:i80 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



From the Mass. Agricultural Pvepository for June. 



I sons, who have leisure and faculty, are in pain 



for the improvement of tlieir heaths and barren 



Reflections nil the importance of steeping; Seeds iii\h[\\s, cold and starvinfj pkces, which causes 



various frvctifijing liijuids, which has 6c£)i (/if ' them to be despaired of and neglected, whilst 



subject ilf much discusiion. I they flatter their hopes and vain expectations with 



,, , , , , , • , fructil'uins tiounrs. chiimicul menstruiims. anti such 



Men have been always prone to devise, and ^ . -^ ■^ -^ ' . ,/ ___._. .k A 



adopt some ready and mysterious way of has 



tening [icrfoction in all the arts. There is no 

 one of them, that has not at times boasted its 

 philosopher's stone — some expeditious mode ot 

 dispensing with what I'ruvidence has made in- 

 dispensable to the attainment of all good in this 

 world, viz. constant, unremitted, intelligent ex- 

 ertion. However futile and ridiculous these 

 endeavors may have been in oth/r arts and sci- 

 ences, (and they are in this age of true philoso- 

 phy regarded, as they ought .always to have 

 been, as the chimeras of enthusiasts.) in the art 

 or science of agriculture, they arc eminently 

 preposterous and absurd. There is in this art, 

 no easy and compendious road to success. The 

 faithful division of the soil by repeated and in- 

 cessant labor, the application of proper manures 

 or compo.-ts to enrich it; to impart to each par- 

 ticular species ot soil, the elements in which it 

 i4K>Mnd to be dclicient — these are the great 

 secrets, and the ouly secrets, of successful cul- 

 tivation. While we wero young proliclents in 

 this science, we read with wonder, not unmixed 

 »vith incredulity, the surprising rilccts of sleep- 

 ing seeds in various liquors, imnrcgnated with 

 substances, which a vain philij.=u^jhy, always 

 more satisfied with novelty than with trutn, had 

 decided to bo the I .-'st Too I for plants. As we 

 have grown older, we have found that the most 

 rational physiologists are not yet agreed as to 

 what is the proper food of plants. They have 

 content d themselves with simple facts, that 

 some plants prefer one species of s^il or ma- 

 nure, and others pccCer a very different one. 

 And they have endeavored, as ihr as possible, 

 to give to each plant the kind of soil and ma- 

 nure in which, and by which, it is found to 

 flourish best. 



The supposition, that so small a seed as that 

 of wheat or Indian corn can imbibe from being 

 steeped for twenly-four hours in any liquor, 

 however fructifying or favor.ible, a degree ol 

 force, which can enable it to \yithslanT the ef- 

 fects of an uncongenial soil, or to produce more 

 abundantly even in a congenial one, sivors too 

 strongly of mystery to be readily adipted by 

 anv rational mind. We are not dispcseii to deny 

 any influence whatever to such esperiments ; 

 but vvc thir.k it must be very limited, and that 



vast conceptions — at the same time, that one maij 

 shc-jo them as heathy and hopeless grounds and 

 barren hills as any in England, that do now 

 bear, or lately have borne, woods, groves and 

 copses which yield the owner more wealth than 

 the richest and most opulent wheat lands." 



There is a strong vein of sarcasm and truth 

 in these remarks, and they haa their ellV-ct in 

 covering England with valuable and beautiful 



much increased by invigorating the grain (by ■ 

 steeps) that only one half ol the seed will be \ 

 required. Duhamel, one of the most accurate 

 of experimental husbandmen, and a most excel 

 lent philosopher, speaks in the strongest tcrni' 

 agivnst the practice of steeping, so far as it sup ' 

 poics an impregnation of vegetable particles. I 

 shall not here repeat his experiments. 1 shal 

 only observe, that they are such as any Airmei 

 m-iy make ; tliey are plain and conclusive. Goo( 

 seed, when sown upon land in good tilth, wil 

 alwaj s produce a plentiful crop. The best graii 

 impregnated to the full with the most approve( 

 sleep, and sown iii)on land indilTerenlly prepar 

 cd, wil! forever disappoint the hopes of the far 



forests and groves, as we now find it. Itmayjmer. 1 do not presume to condemn the prac 

 be of some practical use to add the experience ''ce in positive terms because my own e.xperi 



of the writer of this article. He pl.inted some 

 hills which consisted entirely of sand or gravel, 

 and which would not furnish vegetables lor the 

 support of a single cow for six weeks in a year. 

 It was represented to him by his neighbors that 

 trees would not grov/ upon them. It seemed, 

 indeed, to be a hopeless undcrta'-ing. Still he 

 persevered, and the wood now growing at the 

 end of riftecn years wonld pay, if cat down and 

 sold to the b.ucers, for a sum equal to the price 

 of the land; he believes, to double that price. 

 But the most important remarks ni this sulqect 

 were made in a note by the editor of EvclynV 

 Sylva, Alexander Hunter, the author of the 

 " Georgical Essays," a man of rare merit, phi- 

 lanthropy, and good sense. He goes at large 

 into the question of the value and importance 

 of steeping seeds, placing the question, as »vf- 

 believe, on its true and rational ground. 



