NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



53 



known that if the seeds of the finer grasses be 

 covered to the depth of an inch, they will not vege- 

 tate at all. It i.s therefore the better way to sow 

 the larger seeds first, then rake the ground lightly, 

 then sow the lighter seeds, and roll, while the 

 ground is dry, and if the weather prove a little 

 moist after the sowing, the light seeds will spring 

 first, and soon cover the surface with verdure. 



After the grass has all brairded, the roller should 

 be passed over it, and this should be frequently re- 

 peated during the season. AVhen the grass is 

 young, the roller should be applied instead of the 

 Bcythe, especially if the weather be very dry. A 

 young grass lawn ought not to be often mown in 

 very dry weather, during the first or second sea.son 

 of its growth, for the drought gets in among the 

 roots, the stems dry up and the plants perish. 



The rolling of grass lawns is very little attended 

 to in American gardens, even where a fine one is 

 wished. In the finest of English pleasure grounds, 

 the lawn is generally rolled before it is mown, 

 which not only makes a smooth close bottom, b\it 

 makes it much easier mown ; so much so, that I 

 have often seen the mowers quit their usual morn- 

 ing's task before it was half finished, just because 

 it had not been rolled the preceding evening. 



R. B. Leuchars. 



the winter wheats; and it is well known that they 

 are not so great as they are felt to be in the North- 

 ern States of America. Winter wheat is more sel- 

 dom used every successive year — the formers pre- 

 ferring the spring wheat — and the advantages of 

 what they c:i\\ fallowing, which means plougliing 

 up the soil in the fall, and letting it lie exposed to 

 the atmosphere, and the reception of the benefits 

 which proceed from frost, snow, &c., until sowing 

 lime. But, even with every care in preparation 

 and culture, and the use of the most favoring con- 

 ditions to ensure a liberal liarvest, the fanners of 

 Scotland can neither produce the bulk or iveight. of 

 wheat that their Southern brethren in England can 

 do. From 4G to .58 lbs. per bushel, I should think 

 a fair statement of weight; while in the English 

 markets 02 to G5 lbs. is conunonly the weight. 1 

 would not be willing to declare that there were no 

 single exceptions to the rule of comparison; but 

 such as exist have no general weight, as the fact.s 

 I have stated. With every deference to the opin- 

 ion of the editor of the Maine Farmer, I am, 1 

 think, justified in saying that the farmers of vScot- 

 land are well educated men, and that they are sci- 

 entific as well as 'practical farmers; and that they 

 have discovered that oat-growing is the natural ad- 

 vantage their soil and climate accords them, (and 

 this, after patient and well-conducted scientific en- 

 quiry,) and that it has been again resorted to ver\- 

 generally, is the clearest proof that they practically 

 repudiate the position assumed Ijy the editor ot' 

 that journal. Their soil is cold, and alkaline man- 

 ures will not warm it or favor its successful pro- 

 duction of a wheat crop. A great portion of Scot- 

 land is incumbent on lime-stone, the disintegra- 

 tion of which supplies (according to some author- 

 ities) a sufficiency of alkaline food fi)i cereals and 

 the pulse crops; but, while beans, peas, oats, 

 barley and bigg (or bore) grow to perfection, 

 wheat, as I have said, is a kind of exotic that will 

 not grow under common culture: any other will 

 not pay. I apprehend that Maine would not pros- 

 per better in her efforts; for neither soil, climate: 

 or other favoring conditions exist in that State to 

 be advantageously used in wheat-growing. I am 

 not sure that the "Yankees of Maine"' have not 

 discovered this thing, themselves; for some months' 

 sojourn "down east" and all 'long shore, gave me 

 opportunity to hear and learn something very like 

 it. The insectivoraj, too, have shewed that wheat- 

 growing is by no means an indigenous feature in 

 Maine farming. Wishing my down east friend.s 

 every success in productive cro])s, more germain 

 to their soil, I am very truly yours, 



John Charles Moork. 

 Boston, Jan. 1.3M, 1851. 



For the New England Farmer 



WHEAT-GROWING IN THE STATE OF 

 MAINE. 



Sir: — I beg your permission to make a few re- 

 marks on an article in the Maine Farmer, concern- 

 mg the comparative advantages for wheat-growing 

 in Maine, and in Scotland. The article alluded to 

 says: — "The example of Scotland is encouraging 

 to us. Our climate is as good for wheat, as Scot- 

 land is. It is probably somewhat colder in the 

 winter, but it is less variable and therefore more 

 suitable. Experience in Maine we think has abun- 

 dantly proved that winter wheat will endure any 

 amount of cold, but will not bear too many freez- 

 mgs and ihawings, not because the constitution or 

 organic system of the plant will not endure this 

 also, but in consequence of the mechanical opera- 

 tion of lifting it out of its place and breaking its 

 roots. Of coarse, when its Jieck is broken it dies. 

 Well, now, if Scotland, by the skilful application 

 of science to the raising of wheat, has made her 

 hard and primitive soil beat the more favored 

 wheat-growing regions of the North, cannot Maine 

 do the same? Are not the Yankees of Maine as 

 well taught and as ingenious and as industrious as 

 the 'highland laddies' of Old Scotia? If they are 

 not, it is full time they were." 



From what source the editor has received his 

 information, I am not aware; but it strikes me for-J Re.marks. — If winter wheat is a very uncertain 

 cibly that his intelligence has not the certificate of crop in Scotland, and we doubt not the 'correctness 



practical experience to authenticate it. Wheat 

 growing in Scotland, generally, is like putting 

 money into a lottery; you may have a chaiice, but 

 no security, to receive it back with interest. With 

 the exception of a very few instances, this insecu- 

 rity is common over the whole country. The ex- 

 ceptions are the Lothians, the Car.sc of Gowrie, 

 arfd a few other smaller spots where the soil is a 

 deep alluvial deposit, and has been carefullv and 

 scientifi*:ally cultivated with a view to the growth 

 of wheat. Even in these places the alternation of 

 heat and c^..ld are feared, and many times fatal to 



of our correspondent's view.s, for he is well ac- 

 quairiied with the agriculture fo that country, it 

 only shows that the arguments drawn from wheat- 

 grow ing in Scolland, in favor of this crop here, are 

 without effect. 



But whether wheat flourishes or fiils in other 

 lands, we conf^nd that there shouul be more ex- 

 periments in raising it in Kev,- Engkuid. Wr 

 have many iu.stancGS of great siicce.s.s, and we hop- 

 that tl>e-^- ca.«^ef> v/ill lead to further trials a:ul v:>.- 



