278 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



FEB. 28,194 



ANJ) HORTICULTtRAL REGISTER. 



Kdlted by Joaepli Breck. 



Boston, Wednesday, Feb. 23, 1844. 



EXPERIMENTS IN SOAKING SEED CORN IN 

 MURIATE OF AMMONIA. 



To the Editor of the New England Farmer : 



Sir — dome time last May, I arcidentally saw a notice 

 of some modo of preparing seed for planting, invented 

 in Germany, which was said to insure good crops, even 

 upon poor and barren land, at a very trifling cost. VVhnl 

 tlie preparation was, the discoverer refused to make 

 known. While thinking over tho various substances 

 that had been or might be used with advantage, it oc- 

 curred to me that Muriate of Ammonia, the common 

 Sal AniDMniac of the druggists, might answer well for 

 the purpose reqnired, brtth from thu nature of its base 

 and its acid ; and I determined to try the experiment of 

 using it. 



I accordingly dissolved a small piece, weighing by es- 

 timate 4 or 5 grains, in about Iialf a coifee cup of water. 

 Into this a small handful of good sound corn was thrown, 

 and suH'ered to remain 4 or 5 liours, and then planted. 

 By the aide of each hill, at a proper distance, was planted 

 another hill with corn from the same ear, but unsoaked. 

 Generally in each spot only one hill of each kind was 

 planted ; but in one place a hill of the soaked corn was 

 placed on each side of the unsoaked. The particulars 

 and results were as follows,, viz : 



No. 1. Planted in good ;ight soil, into which a fair 

 dressing of coarse long stable manure had been plowed ; 

 about 5 kernels were planted in each hill. Result : 



Soaked. Unsoaked. 



8 ears, 6 good, 2 small. 4 ears. 



No. 2. Three hills — 2 of soaked, and between them 

 1 of unsoaked corn. Soil dry, sandy, annd close to the 

 edge of a path where little or no manure fell in the 

 spreading of it. Result: 



Soaked. Unsoaked. 



a. 5 ears, 3 of them good. 3 good ears. 



b. 5 " 3 " " 



No. 3. Two hills — in a dry sandy bed, occupied for a 

 dozen years by gooseberry bushos, which were rooted 

 up about 2 years before. During all that time, the 

 ground had never been manured, otherwise than that a 

 dressing of rotten chips had several times been put about 

 the bushes, which were well trimmed and kept clear of 

 weeds. During the two last years, it had borne cabba- 

 ges, which were watered a number of limes with soap- 

 suds and the drainings of a sink where dishes were 

 washed. Result: 



Soaked. Unsoaked. 



3 large good ears and 3 3 rather poor ears, 

 abortive ears. 

 "Jiio. 4. Two hills — on the edge of a sandy square 

 reserved for several years past for squashes, which were 

 manured in the hill, so that tho place where the corn 

 was planted, had no benefit from it, beiny at least four 

 feet from the nearest hill. Result : 



Soaked. Unsoaked. 



3 good cars, 3 rather poor ears. 



No. .1. Three hills — in a moisler piece of ground, in- 

 to which a light dressing of coarse stable manure had 

 been dug with the spade, but just under the edze of the 

 boughs of some large honey locusts, the roots of which 

 filled the ground, and eihausted the soil so, that I have 

 found it difficult to make any thing valuable grow there 

 but eiilf bush beans. Result : 



Soaked. Unsoaked. 



4 good ears. 3 poor ears. 



The land where all the four first experiments were 

 tried, was light and dry, and suffered considerably Ironi 

 drought about the lime the ears were forming. Pota- 

 toes for early use, 'planted in the immediate vicinity, 

 were completely stopped in their growth about the last 

 of July, the hills being perfectly dry to the bottom, and 

 not getting fairly moist again for a period of 3 weeks. 

 Owing to this, the produce of the corn was less than it 

 would have been with seasonable rains ; but in all cases, 

 the hills tho seed in which had been soaked, manifested 

 a decided superiority, not only in productiveness, but in 

 the size and vigor of the stalk and leaves; as was re- 

 marked by several of my friends, whose opinion I asked 

 without informing them of any difference in the seed. 

 For all the trials but the first mentioned, poor spots were 

 taken purposely, that the effect of the soaking might be 

 observed free from the influence of manure. 



Three or four soaked kernels were also planted in a 

 spot near the door of a shed, where sprouted cuttings of 

 grape-vines had been several times set, and all which 

 had perished from the united effects of drought, barren- 

 ness and heal. Even here I obtained 3 good stalks, and 

 "2 good ears. 



Being much belated about planting my early peas, in 

 consequence of the slow departure of some heavy snow- 

 drifts, which had accumulated on the spot where I usu- 

 ally plant them, and which left the ground cold, I soak- 

 ed the seed peas in some chloride of soda, diluted with 

 three times its bulk of warm water. They came up in 

 a week, grew luxuriantly, and gave me peas within a 

 few days of the usual time, notwithstanding much cold 

 weather in May and the early part of June. The crop 

 was also very good, though the land h.id not been ma- 

 nured for the two previous years, and a crop of peas, 

 succeeded by one of turnips, had been taken off each 

 year. 