" The steeping of seeds," he rem.'.rks, " in 

 prolific liquors, is not of modern invention. — 

 The Romans, who were good husbandmen, hnv* 

 Icf't us several receipts for steeping grain, h. 

 order to increase the powers of vegetables. In 

 England, France, Italy, and in all countri;- 

 where agriculture is attended to, we see a vt- 

 riety of liquors recommended lor the same pu- 

 pose. Good nourishment has ever been observ- 

 ed to add strength and vigor to all vegetables 

 Hence it was natural to suppose, that by filling' 



I 



ments are against it. Other experiments m 

 be opposed to mine. I shall therefore rest tl 

 whole upon a description of what happens 

 grain, after it has been committed to the earth 

 The subject is curious, and the discussion of i 

 not very difTicult. A grain of wheat contaia 

 within (wo capsules, a considerable share o 

 Hour, which, when melted down by (he water 

 juices i)t the eartii, conslitules the nourishmen 

 of lue tender plant, until its roots are grown sul 

 ficiently large to absorb their own food. Heri 

 is evidently a store-house of nutriment, and o 

 pourso the pluinpest grains are (he most eligible 

 for seed. From repeated experiments, 1 an 

 convinced that the jiiumpest seeds are alway 

 preferable to the small ones. 1 have sproute^ 

 (:vory kind of grain in a variety of steeps, an. 

 (an assure the farmer that the root and gem 

 iicver appeared so vigorous as when sproute 

 in simple elementary 'dealer — an argument tha 

 the seed requires no assistance. The same stee 

 Kvliea applied in quantity to the .toj7, will uii 

 duuhtedly invigorate (ho roots, and nourish th^ 

 plant ; but in that case it operates like othe 

 manures, and loses the idea of a steep. A 

 nitre, and sea-salf, and lime, are generally ad 

 ded to steeps, 1 have constantly obsened' tha 

 iheir apjilication rendered the radicle and "--.rn 

 sickly and yellow — a plain proof that they wen 

 I unnaturally used at that season. Did the larioi 



the vessels of the grain with nourishing liquors, 

 the germ with its roots would be invigorated 

 lio~j! far this is founded on just principles remainb 

 no-jo to be examined. For my part," says Mr. 

 Hunter, " I am not an advocate for s(eeps. Aii 

 my experiments demonstrate that they have no 

 inherent virtue. 1 have more than once sown 

 (he same seed, steeped, and unsteeped, and tho'' 

 it has been grossly over estimated, it would all other circumstances were minutely alike, 

 be indeed strange, if there were n)t some yet I could never obseive the least difiTereii'-e 

 quackery in this ar', as in all otliers, aad while j in the growth of the crops. / confess that •^■hcn 

 we have at iea<( one hundred mt;dicine<, which W/ic light seeds are skimmed off, as in (he opera- 

 will cure every disease (o which man U sul'joc( i (ion oi' brining, (or sleeping in water satura(ed 

 (though no visible diminution of disease has J with sail, which is heavier (ban common wa(er) 

 been as yet produced by any or all cf iboni,) i (he crop will be improved and diseases p7-evenl- 

 agricul'aire should not also have its iniversal c(^, bjt these advantages proceed from the good- 

 ness of the grain sown, and not trom any prolifc 

 virtue of the steep. I am hapj'y in not being 

 singular in mv objection to steeps Many jdii- 

 " ( 



panacea, £ompetent to eradicate all disease, and 

 to produce the highest possible state ol' vegeta- 

 ble health. It is with no small plea'ure (hat 

 we are able to s(a(e, (hat Evelyn, the Bacon of 

 philosophical agriculture, had a thoraigh dis- 

 belief in this short hand mode of producing lux- 

 uriant and prolific vegeUition. In spediing of 

 the soils in which forest trees flourish, le gives 

 this sly rebuke lo the believers in fnctifying 

 steeps. " Rather, therefore, we wodd take 

 notice how many great wits and ingenous pcr- 



losopliical iarmers have been induceii (o qui 

 their prejudices, and are now convinced, from 

 their own (rials, (h:i( (here is no dependence 

 on prolific liquors, though ever so well recom- 

 mended. Some peojde have been hardy enough 

 to persuade themselves, that tiie tillering of 

 wheat, (i(s disposiiion to spread and send up 

 many shoots from a single kernel) may be so 



of the seed need any additional particles, i 

 might be supposed that broth made of the fiesl 

 ^f animals would be most agreeable. [Proba 

 ily founded on the fact that animal manure is 

 ifie most powerfal. — Editors Repository.] 



"To be satisfied of (hat, I sprouted some 

 giaits in beef broth, and an equal number ii 

 simjio water. They were afterwards sown 

 l>it I could perceive no difference in the croii 

 A' 10 invigorating, or fructifying liquor hac 

 BTCr stood the test of fair experiment, we maj 

 veitire to lay it down as an established truth. 

 th;t plump seed, clear of weeds, and land well 

 prptred lo receive it, will seldom disappoin) 

 thi liopes of the farmer." 



V« are not prepared to express a decided 

 opoi«n in favor of Mr. Hunter's suggesdons, 

 (hug'i (hey derive grea( weight from the sup- 

 pet of two such men as Duhamel and Evelyn. 



There is one consideration which Mr. Hunter 

 ha certainly not pressed so far as he might 

 hae done. The bulk of the seed is so extreme- 

 ly mall, compared with (be roots and top of 

 an plant (Indian corn, lor example, whose root 

 an tops probably contain from 200 to 500 times 

 asnuch matter as the seed,) that it is incredi- 

 bl, that any productive virtue (be it ever so 



