448 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Oct. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 •WIN-TEE. 'WHEAT. 



Mr. Editor : — Your correspondent from Leo- 

 minster inquires about the expediency of plowing 

 in v.inter grain, and refers to the experience of a 

 brother farmer in plowing in wheat about the last 

 of August or the first of September. I would un- 

 hesitatingly advise him to be guided by the expe- 

 rience of his brother farmer. 



There is much more spring wheat cultivated in 

 this part of the State, than there is of winter 

 wheat. The reason assigned is, that wheat sowed 

 in the fall, is apt to be winter-killed. But obser- 

 vation has long since convinced me that if wheat 

 is sowed early, say from the 20th of August to the 

 10th of September, so that it may form a good 

 i-oot, and the root is well covered in the soil, that 

 the crop is quite as sure as spring wheat. If it is 

 sowed early and makes a large growth of leaf, the 

 leaves are a great protection. In order to get this 

 growth of leaves, the ground must be mellow and 

 well manured. The best way to put in winter 

 wheat is with a light horse plow, guaged so as to 

 run at a uniform depth, not less than three inches, 

 and not over four. This should be followed by a 

 roller. At the season referred to, the land is 

 worked easier than in the spring, and form work 

 is less urgent just at that time, between haying 

 and harvesting. The grain starts immediately, 

 and will grow more in one week then, than in two 

 weeks in April and the first half of May. Cattle 

 should not be allowed to run upon it in October 

 or November, for the reason that I have already 

 alluded to, that the leaves are M'anted as a matting 

 to protect the crowns of the plants. Another ob- 

 jection is, that the cattle tread the ground and 

 leave it uneven. 



Another reason for the culture of winter wheat 

 may perhaps be suggested by the prevalence of 

 the wheat aphis during the present season. Win- 

 ter wheat makes its growth and matures earlier 

 than spring wheat, and will ])robably be less injured 

 by this insect than sjn-ing wheat. Experience and 

 further observation must determine this point. 



Winter wheat will, I think, be found less ex- 

 hausting to the soil than spring wheat. The rea- 

 son of this is probably that the leaves made in the 

 autumn, decay in the spring, and constitute a top- 

 dressing of considerable value. I have for three 

 years been urging upon our farmers the expedi- 

 ency of cultivating winter wheat, and of putting it 

 in with the plow, the latter part of August, and I 

 am glad to see that practical men are being led by 

 experience to the same conclusion. 



Concord, Aug. 21, 1862. J. Reynolds. 



Preserving Daulia Tubers. — A correspon- 

 dent of the Journal of Horticulture and Cottage 

 Gardener, -wvites as follows: "May I be permitted 

 to olTer a simple suggestion relative to the preser- 

 vation of Dahlia roots during winter ? Though 

 carefully dried before storiiig away in the autumn, 

 I used continually to lose them by the rotting of 

 the crown, till at length the idea one day occurred 

 to me that the mischief was occasioned through 

 the decay of the long stalk left attached to the 

 tubers ; this becoming partially charged with fluid, 

 kept the crown constantly wet. My remedy has 

 been not to leave more than four inches of stalk ; 

 from this to scrape the whole of the outer covering 



or bark, and at the base to make a small opening 

 which permits any watery deposit to escape. The 

 result has been that I have preserved the whole 

 of my tubers, while experienced gardeners around 

 me have complained of loss, notwithstanding that 

 every precaution from damp or frost had been 

 taken." 



EXPLAWATIOlSr OF TERMS USED IN 

 DESCRIBING FRUITS. 



As the season is at hand when fruit is ripening, 

 and the various kinds of apples and pears, espec- 

 ially, are under discussion, we give below, from 

 Coles' Fruit Book, some explanation of the terms 

 used in describing them. They will be found to 

 be plain and easily understood by all who will 

 give them a very little attention. 



Fruits are generally described in familiar lan- 

 guage ; a few technical terms, only, are used. 



The position of fruits, as represented by engra- 

 vings, is stem upward, as it usually hangs on the 

 tree ; yet, in description, the stem end is called 

 the base or bottom, as it is next to the branch or 

 tree, and the blossom end is called the top, sum- 

 mit, crown, apex, or eye. 



Sizes are expressed by comparative terms ; as, 

 extremely large — very large — large — rather, or 

 tolerably large — large medial — medial — small me- 

 dial — rather small — small — very small — extreme- 

 ly small. These form a graduation of sizes. 



Forms of fruit are multifarious, varying, all the 

 Avay, from one extreme to another. The follow- 

 ing figures and remarks will aid the inexperienced. 



Bound — This simple form is most common to 

 fruits, and other substances. It is the basis on 

 which other forms are calculated. Figure 1. 

 Black Hamburgh Grape. Slight deviations are 

 Eoundish, as the peach. 



Apph'form is the most common modification 

 of the circle. The base or stem end is the larger. 

 Fig. 2. Baldwin Apple. 



Fig. 2. 



Fig. 3. 



Round. 



Ajipleform. 



Pearfurin. 



Pearform., or Pyriform, is the reverse of apple- 

 form, as the base is the smaller. Fig. o. An- 

 drews Pear. Pears generally taper more to the 

 small end than apples. 



All other Forms are modifications of these three 

 leading forms. 



Oral, the circle modified or elongated length- 

 wise. Fig. 4. Smith's Orleans Plum; White 

 Muscat Grape. 



Flat, the circle elongated crosswise. Fig. 5. 

 Briggs' Auburn A])ple, Rambo Apple. 



Ohlon;/, the height greater than the diameter. 

 Fig. 6. Porter yVpple ; Coe's Golden Drop Plum ; 

 Portugal Quince. 



Ovate, the form of an egg ; the base the lai'ger 

 end. Fig. 7. AVilliams Apple ; High Bush 

 Blackberry is long-ovate. 



