256 Transactioxs of the Americax Institute. 



Sowing Good Seed. 



Prof. Nutting, Randolph. — " As ye sow so shall ye reaj),'' was 

 never more true than to-day. Crop after crop having been taken 

 from our fields without sufficient application of manure, the ele- 

 ments of fertility become partially exhausted, and we cannot aiFord 

 to have those elements still remaining consumed by the growth of 

 weeds or poor grain. Some think that Providence put weed seeds 

 in the ground at the creation, and man can never get them out ; but 

 it is certain that he has got many kinds out in some localities, and 

 whether it is interfering with the Creator's plans it has proved a great 

 benefit. Every weed that grows in our wheat is a boarder consum- 

 ing food which it has not earned, and will never pay for. Why is it 

 that the corn crop is as good now in all parts of the country as ever ? 

 In those parts of New England it has been better for the last ten 

 years, and the quality is fully as good now as it ever w^as, but this is 

 not true of other grain. I think this is because more care has been 

 taken in saving and preparing the seed for our cornfields, or rather 

 because we have been able to select the largest, earliest ripened, and 

 plumpest kernels for seed. 



Eaeming on Long Island. 



The following from Mr. J. E. Buckingham, of Manorville, Long 

 Island, shows what courage and good sense can do on what are called 

 '' the Barrens." 



" My farm is situated four miles from the Long Island Pailroad, 

 south of ]yianor Station, on a level track of scrub land, the soil is two 

 and a half feet of loam, then comes gravel and sand. I have cleared 

 it all up with the gtubl)ing hoe, say about ten acres, and manured 

 with barn-yard manure and seaweed wliich I haul from the South 

 Bay, which is one and a half miles to the south of my place. I clear 

 ofi' one acre or more, as circumstances permit, put on a light coat of 

 manure that I get from my yard and hog-pen and spread it on the 

 ground and plough it under for corn. I get about sixt}^ bushels of ears 

 to the acre the first crop. In the fall I take the corn off, plow the 

 ground, sow one-half ton of fish guano, one car load of ashes (of 140 

 bushels) to the acre, and seed down with wheat, and have never 

 failed but once in six years in raising thirty bushels to the acre of 

 wheat. In I860, when the wheat crop was a failure by being shrunk, 

 my wheat was complete. I sowed the white wheat. I could have 

 commanded the premium at the Suffolk county fair. I sold it all for 



