No. 133.) 293 



Mr. Van Wyck. — I shall confine my few remarks on the sul ject 

 before ns^— wheat — principally to the kinds and manner of growing 

 them in ovlt own country. Wo grow, generally, the bald and 

 bfarded wheat, aud the different varieties of these, of which tliere 

 are a number — the red, white, &c. The grov/th of these and their 

 quality and quantity, like every product of tlie soil, depends very 

 much on the tillage, plowing, pulverising, manuring, and consid- 

 erably on the climate. 



Many of the northern and middle states have heretofore raised 

 much and very fine wheat, and been remunerated for their labor 

 in price. Latterly, since the western states hav« i.ncieased so 

 rapidly in population, and raised such' quantities of it on their 

 naturally rich and virgin soil, that we cannot compete with them 

 in producing the article. It is calculated that the new states, 

 west of the mountains, produce more than one half of the whole 

 wheat crop of the United States, all of which must find a market 

 on tlie Atlantic side. It is said by some to our farmers of the 

 Atlantic states, make up for this disadvantage by ameliorating 

 your exhausted soil ; use more organic and inorganic mailures, 

 and a better tillage generally, and you will come nearer, in quan- 

 tity of wheat produced by your competitors of the west; that 

 your vicinity to the market, and the less expense you are at in 

 reaching this, will make yen their equal. A better tillage and 

 higher manuring would, no doubt, help our Atlantic fanners in 

 other things as well cS wheat, such as grasses, Indian corn, rats, 

 dairy, horticulture, &c. These would all pay better than wheat; 

 besides, the increased facilities, within a few years, of getting 

 things to eastern markets from the west, and especially wheat 

 and fiour, does not make such a difference between us in cost of 

 carriage. The western crop of wheat, this year, we' are informed 

 from the best sources, is considerably greater than ever knowp 

 before, and of the finest quality ; and it is doubted whether It can 

 posfibly pay, under .such circumstances, for any increased expense 

 iu its cultivartion. The prospeci of a fine crop throughout Europe 

 this yealr will also affect 9ur market, aud with tha present system 

 of free trade, depress still more the price of the article. It is 

 highly probably that at tide water with us the price will range 



