456 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Oct. 



them, but pack them aAvay in a box of dry sand 

 or loam, placing them in a dry cellar out of the 

 way of frost, till wanted for propagation in the 

 spring. This flower is particularly worthy of cul- 

 ture on account of its cheapness, the ease with 

 which it is grown, and the rich display it makes 

 in the garden when the other flowers are gone. 



For the 'New EnuJand Farmer. 

 "WIITTEB "WHEAT. 



I cannot refrain from expressing my obligations 

 to your intelligent correspondent. Dr. Silas Brown, 

 of Wilmington, for his kind and complimentary no- 

 tice of my eflbrts during the past fifteen years, 

 commencing with the Massachusetts Ploughman, 

 where I met much opposition, on the important 

 subject of raising winter wheat in the New Eng- 

 land States. But as I sowed, so did I reap from 

 year to year, buffeting the chronic prejudices of 

 public opinion, till the scales were removed from 

 their eyes, and finally that seeing icas believing. 

 From time to time, lAvas sensibly reminded of the 

 venerable clergyman who had preached line upon 

 line and precept upon precept, a good portion of 

 his life, to his "hard-hearted, stony ground hear- 

 ers," without any visible impression. And anoth- 

 er venerable prelate, who was about to exchange 

 with his neighbor, saying — now, in the morning, 

 it is all very well, but in the afternoon you must 

 be short, and you must give them a rouser ! "Why 

 so," says brother M. ? "Well, my people eat about 

 seven and a half bushels of baked beans for Sun- 

 day dinner, and become so drowsy, that it is my 

 misfortune to preach to the heans during this pe- 

 riod of profound sleep." 



I will not attempt to make an application of this 

 sleepy indifference to these "stony-ground hear- 

 ers," on the part of an honest, hard-working yeo- 

 manry ; rather would I believe it to be the first 

 ordinary impulse of the farmer to cultivate his 

 wheat field, and to say, take courage from Mr. 

 Brown, who began with his homoeopathic dose of 

 six quarts — "lacking of faith" — "the great obsta- 

 cle to progress." 



The farmer needs but to read the statement of 

 Mr. Brown to convince him. If the "sandy," shal- 

 low, "unmanured lands" of Wilmington will pro- 

 duce wheat, we hope to see that large breadth 

 turned to a more profitable account. This con- 

 firms my oft-repeated story, that poor rye lands 

 will give as many, or more bushels of wheat to the 

 acre than rye. The value is nearly double. 



By your permission, Mr. Editor, I will make a 

 few statements of facts. From a small fine salt 

 bag full of wheat which I presented to Mr. Jose, 

 of Northumberland, N. H., he obtained eight 

 bushels — sown on mowing sod. Samuel Froth- 

 ingham, Jr., Esq., Milton Hill, (near Boston,) 

 gathered ninety-two bushels from five bushels 

 sowing, on less than two acres of pasture ground, 

 heavily manured from the ])iggery. Allowing for 

 the quantity lodged, his yield was 50 bushels to 

 the acre. Rev. A. B. Loring, of North Andover, 

 (now deceased,) who had the rare combinations of 

 a sound theologian, a good farmer, and a Christian 

 gentleman, whose memory I shall ever respect, 

 reluctantly received from me a bushel of winter 

 wheat, as a present, saying, with his usual pleas- 

 antry, "Mr. P., I fear no one hereabout can raise 

 wheat successfully but yourself, but 111 try." His 



soil was strong, and side by side he sowed his 

 bushel of wheat and a bushel of rye. He gathered 

 eighteen bushels of wheat, and not a berry oi -ve, 

 but a large quantity of straw ! This phenomenon 

 explains that rich lands are sure for wheat and 

 uncertain with rye. 



During the successful reign of Gov. Gardner, I 

 modestly addressed him an importuning letter, 

 suggesting the ])ropriety, in his Message to the 

 Legislature, of proposing to give the farmers a 

 bounty on wheat, as a stimulus to engage in the 

 work. That functionary, probably with no aspi- 

 rations for agricultural fame, omitted this crown- 

 ing act, which would have been a large revenue to 

 the State. It is not too late for all the N. E. States 

 to off"er bounties of ten to fifteen cents per bushel. 

 How could they make a better investment of mon- 

 ey, than by encouraging the growth of the most 

 valuable product known to man ? 



Some of your readers may have supposed my 

 earnestness in this matter was but an exaggera- 

 tion ; that I was in hot pursuit of a hobby that 

 would mislead them. I trust this error has re- 

 ceived its counterpart, and by many, whose labors 

 have been rewarded by an overflowing granary. 



Henry Poor. 



Brooldyn, L. I., Aug. 23, 1862. 



P. S. — From this time till 10th Sept., sow on 

 light land ; soak seed in salt pickle, rake in ashes, 

 which is equal to a light coating of manure ; get it 

 in two to three inches deep, which prevents winter- 

 kill. Mowing and pasture sod is better than old 

 ground. Roll after sowing, especially if it is dry. 

 Salt kills the insects, should there be any, and 

 ashes are not a palatable alkali. 



Remarks. — We regret that, owing to our ab- 

 sence in plowing and seeding down an old mowing 

 lot, for two days only, the printer had gone so far 

 ahead that we were not able to crowd this letter 

 into our paper of last week. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 MOWING MACHINES. 



Mr. Editor : — I have noticed several articles 

 in your very excellent paper relative to mowing 

 machines. I consider them decidedly a labor-sav- 

 ing machine, and I may say, even, they are a great 

 benefactor to the farmer. I therefore do not hes- 

 itate to recommend them to my brother farmers, 

 as no doubt many arc waiting (as has Ijcen the 

 case with me) for them to be improved, simplified, 

 and, withal, for the price to come within reach of 

 farmers of moderate means. 



I think the Ketchum or Davis' improved mower 

 is brought to a state of perfection that will prove 

 satisfactory upon trial. I cannot vouch fur the 

 other kinds, as I have not used them ; no doubt 

 they, too, are good machines, although I have 

 seen no other kind but what cost higher than the 

 Ketchum ; and if they are as much better as they 

 cost more, they must certainly 1)e perfection itself, 

 as no one that is not hard to please can dislike 

 the work done by the Ketchum mower. 



I notice in an article in a late number of your 

 journal, speakingof the hinge in the cutter bar, your 

 correspondent thinks it unnecessary on smooth 

 land, and also thinks it dangerous on rocky orouncL 



