EFFECT OF STEEPS ON WHEAT. 241 



frame with six hoes attached to it, which occupies 

 the same space as the drill. The rate of drilling is 

 an acre per hour. Wheat is drilled at nine inches 

 between the rows, and barley at seven. The horse- 

 hoe is used once, and the hand-hoe twice. The ex- 

 pense of weeding in England is stated at two shil- 

 lings (forty-eight cents) per acre. 



EFFECT OF STEEPS ON WHEAT. 



Mr. Hathaway's letter, published in the June num- 

 ber of the Cultivator, 1838, giving his opinion that 

 steeping Italian spring wheat in strong brine for a 

 length of time is injurious to its vegetating principle, 

 has induced me to make some experiments for my 

 own satisfaction. The results have not been what 

 I anticipated, and they certainly go to prove that 

 gentleman to be correct. 



The wheat on which I experimented was the Ital 

 ian the berry fair and plump. The pickle was im- 

 pregnated with as much salt as the water would 

 dissolve. Parcels containing twenty-five kernels 

 each were steeped at different periods of time, placed 

 in moist earth, and marked in such manner that they 

 might be easily distinguished, and were suffered to 

 remain undisturbed until the greater part of tiie 

 stems made their appearance above ground. 



Result of First Experiment. 



No. 1, 25 kernels, steeped 5 minutes, 2 did not vegetate 

 " 2, do., do. 30 do., 2 do. 



" 3, do., do. 1 hour, 4 do. 



" 4, do., do. 18 hours, 12 do 



[2 kernels missing. 



The result of the parcel steeped 18 hours being 

 unexpected, I made another trial, which was as fol- 

 lows : 



No. 1, 25 kernels, well washed in brine, every kernel vegetated. 

 " 2, do , steeped 4 hours, 2 kernels did not vegetate. 

 " 3, do., do. 8 do., 6 do. do. 



" 4, do., do. 12 do., 1 1 do. do. 



" 5, do., do. 18 do., 13 do. do. 



I. T 



