12S CORRESPONDENCE. 



CORRESPONDENCE. 



Mr. Editor, — I intend to sow one acre with wheat 

 this spring, and I want to know if it is necessary to 

 wash it, or soak it, or do any thing more to the seed 

 than I should to spring rye ? 



I also wish to know how much seed you sow to the 

 acre, and whether any manure should he put on this 

 spring. Z. 



Marlborough^ March 20. 



We advise our correspondent to wash his wheat 

 perfectly clean, by taking half a bushel at a time, and 

 stirring it about in a large tub full of water ; change 

 the water several times till it looks perfectly clean ; 

 then turn the wheat into a bushel-basket to be drained; 

 then turn it from the basket into a dry lime-cask, or 

 tub, and mix thoroughly with the wheat two quarts of 

 slaked lime, and stir the whole well until every kernel 

 of wheat is limed. When this is done take another 

 half bushel of wheat, and go through with the same 

 process until all is prepared. This may now stand 

 several days without injury, if the ground is not ready 

 for sowing. 



Good wheat is sometimes raised without this cleans- 

 ing, but you run a risk of smut. On the Kennebec 

 river, where they now raise excellent wheat, they were 

 much troubled with smut in their wheat until they 

 prepared it in this way. Their land is more clayey 

 than ours and much better calculated for wheat. 

 Other preparations, such as strong urine, or salt water, 

 may answer the purpose, but lime is effectual, and is 

 as easily applied as any thing. 



As to the quantity of seed, we commonly sow one 

 bushel and a half to the acre. Old or rotten manure 

 may be used, but you must by no means put on green 

 manure. It will not work soon enough : it will be fit 



