1870. 



XEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



41 



at a temperature of G2 degrees. After churn- 

 ing a few minutes, the cream became frothy ; 

 and although urged and coaxed to become 

 butter for three hours, utterly refused to do 

 so. At the fourth churning, she raised the 

 temperature of the cream to C7 degrees, and 

 the butter came in the usual time, and in ex- 

 cellent condition. This course has been uni- 

 formly pursued since, and always with the 

 same result. It is so simple and easy that all 

 may avail themselves of it in winter churning. 



For the Kew England Farmer. 

 WHEAT CUIiTQEE. 



Your editorial in the Farmer of October 

 IG, took my attention, and I would like to ask 

 you a few questions respecting the mode you 

 recommend of raising wheat. You stated that 

 wheat should be planted not sown ; but do not 

 explain how it should be done, or what tools 

 should be used. 



Would you recommend the dibbling system ? 

 Would you do the work with the hoe? If 

 you recommend dibbling, will you be kind 

 enough to state what it costs per acre ; if you 

 recommend planting with the hoe, what will 

 that process cost per acre? Is there any 

 other mode that is convenient to farmers gen- 

 erally, especially those with small means ? 



Next spring I shall, — if all is well, — sow 

 four acres with wheat. To plant the same, 

 how many hands shall I need to employ to have 

 the work done in season ; leaving alone the 

 time that will be required to get in my corn, 

 oats, barley, potatoes, &e. ? By planting 

 wheat, shall we get as much straw as we do 

 when we sow two bushels to the acre ? If we 

 get more wheat and less straw by planting, 

 can we make as much manure from the straw 

 from planted wheat, as we can from wheat 

 sown as plentifully as is usually done ? I am 

 aware that we sow wheat for a crop ; but 

 should it be our object to get the largest yield 

 of wheat and little straw ; or an average yield 

 of wheat with plenty of straw, to make manure 

 for future crops ? 



You refer to Mr. Mechi, of London, and 

 his large yield of wheat, forty-six bushels to 

 the acre, weighing sixty-six pounds to the 

 bushel. Would you advise farmers generally 

 to adopt his mode of cultivating land, as the 

 most profitable ? If it is, why do not the far- 

 mers of England adopt it ? 



Speaking about the weight of wheat to the 

 bushel, and about wheat deteriorating by 

 sowing two bushels to the acre, I will say that 

 is the quantity I sow, and that I have sown 

 the same sort of wheat for the last six years. 

 I have to-day wheat grown this year that weighs 

 sixty-four and one-half pounds to the bushel. 

 I had two acres and three quarters, of which one 

 acre was badly eaten by worms, but yielded 



sixty-five bushels, good marketable wheat. I 

 had seven loads, averaging twenty- i-ix stocks 

 to a load, twelve bundles to the stook. Should 

 I have had the same amount fcf straw if I had 

 planted the wheat ? I seeded the same with 

 herdsgras.^ and clover, and when I cut my 

 wheat the grass and clover would average sis 

 inches high, and some of the clover was 

 headed out. 



Now, Mr. Editor, I ask these questisns in 

 good faith, hoping you will answer them and 

 give the readers of the Farmer something to 

 talk about besides Norway oats and Early 

 Hose pota'oes, of which I think we have had 

 a good share. 



1 do not v/ish it to be understood that when 

 I speak about any of the modes of farm- 

 ing in England, I claim that they are the 

 best and most suitable for this country ; but 

 as you refer to England many times in your 

 editorials and other items, I wish to lay before 

 your readers some truths with which I am per- 

 fectly familiar. I am acquainted with dib- 

 bling, drilling and pressing land for wheat 

 upon clover leys, and can speak from experi- 

 ence. This I propose to do at some future 

 time. Pressing wheat after the drill, and 

 other modes of culture, may answer in this 

 country, especially as the white wheat is apt to 

 hoave out with frost. 



You say when the time comes that we plant, 

 hoe and cultivate wheat, a part of the extra 

 expense will be paid by the saving of seed. 

 I am av/are that there v/ould be a great saving 

 of seed ; but could we make it profitable with 

 wheat at the present price ? When the Eng- 

 lish farmers dibbled their wheat its market 

 price was one guinea, or over five dollars, per 

 bushel, and one bushel would pay a laborer's 

 wages for a week ! If the time ever comes in 

 this country, that wheat shall be five dollars 

 per bushel, and the laboring man be seen go- 

 ing home with one bushel of wheat upon his 

 back as payment in full for one week's wages, 

 I Mould like to know where rent, clothing and 

 other necessaries are to come from, provided 

 that laborer has a family. 



At some future time, I will give you the 

 whole mode of wheat culture practiced in 

 Yorkshire, England, where I came from. It 

 is a part of the country where all sorts of 

 grain are grown ; where, in fact, grain and 

 stock are their staple products, to pay taxes, 

 rents and wages with. E. Hebb. 



Jeffcrsonville, Vt., Nov., 18G9. 



Remarks. — It is easier to ask questions 

 than to answer them, especially where they are 

 of the direct and searching character of those 

 of our intelligent correspondent. 



Perhaps his four first questions will be sat- 

 factorily answered by the remark that we did 

 not intend to recommend that wheat should be 

 planted either with an English dibble or a 