This same piece of ground — a light sandy soil — has 

 yielded good crops of peas twelve years in succession, 

 with only light manuring the first nine years ; yet Lie- 

 big says that successive crops of peas cannot be raised on 

 the same ground. I believe he extends the remark to 

 other leguminous plants; but I have raised both pole 

 and bush beans upon the same spot for ten years past, 

 and the crop ihis last year was as good as I have ever 

 known it, and extremely abundant. The ground has 

 been moderately manured every year, but is much shad- 

 ed by apple trees. 



Respectfully, yours, 



SAML WEBBER, M. D. 



Charhstoicn, ^'. H., Feb. 10, 1844. 



llj'We feel much indebted to Dr. Webber for an ac- 

 count of his interesting expeiiment. The result shows 

 conclusively that a great advantage was derived from 

 soaking the corn in the muriate of ammonia. We would 

 call the attention of farmers to this subject, and ask 

 them to try the same experiment. Tliey may do it on 

 a small scale, if they please, at a trifling cost. 1 1 tho 

 above results are correct, it is inipurlanl that it should 

 be extensively known. 



In relation to Dr. W.'s peas not exhausting the 

 ground by being planted on the same S[)Ot so manv sue- 

 cessiue years, we suppose it may be atlribuled to their 

 being gathered green — but if his peas and other crops 

 were permitted to ripen, no doubt lie would find lliem 

 to be more exhausting. 



HARRIS'S TREATISE ON INSECIS. 

 The American^dilor of the Farmer's Encyclopa 

 lately published at Philadelphia, by Carey & Hart, < 

 mends very highly. Dr. Harris's Treatise on Insects 

 jurious to Vegetation, and has made copious exti 

 from it. The matter copied from the Treatise, fil 

 the Eucyclopa;dia, about 60 pages, of two close colu 

 each, amounling to 163 pages of the Treatise. If 

 introduction, index, captions and blanks are dedu 

 from the latter, it will be found that one-third part o 

 Treatise, and nearly 'J2 pages besides, have been i 

 ferred to the Encyclopa'dia. It should be added, 

 Mr Emerson, in almost every instance, has acknnwl 

 «d the source whence his information was deri 

 thereby giving due credit lo Dr. Harris for his lal 

 Should this be the means of bringing 'more into ni 

 the Treatise, (which is on sale at the bookstore of Me 

 C. C. Little & Co., and at most of the Agriculi 

 establishments in the city,) tho increased demand 

 more rapid sale of the work, may, to .seme, extent, c 

 pensate the author for the want of a copyright. 



NOTICES OF NEW PUBLICATIONS. 



We have received a volume of the tenth editio 

 Bridgeinan's "Young Gardener's Assistant." 

 highly useful and popular work has now appeared 

 ranged in three parts with many additions and impr 

 ments, and enriched with a fine likeness of tlie aut! 

 a steel engraving. We can recommend it as the ' 

 best work ever published in this country on garden 

 for new beginners. It contains ample directions foi 

 cultivation of fruit, flowers and vegetables. The 

 thor is a practical man, and perfectly understands 

 whole subject. The work is for sale at all the princ 

 seed stores in Boston, New York, and other cities in 

 U. States. 



The United Slates Practical Receipt Book— or C 

 plete Book of Reference for the Manufacturer, Trai 

 man. Agriculturist, or Housekeeper — containing m 

 thousand valuable receipts. For sale by Redding & 

 S State sireet. 



Transactions of the .Agricultural Society of iVcsth 

 and Vicinity fur the Veur 1843.— Containing the add 

 of the Rev. Mr Kiitredge before the Society in Octc 

 last. We shall make some extracts from it for the L 

 efit of our readers at some future time. 



MASS. HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



EXHIBITION OF FHCITS. 



Saturday, Feb. 17, 1844 



By E. M, Richards, of Dedham, Echasserie and Mc 



Le Cure Pears — fine specimens — nearly first rate for 



season. These pears should be in every choice coll 



tion. 



From Mr Henry Vandine, of Cambridgeport, fine s 

 ciiuens of the Long Rosewater Pears — and also a sp( 

 men of the Hardonponl Pears (.') 



B. V. FRENCH, Ch'mn 



ICJ^The communication of our respected correspf 

 dent J. E. T., shall appear in our next. 



[nrWe have received from N. Dearborn, 53 W'ashing- 

 ton sireet, three maps : one of the city of Boston ; one 

 of Maine ; and the other of Vermont and N. Hampshire 

 — biautifully executed on enamelled cards, about 5 in- 

 ches by 6. 



[3=" Anti-Skim-milker, Esq." requests us to retu 

 his thanks to the gentleman who kindly transmit! 

 to him through us, some valuable facts, which may be 

 service to him on some future occasion. 



inrThe communication on " Ergot," for which t 

 writer has our thanks, shall have a place in our next. V 

 shall endeavor to procure the Essay to which he allndi 



