208 



THE ge:jjesee farmer. 



of twelve diiferent plows," we find the draft to vary 

 all along from two hundred and ninety lbs. to four 

 hundred and ninety-three lbs., being a difference 

 of seventy per cent, in performing the same work 

 of turning a furrow of twelve by six inches. * * 



The writer is not aware that any very reliable 

 experiments have ever been instituted to test, by 

 the dynamometer, ti)e comparative draft of English 

 and American plows. * * * * 



Tlie heavier the flow the greater the force neces- 

 ary to move it along the surface. In a series of 

 experiments published by Mr. Pusey in the English 

 Agricultural Society Jouriial, it appears that the 

 average draft of nine different plows, in an empty 

 furrow, was in proportion to the Aveight as three 

 to four ; that is to say, that a plow of three hun- 

 dred lbs. weight required a force, as shown by the 

 dynamometer, of two h\mdred and twenty-five lbs. 

 to move it when not at work. By the same expe- 

 riments, it appears that the average draft of the 

 same plows, working and turning a furrow nine 

 inches by five, was a fraction less than double their 

 draft in the empty furrow. Later experiments 

 confirm this result ; and it may be taken as demon- 

 strated that, in tiie use of tlie heavy English plow, 

 about one-half of tlie ordinary force of the team is 

 expended in moving the implement when at ordi- 

 nary light work! * * * * 



Taking, then, the draft of the plow in the empty 

 furrow, which may be called the surface draft, to 

 be three-fourths of the weight of the implement, 

 and the weight of English plows for common work 

 to be that given me at the factory of Ransome & 

 SiMES, two hundred and eighty lbs., and that of the 

 American plows to be one hundred lbs., we have 

 the dilference in the draft, one hundred and thirty- 

 five lbs., or three-fourths of the fidierence in weight. 



"What do our Canadian friends, who use the Eng- 

 lish and American plows, say to these conclusions? 

 The question is an important one. There may be 

 advantages in the long handles and great weight 

 which, on account of the increased steadiness of 

 the work, counterbalance the extra power required 

 to draw the extra weight of the plow. Thus, a 

 plow with wheels weighs heavier than one without, 

 yet it has been shown by the dynamometer that, 

 owing probably to its greater steadiness, it draws 

 easier than the same plow without wheels. 



Land for Wheat can be Made too Fine. — In 

 the Genesee Farmer for August, 1859, page 234, 

 in an article on the Cultivation of "Wheat, we 

 remarked, " "Wheat likes a firm, compact soil ; and 

 if left somewhat rough and cloddy, it is none the 

 worse." Several of our correspondents differed 

 with us on this point. Hon. A, B. Dickinson, in 

 an article in the Rural New Yorker, says, "All 

 experienced wheat-growers will agree that wheat 

 does much better when the soil is left a little coarse, 

 or a portion of it in small chips, than when it is all 

 pulverized and made fine." The Boston Cultivator 

 copies the remark and adds, "There can be no 

 doubt on this fact." 



NOTES FEOM CANADA WEST. 



Eds. Genksee Farmer: — To-day being so wet 

 and stormy as to confine me to the house, I thought 

 it would be a good chance to have a talk with you 

 on agricultural matters generally. In your notes 

 for the month in the May number of the Farmer, 

 you say "spring wheat will succeed on a clover 

 sod plowed up fresh." There is probably no sec- 

 tion of Canada where spring wheat has been more 

 extensively and successfully grown of late years 

 than in this t.ownshij). At first it was thought 

 that a clover sod would answer for this crop ; but 

 repeated trials have proved that almost the worst 

 method that can be adopted is to sow it on clover 

 sod. The wheat grows finely at first and appar- 

 ently promises well, but dies oft' in patches as the 

 dry weather comes on, and at harvest is found to 

 yield a light crop of straw and but little grain. 

 This is probably owing to the great amount of 

 carbonaceous matter derived from the decomposi- 

 tion of the clover, and perhaps also to the difliculty 

 of getting a compost and bed on clover sod. 



It is now generally conceded that spring wheat 

 succeeds best after root crops, or even corn or 

 barley, provided the stubble is plowed under imme- 

 diately after harvest, and the soil left exposed to 

 ameliorating effects of the frosts of winter, {a.) 



You also say that Fife wheat is regarded as the 

 most popular sort here. This was the case some 

 years ago, but it is not so now. The fiour from 

 Fife wheat is of so dark a color and the wheat so 

 difiicult to grind, that the millers will scarcely 

 purchase it at any price, and its growth is mostly 

 confined to the back settlements, where the farmers 

 have to consume what little wheat they can grow 

 for home use. 



The spring wheat most in demand is a new kind 

 known as the Golden Drop, a few grains of which 

 I .send you. It is now ])retty extensively grown, 

 and is admitted to be the best spring wlieat yet 

 seen in Canada. It grinds as readily as foil wheat, 

 and the bread raada from its fiour is but little if 

 any darker tlian that made from Genesee flour. 

 Not being so hard and flinty as the Fife, it may 

 perhaps be more liable to suffer from the midge ; 

 but it is so productive that where even two-thirds 

 of the crop has "gone to midge," the balance amply 

 remunerates the farmer for his trouble. My father 

 has raised this kind for the last two years and finds 

 it as profitable as fall wheat. H6 sold his entire 

 crop this year at $L25 per bushel at the barn, (b.) 



Farmers are perhaps not generally aware that 

 wherever lime is sown upon the land it has the 

 effect of producing a heavy growth of sorrel in a 

 year or two afterward. The same is also the case 

 to some extent where plaster is used largely. This 

 plant contains a large proportion of oxalate of 

 lime — hence its sour taste. The most effectual 

 way to get rid of it is to sow unleached ashes, at 

 the rate of two or three bushels per acre, on the 

 land, with the first grass or clover grown after the 

 application of the lime ; and when sowing plaster, 

 to mix a small proportion of unleached ashes with it. 



You seem to deny the utihty of soaking seeds in 

 mineral solutions, (c.) Now it is undoubtedly true 

 that the quantity of mineral matter that can be 

 absorbed by the seed is but small; yet little as it 

 is, it is sufficient to cause the plant to be more 

 quickly developed during the first stages of its 



