294 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



NEW EVGT^AND FAR^TER. 



SATURUAY, APRIL 10, 1824. 



FARMER'S CALEJ^DER. 



SPRING WHEAT. We have it in contemplation 

 to make it apparent if possible that New En°r- 

 land is, or at least may be made to be a wheat- 

 producing country. We believe there is no 

 more need of our importing flour from New 

 York or from the Southern States than there is 

 for our sending to the torrid zone for cargoes of 

 sunshine. 



" Some calculators have supposed, that the 

 average produce of wheat over the whole face 

 ©f the globe will not exceed six bushels reaped 

 for one l)ushel sown. Mr. Livingstone has cal- 

 culated the average quantity of wheat per acre, 

 upon unmanured lands, throughout the middle, 

 northern and eastern states, without taking in 

 the new settlements, where the yield is much 

 greater, to be thirteen bushels. In the Ssuth- 

 ern Atlantic Stales it is much less. It appears 

 that in the single district of Newbury-Newtown, 

 Massachusetts, there were raised in 1817, by 

 thirty-two persons, on fifty-eight acres of land, 

 thirfieen hundred and twenty-five bushels of 

 wheat; making an average of twenty-two bush- 

 els to the acre, an average greater, it is believ- 

 ed than that of some of the most favored wheal 

 countries. Mr. Emery raised thirty-three bush- 

 els on an acre ; and Mr. Newall eighty-one bush- 

 els on two and a half acres. In New-Hampshire 

 five persons raised on eleven acres three hun- 

 dred and tifty-tivo bushels, equal to thirty-two 

 bushels to the acre. If firmers will look over 

 the accounts of late experiments on Spring 

 wheat, even on the sea board in Massachusetts, 

 where it is supposed to be tlic most subject to 

 blight, they will iind the average product to ex- 

 ceed twenty bushels. Mr. Ti\ft, of Uxbndge, 

 Mass. estimates the quantity of wheat raised in 

 that town for three years preceding 1811, to 

 have been one thousand bushels annually. We 

 believe, therefore, that its produce is much more 

 certain and profitable than is generally suppos- 

 ed."* 



It has been stated by one of the Vice Presi- 

 dents of the Philadelphia Agricultural Society 

 that the average crop of wheat in Lancaster 

 county, which is considered the richest in the 

 State of Pennsylvania, did not exceed fifteen 

 bushels per acre. The average of all France 

 lias been rated at eighteen bushels. The aver- 

 age of all England is said to be twenty-four bush- 

 els. But in some counties as in Middlesex and 

 the Lothians forty bushels to the acre is the es- 

 timated average crop. In Springlield, Mass. in 

 the summer ol' 181G, four acres of land belong- 

 ing to a distillery Company produced two hun- 

 dred bushels. Payson ^VilliaIIli Esq., Col. Valen- 

 tine and others, have likewise raised large crops 

 of excellent wheat in Massachusetts. We be- 

 lieve, therelbre, that there is nothing in our soil 

 or climate to prevent the protilable cultivation 

 of wheat. 



There are many facts and reasons founded on 

 facts, which almost irresistibly lead to the con- 

 clusion that lime or some other substance of a 

 calcareous nature, such as marie, i)ulverized 

 bones, oyster shells, and the shells of other tes- 

 taceous animals are indispensably requisite for 



"' Farmer's Guidr. 



the production of wheat. If none of those sub- 

 stances, and nothing analagous to them are na- 

 tive in the soil, they must be supplied or wheat 

 will not grow to maturity. These considera- 

 tions, however, we have urged so often that 

 their repetition might prove unnecessary as well 

 as tedious. Experiments of some Massachusetts 

 cultivators have at least made this theory ap- 

 pear very probable, if they have not fully con- 

 firmed i-t. 



That wheat may be made to grow without 

 lime, in any of its combinations may be granted, 

 and still it will not follow that lime may not be 

 useful. Plants may be made to grow in pound- 

 ed glass, in metallic oxides, in pure water, &,c. 

 hut they are not healthy, and can scarcely, if 

 at all be brought to perfection. Indian corn 

 may be obtained from any tolerable soil, without 

 manure, but it is, notwithstanding, best to ma- 

 nure for that crop. 



Spring wheat should be sowed as early in the 

 season as the soil can be fitted for its reception. 

 It grows best on rich new lands, or on a soil, 

 which has been well manured for the crops which 

 immediately preceded the proposed wheat crop. 

 It is apt to be stifled with grass and weeds, and 

 should therefore either follow potatoes or some 

 other hoed crop ; or it may follow peas or a clo- 

 ver lay, if the land is iVee from weeds. If the 

 soil be clay-loam, or inclined to clay it should be 

 ploughed the preceding fall and twice ploughed 

 in the spring, as soon as the frost will permit. 

 The seed sown, should be ploughed in with a 

 light furrow, then harrowed smooth, and if roll- 

 ed it will be the better. 



