 

 est from scab, or empty or dead parts of heads. The 

 quality of the grain will be very bad. 



But the rich bottom lands on our rivers have sufl^er- 

 ed most. These have all been covered by freshets, 

 and to very unusual depths. The Roanoke bottom 

 lands have suff"ered most. The wheat there is almost 

 entirely destroyed, as well as all other crops — and the 

 soil itself, in many parts, has been carried ofl" by the 

 floods, so that the damage to tlie land is even of more 

 amount than the entire loss of the year's crops. 



Two more days (the 2oth and 26th) have passed 

 since the foregoing remarks were written, and on both 

 rain has fallen profusely and heavily; the consequent 

 increase of damage to the wheat will be necessarily 

 great. Where ready for the scythe, it must be much 

 beaten down and tangled by the heavy rain of last 

 night; and where still green, there is danger of the 

 rust coming to destroy much of the quantity and value 

 of the small product previously expected. 



June 27th. 



about in the same proportion. Notwithstanding 

 these Iiigh pricep, there is no appearance of scaj- 

 city in the country. 



The wheat crop got a good start last fall, and 

 is now promising. 



Rockbridge, May 24th, 1836. 



We have had delightful weather in all this 

 month (May) — warm and moist enough for grass 

 and wheat, and yet I hear that in many places 

 the latter crop is declining rapidly irom the efTects 

 of the Hessian fi 3'. The cut-worm, too, is depre- 

 dating extensively on the 30ung corn, as is almost 

 always the case in grass, and especially clover 

 land, when not broken up in the fall or winter pre- 

 vious to planting. 



EXTRACTS FROM PRIVATE CORRESPONDENCE. 



Albemarle, May 25, 1836. 



I regret to state, that the farmers are again like- 

 ly to experience another disappointment in the 

 product of the growing crop of wheat. Our pros- 

 pects until the latter part ofthe winter, were unu- 

 sually promising. The frequent and severe frosts 

 in the month of March, were very injurious to its 

 growth; it afterwards recovered very much, and at 

 (he commencement of the present month, the 

 prospect was flattering; but we were not lone per- 

 mitted to enjoy the pleasing anticipation of reap- 

 ing an abundant harvest. The ravages of the 

 Hessian f5y commenced, and it is believed at no 

 former period have they produced in the same 

 time greater devastation. I also learn that the 

 crop of wheat in the valley coimties beyond the 

 ridge, have suHered severely. The weather has 

 been very fine for the last eight or ten days, and I 

 yet hope a great iniprovement from present ap- 

 pearances may be realised. From the remarka- 

 ble late and cold spring, our corn crop is very 

 backward. The season of late has been favora- 

 ble for oats and clover, and both promise well. 



Campbell, May 5th, 1836. 



Clover and plaster produce most salutary effects 

 on our lands, and by judicious management, I 

 think will reclaim them at a reasonable expense. 

 Whether they can be made to retain the fertility 

 thus acquired without additional aid, remains to be 

 proven. 



Our winter has been severe, and cut deep into 

 the spring, but the warm weather for the last ten 

 days, has pushed vegetation lorvvanl with im- 

 mense rapidity. The mercury stood at Q2'^ last 

 Saturday, and was only a iiiw degrees lower seve- 

 ral other days. 



Corn is worth ^4, fodder, hay and sheaf oats 

 $125, and butter 25 cents, and other articles i for something like two weeks 



Go( chlaad, Jane 1, 1836. 



I regret to say that I am doomed to lose my 

 fourth crop of wheat in succession, (and all I have 

 ever cultivated.) The fly has devoured fully one 

 half of it, and the residue is now threatened with 

 serious injury by the ''strut," owing to the heavy 

 rains breakinnf off the blonm or farina, and pre- 

 venting the heads from filling. This is poor en- 

 couragement for a young farmer. So far my corn 

 and oats are promising, and I trust the tobacco 

 crop will succeed well, for after all, I find that is 

 the only tolerably sure crop with us. 



Hanover, June 13, 1836. 



This is the first time in upwards of 20 yeara 

 farming, that I have ever been doubtfid whether 

 I would cut wheat that was top-dressed, i have 

 often succeeded well by manuring in that way. 

 We have more cheat than usual, and more than 

 [ can well account lor on any other supposition 

 than that some came fi'om defective wheat, or 

 wheat injured by the Hy. 



Charlotte, June \5th, 1836. 

 We have been completely drenched with rain 

 during which time, 



