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Vol. XXI, Secobd Series. 



ROCHESTER, N. Y., MAY, 1860. 



No. 5. 



NOTES FOR THE MONTH- 



TnE unusual and almost unprecedented severe 

 \\ 'liter in Great Britain has materially injured tlie 

 wLoat in that country, and our English exchanges 

 and private correspondence indicate that the crop 

 this year will probably be light. In some sections of 

 this country and parts of Canada, there is reason to 

 fear that the wheat crop has suffered by the sudden 

 •changes of temperature during the past winter. 

 On this account, notwithstanding there was, in this 

 section at least, more winter wheat sown last 

 autumn than for several years past, there is a very 

 general impression that the wheat crop of 1860 

 will fall below the average, and that it will be well 

 for farmers to sow as much spring wheat as possible. 



It is not yet too late to sow spring wheat. We 

 have known several instances where late sown 

 spring wheat has done better than early sown — for 

 the reason, probably, that the season of the midge 

 was over before it was in bloom. 



Unlike barley, spring wheat will succ^d on a 

 clover sod plowed up fresh. One of our Canadian 

 correspondents, however, who has been very suc- 

 cessful in raising spring wheat, prefers to summer- 

 fitUow for it ; or, at least, to plow the land in the 

 fall, and cultivate it in the spring. He sows from 

 the 10th to the 15th of May; from one to one and 

 a half bushels per acre. Unless the land is in 

 excellent condition, two bushels is none too much 

 seed. 



Throughout the West, the Canada club is re- 

 garded as one of the best varieties of spring wheat. 

 In Canada, the Fife is the most popular kind, and 

 can be sown later than most varieties, and on 

 moister soils, 



Indian Corn. — Of this crop, little need be said. 

 It will stami bad management as well as any other 

 crop, but it is exceedingly grateful for good culti- 

 vation and heavy manuring. It requires a warm, 

 dry, rich soil. The motto of the corn-planter 

 ehould be " good culture." In our experiments 



with various manures on Indian corn, gypsum or 

 plaster proved the most profitable. Ashes had 

 little effect, though this might not be the case on 

 other soils. Ammonia is what we need, but this- 

 can not be purchased sufficiently cheap to render 

 its use in the majority of cases profitable. The 

 cheapest source at present, with the exception of 

 home manures, is Peruvian guano. If the corn is 

 planted on a clover sod, it may be well to let the 

 clover grow till just before planting, and thfen turn 

 it under and plant immediately. 



In our own experiments, the plaster was applied 

 in the hill with the seed, at. the time of planting, ii. 

 little over a bushel per acre. This year, we shall 

 try the effect of a larger quantity. The general 

 mode is to scatter it round the plants when three 

 or four inches high. 



We have little faith in the various recommenda- 

 tions of soaking seed corn in solutions of animoni;i, 

 chloride of lime, copperas, etc. Soaking old, di-y 

 seeds in a solution of chloride of lime is said to 

 facilitate the softening of the husk, and thus render 

 germination easier. Thi.« Ls probably true ; but that 

 the small quantity of any ingredient that seed can 

 absorb can materially help its after growth, is 

 inconsistent with all our ideas of the nourishment 

 and growth of plants. In the majority of experi- 

 ments that have been made on this subjeol, it is 

 quite probable that the result would have been 

 just as good if the seed had been simply soaked 

 in water alone for twenty -four or forty -eight hours. 

 Generally, this even is unnecessary. 



Bakley. — Our climate is not weJl adapted for the 

 production of the best samples of spring barley — 

 the growing season is too short and hot. Is this 

 section, at least, the crop is becoming naore and 

 more uncertain, and many farmers have nearly 

 abandoned its cnltivatioii. Like whea<t, it is liable 

 to be attacked by tW midge. Whether, likespriivj, 

 wheat, late sowing- will enable it to. escape this in- 

 sect, we cannoi say. The rule bitjlierto has beeii 