Col. Valentine of Hopkinton received a pre- 

 mium of twenty dollars from the Massachusetts 

 Agricultural Society, and ten dollars from the 

 Socieiy of Middlesex Husbandmen and Manu- 

 facturers, for his crop of Spring wheat raised 

 the last season. We have already published 

 statements of his mode of cultivation, but for the 

 benefit of some recent subscribers, who have 

 not (as they should have done) taken the back 

 numbers of the present volume, we shall repeat 

 that gentleman's descri()tion of his mode of cul- 

 tivation in the case alluded to. 



" In the spring of 1822, the ground was plough- 

 ed and planted with Indian corn, forty tons of 

 manure ivcre spread and laid upon it, and the 

 crop produced was one hundred and sixteen 

 bushels, and twenty-eight quarts of corn, well 

 dried and fit for use. In the spring of 1823, as 

 soon as the ground was fit for ploughing, 1 had 

 it ploughed twice and harrowed ; three bushels 

 of Gilnian wheat were sowed on one acre and a 

 lew rods and ploughed in; I then sowed twelve 

 pounds of clover, and half a bushel of herd 

 grass seed, spread one hogshead of slacked lime 

 upon the land, and harrowed it well twice with 

 an iron harrow. The wheat before solving was 

 washed clean in clear water, then soaked forty- 

 eight hours in strong lime water, then laid on a 

 dry floor and slacked lime sprinkled upon it, and 

 frequently stirred until it was covered with 

 lime." 



liy this mode of cultivation. Col. Valentine 

 raised the great cro|) of thirly-seven bushels and 

 one fourth of a bushel on one acre. And vet 

 Massachusetts is not a wheat country ! One 

 might as well say that onions cannot be raised 

 in Weathersfield, Con. ; that the Irish would find 

 their account in importing potatoes, or that care- 

 ful and calculating fiumejrs muni buy hay to keep 



their stock through the winter. Wheat may b< 

 profitably cultivated by those who know hoTe 

 and will takt pains for the purpose ; and thos« 

 who have neither intellect nor industry may a 

 well confine themselves to crops of less value 

 and now and then buy a little southern flour ti 

 entertain company^ and confine themselves to thi 

 meanest products of their soil, instead ofenjoyinj 

 the best. The quantity of seed used by Col. Va 

 lentine was greater than that which has been ge 

 nerally recommended. From one and an half ti 

 two bushels to an acre is the common prescrip 

 tion. 



MANGEL wt'RTZEL. The spccics of beet callei 

 Mangel Wurtzel appears to be about to becomi 

 a very fashionable root among husbandmen 

 and there is reason to believe that it meM 

 more attention than it has, till of late, gcnerall 

 received. It is said to be a very sure crop, a 

 the plant will endure the driest weather witi 

 less injury than most other plants. Its leave 

 are valuable, and it may be stripped severa 

 times without injury to the roots. But we d.' 

 not know a better way to forward the culture o 

 this plant than by giving the substance of cer 

 tain directions, by Leonard Phillipps, Jr. an En 

 glish cultivator, who has lately received from 

 the Society of London for the Encouragement o 

 Jirts, Manufactures^ and Commerce, a gold meds 

 for his success and exertions in removing th. 

 prejudices against, and extending the culture fl 

 this root. 



" The seed should be soaked in soft pond wa 

 ter for six hours before sown, and it is requisit 

 that the ground should be well pulverized fo 

 without it is fine, to allow the roots fo swe 

 freely, they will become stinted and the cro 

 spoiled. The season lor sowing the first crop 

 is from the middle cf April to the end of May 

 (for after crops the time of course will be ac 

 cording to circumstances); if the ground is nt 

 wet, and in good order the middle of April i 

 the best time, should the weather be mild:: 

 not, about the latter end. It is the opinion ( 

 Leonard Phillipps, Jun. after trying numerou 

 experiments, to ascertain which method is pre 

 ferable, that for general cultivation it is bes^ '* 

 sown upon the ground, where it is to remainf 

 either by machine or by hand, at two feetapar 

 each way, and not more than three quarters o 

 an inch deep ; and to transplant none but th» 

 superfluous ones to fill vacancies : every casi 

 usually contains more than one seed, and onlj 

 cue plant should be suffered to remain at tw( 

 feet apart. At the thinning them to single plant! 

 there will therefore be many superfluous ones 

 " Six or more crops of leaves and stocks 

 which are good food for cattle, may be taker 

 off', during the growth of the root ; women oi 

 children can take off the leaves, which is best 

 done as follows : they should place their handli 

 on each side of the top of the roof, at the fool 

 stalk of the leaves, leaving about six of fhfr 

 smallest central leaves between the foie fingep 

 and thumb of both hands, (the small leaves aMN 

 lo be left on the root fo grow to make a fresfit 

 top,) then spreading the hands flat, with their 

 I'ace downwards, push them both at the same 

 time towards the ground, and thus by one mo- 

 lion will the whole ol the top of each root, (ex- 

 cept the few small leaves, which are left to (orni' 

 a fresh head,) be removed without unsettling 

 the root or its fibres, which would check its 

 growth: the leaves should be put into a basket, 



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