AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 239 



Allowance must in every case be made, not only for the differ- 

 ences of climate and other matters, but also for like differences 

 here in various seasons and localities. 



The question of how deep to plant wheat, has been several times 

 demonstrated in France by experiments, from laying seed on the 

 surface to as great a depth as seven inches below, at intervals of 

 half an inch, and the results in each proved — premising, always, 

 the extreme care in choosing the seed, depth of tillage, manure, 

 &c., &:c. : Wheat was always found to yield the largest and best 

 crop when planted about one inch and an half deep. Barley and 

 oats, from two inches, to two and one half Beets, peas, beans, 

 corn and colza, one inch and an half Flax and ruta baga turnip, 

 a half inch deep. Turnips and carrots, a half inch deep. The 

 seeds for meadows need hardly covering. 



In general there should be more seed sown in spring than in 

 fall planting. 



Seed planting machines are excellent for uniformity in the 

 quantity of seed and the depth in the soil. These great advan- 

 tages over hand sowing were understood for many ages, before the 

 mechanics could contrive a suitable one. Patullo began in Spain; 

 Tull, of England, followed and failed. Duhamel, of France, exerted 

 himself to bring it to practical utitity. De Fellemberg, of Switzer- 

 land tried it. These are great names in the history of agriculture; 

 but they and numerous followers failed in the great point, that of 

 sowing grain. Numbers were ruined by the expenses they incur- 

 red in their experiments. At last a lawyer of eminence in Bour- 

 deaux, Mons. Hugues, hoping to gain a higher merit than that of 

 eminent barrister, set himself to work to make one, and succeeded, 

 and w^as universally applauded. It was exhibited at the fair of 

 1834. It harrows as well as sows. It weighs 220 pounds; drawn 

 by one horse ; sows about ten acres a day of grain. There is a 

 crowd of others. Von Thaer's among them. The seed drill is yet 

 an object of improvement. Latterly it has been considered that 

 one may be made with a view to deposit with the grain a suitable 

 quantity of the desired fertilizer. I have always found advantage 

 in giving some pressure to the soil over the seed. 



For a nu'mber of years, a citizen by the name of Comstock, has 

 petitioned our Legislature for a grant of $100,000, on condition 



