98 ON GRAIN CROPS. 



ing of wheat, and it may be continued to the middle of No- 

 vember. When sown broad cast the land must receive sever- 

 al harrowings, but no more than are sufficient to cover the 

 seed, it being better in the case of wheat that there be a cer- 

 tain ROUGHNESS OF THE CLOD, No sooucr is the harrowing execut- 

 ed, than the land is to be water furrowed in the following man- 

 ner : The common plough with one horse is to pass along the 

 open furrow, and then along the open furrows of the head 

 lands, and to draw open furrows into such hollows of the field 

 as water might stagnate in. A person is then to follow with a 

 spade, to clear out the open furrows of the head lands, to make 

 channels through the head lands to the ditch, where necessa- 

 ry — to clear out the cross furrows to the hollows, so as to al- 

 low the water to run — and to open up the intersections of the 

 open furrows and those of the head lands. 



The quantity of seed usually sown is from two to three 

 bushels to the acre. In case of summer fallow, the quantity 

 need not exceed two bushels (and so likewise in well manured 

 land from which a summer crop has been taken.) In the 

 spring about three bushels are sown. The seeds, previous to 

 being sown, undergo an operation peculiar to wheat — termed 

 pickling or steeping — to prevent a disease, termed smut. 

 The best substance that can be employed for this purpose is 

 stale urine. A very strong pickle of salt dissolved in water, 

 may be used, but salt brine is not quite so secure a means of 

 destroying the infection, as urine. The process of steeping 

 may be thus performed. Let a tub be provided, and partly 

 filled with urine, and let a quantity of wheat, as a bushel, be 

 put in at a time. Let the wheat be well stirred, and all the 

 lighter grains, &c., skimmed carefully off, and thrown aside as 

 useless. The wheat should remain from five to ten minutes, 

 BUT never more THAN TEN MINUTES, iu the picklc. Thc suc- 

 cessive portions of wheat thus pickled are to be allowed to 

 drain a little, and then to be laid on the barn floor in layers, 

 hot lime (lime slacked at the time,) being at the time sifted 

 upon each layer. The purpose of the lime is to dry the grain, 

 which should be carried immediately to the field and sown. 

 When from any cause it is not practicable to sow the wheat for a 



