FARMERS' REGISTER— SEED WHEAT— BUCKWHEAT. 



391 



a source of light which exercises a happy influ- 

 ence on tlie agriculture of the north of Germany. 



England, so jealous of her superiority, knows 

 too well all what industry owes to agriculture, to 

 neglect any thing that can favor and encourage 

 this art ; thus is it carried in this country to a very 

 high degree of perfection. Rural economy, espe- 

 cially the raising and improving the races of do- 

 mestic animals, leave nothing to be desired in Eng- 

 land, where one can draw up the best precepts on 

 this important branch of public riches. 



Although Belgium justly holds the first rank 

 among all the agricultural countries, and all of 

 our farms may be considered as so many models, it 

 is not less desirable to see Ibundeda Normal estab- 

 lishment, theoretical and practiced, devoted to the 

 improvement of all the parts of agriculture and of 

 rural economy, and where the pupils might obtain 

 and put in practice the best precepts on different 

 branches of the agricultural and economical sci- 

 ence which they might then spread in all parts of 

 the kingdom. Let us hope that the government 

 will supply this need of our time, and that it will 

 do for agriculture what it is doing tor the mechan- 

 ic arts, in institutingat Brussels gratuitous courses 

 of Geometry, Theoretical Mechanics, Chemis- 

 try, &c. applied to the arts, and especially design- 

 ed for the instruction of the laboring classes. 



is added occasionally, and a sufficiency of salt to 

 maintain the strength of the brine, which is tested 

 by an egg kept at hand for the purpose. The 

 whole process is completed in the morning, by the 

 time the teams are ready to proceed to their work. 

 I suppose a bushel of salt would probably suffice 

 for one hundred bushels of seed, which would, by 

 reason of its invigorating qualities, be very well 

 bestowed in that way, independently of its aid in 

 freeing the wheat from its impurities. 



F. H. 



N. B. If the wheat is infected with smut, it will 

 be effectually destroyetl, by stirring in a portion of 

 quick-lime before the gypsum. 



PREPARATION OF SEED WHEAT. 



To the Editor of the Farmers' Register. 



I have been somewhat amused at the discussion 

 in the Register, concerning the production oC cheat: 

 one party contending, that it is a distinct species oi 

 grain, which, by no process whatever, can be pro- 

 duced from any other grain ; the other party con- 

 tending, with equal earnestness, that it is produced 

 from degenerated wheat ; and one gentleman goes 

 so far as to assert, that it .is incapable of reproduc- 

 tion beyond one course of generation. Both par- 

 ties claim to have proved their respective theories 

 by actual experiment. I shall not undertake load 

 as umpire between them, but will inform them of 

 the manner in which I have for a number of years 

 prepared my seed wheat, which cleanses it effec- 

 tually from the light and defective grains of wheat, 

 from cheat and from garlic. If the theories of 

 either party be correct, or of both parties partially 

 so, my process will prevent the evil arising from 

 the propagation of cheat, so far as it can be guarded 

 against by purifying the seed wheat. 



W hen I am about to commence seeding, I have 

 two barrels prepared, one of which I have filled 

 about two thirds full with brine, strong enough to 

 bear an egg, into which I have the seed poured 

 very slowly, until the brine rises nearly to the top, 

 which will be covered with the light grains of 

 wheat, cheat and garlic, which are skimmetl otf 

 with the hands, and the wheat at the bottom stirred 

 once or twice to free it of any remaining impuri- 

 ties, which are again skimmed off. An old basket 

 without a handle is then placed on the top of the 

 empty barrel, through which the brine is poured 

 from the wheat by two men taking the full barrel 

 by its bottom, on opposite sides. The wheat is then 

 emptied into a large box, and the same process re- 

 peated from one barrel to the other alternately, un- 

 til a sufficient quantity is washed for the day's seed- 

 ing, and as much gypsum is then stirred into the 

 whole mass, as will adhere to the grain. Water 



SARRASIN BUCKWHEAT. 



Translated for the Farmers' Register, from the '^Cours Complet 

 d\>lgriculture, etc. par VAbbe Rozier et aulres.^' 



This grain, improperly called black corn, (since 

 it does not belong to the gramineous family,) has 

 borne different names more or less approved. 

 Olivier de Serres designates it by the names of 

 miUet-sarrasin, and bucail ; elsewhere it has been 

 named bouquet or bouquette, doubtless on account 

 of its abundant and durable flowers, which resem- 

 ble nosegays [bouquets.*] It appears, that being 

 brought into Europe by the Moors [Sarrasins] of 

 Spain, this grain borroAved their name ; but that it 

 was not cultivated until the commencement of the 

 sixteenth century — in France about 1520, and in 

 England about 1590. As to the species brought 

 from the north of Europe, it was introduced in 

 Belgium towards 1570. 



The grain of buckwheat is of a triangular shape, 

 and blackish color ; its skin is easily broken, is 

 bitter and very disagreeable ; it covers a very 

 white meal, to which it adheres but slightly, and 

 from which the skin ought to be completely sepa- 

 rated, or it will be injured both in taste and color. 

 Buckwheat grows on almost every kind of soil; 

 but it prefers such as are light, and not moist, as 

 well as situations sheltered from the exhalations of 

 marshes, and from the north and north-east winds. 

 Buckwheat does not occupy the land but from 

 three to four months : it yields heavily in good 

 years ; it stifles weeds, and cleans the soil on which 

 it has been sown : it offers, if turned in green in a 

 proper manner, an excellent manure; its flour 

 gives to men a very nourishing pottage, and to 

 poultry a dough which makes them fatten well 

 and quickly. But how many ol)jections also pre- 

 sent themselves with these advantages! Buck- 

 wheat ofTers always a very precarious harvest. As 

 it is not sown until in May, or even June, if the 

 weather is dry, as often happens at that time, it 

 does not come up; if frost comes, the growing 

 plant perishes at once. Grown to a good size it 

 still is endangered by drought, because it does not 

 branch well, and cover the ground ; in flower, it 

 is still more delicate, and the mists, frosts, heat of 

 the sun, rains, (but not the stars, whatever may 

 be said of them,) destroy the fecundating power 

 of the stamens, and render the plant entirely bar- 

 ren. Its bread is extremely indigestible, and of 

 a disagreeable flavor; it is even difficult to make 

 bread of the meal ; it cannot be used but when 



* This is an amusing exan^le of the derivation of 

 names: buckwheat is evidently a corrupted English 

 pronunciation of the French name bouquet — [Transla- 

 tor, 



