207 



chine ; one of them, that of Mr. Schermerhorn, 

 was described in an early number of the Planter. 

 All we have seen have been cosily and compli- 

 cated, and however adapted ihey may be to the 

 "prairies of* the West/' they are certainly un- 

 suited to anj' but a loose, free soil, entirely clear 

 of roots and stones. 



WHEAT. 



We select the following paragraph from a 

 long 1 and interesting report upon the wheat crop, 

 as particularly worthy of attention : 



"A new variety of wheat, which has been 

 very highly recommended, is the improved flint. I 

 Some of this has been obtained from the pro- 1 

 prietor, General Harmon, of Wheatland, New 

 York, and distributed to the members of the 

 national legislature and various distinguished 

 agriculturists, by which means it will undoubt- 1 

 edly be tried very extensively hereafter through- 

 out the whole country. Gen. Harmon's account 

 of it is as follows: 'The improved flint wheat 

 has been improved from the old flint, by selecting 

 the purest examples, and sowing them on sandy 

 and gravelly limestone land, so that the berry is 

 now larger and whiter, and the bran or hull 

 very thin ; the heads are longer j and the straw 

 too is sliffer, and not as subject to lodge as for- 

 merly. This is the most valuable variety grown 

 in this section of country. It bears a good 

 yield, producing a beautiful berry, weighing ()4 

 lbs. to the bushel, and producing more superfine 

 flour to the bushel than any other variety I am 

 acquainted with. It is not affected by the Hes- 

 sian fly as much as many other varieties.' The 

 same gentleman has paid very considerable at- 

 tention to the culture of different varieties, and 

 makes a remark which deserves consideration, 

 'The greatest objection to new varieties from 

 warmer latitudes, is, that they are not hung to 

 stand our winter. I have sown the white Mv.y 

 Virginia for five years ; the first two years I was 

 pleased with it ■ since then, it has been failing ; 

 it has not withstood the winters well, and the 

 heads are growing shorter, and the berry more 

 red.' He also thus speaks of his mode of cul-j 

 Hire: 1 Thirty years ago we were in the habit 

 of ploughing in the most of our wheat on smooth 

 land; we used the common two-horse plough; 1 

 but we became satisfied that some of the seed 

 was covered too deep; the plough was given 

 up, and the harrow has been used since. A j 

 few years since, I built me a three cornered har-j 

 row, and, instead of teeth, I put in the common 

 cultivator teeth, which I have used on my sum- 

 mer fallows and for covering my wheat; the 

 last time in going over it, I go north and south. 

 This leaves the land a little ridgy and protected 

 from the cold north-west winds, which are se- 

 vere here in the month of March after the snow 



is off; when the roller is used after the harrow, 

 it has been more killed out ; and when the soil 

 is made very fine, it is more liable to be winter 

 killed. The common horse ploughs bury the 

 seed too deep; the lately constructed quadruple 

 plough answers very well' " 



PROPER DEPTH OF SEED. 



"As the result of some experiments respecting 

 grain of different kinds — wheat, rye, barley and 

 oats — in Germany, it is said that 'from two- 

 thirds to three-fourths of the grain plants had 

 their root stalk only one inch under ground, and 

 exactly these produced the most stalks; one- 

 fourth of them had their roots only 1| inch deep, 

 and had only half as many stalks as the first; 

 at 2 inches deep, there were only 4 in 100 ; and 

 at 2|- inches deep, only 9 in 1,000; but only 

 one of them produced stalks, while in the fiist 

 rye and wheat showed only 2| to 4^ stalks — 

 Winter wheat at 1 inch gave 765 root-stalks 

 out of 1,000 as remaining in the • arth, of which 

 S|- produced stalks; at 1 10 1-| inch, of 1,1 CO, 

 gave 215 root-stalks, of which '2^ produced 

 stalks; at 2 inches, only 17 root-stalks of 1,000, 

 of which only 1 produced stalks. From this, 

 it is clear that shallow sowing, if the seed is 

 only so far covered as to sprout, and the germ 

 is protected from immediate contact with the 

 air, is preferable to laying the seed deep, because 

 it springs up quicker, and acquires a stronger 

 growth, and has hardier plants.' ' The climate 

 and period of sowing, as well as the weather, 

 will of course be considered in determining the 

 depth. The warmer, dryer, and especially the 

 more windy the climate, the deeper (other ihings 

 being equal) the seed must be laid. Wet and 

 cold weather requires a shallow sowing; a dry 

 and hot season a deeper burying up of the seed. 1 

 'A shallow sowing is one which covers up the. 

 seed only half an inch thick; a ?nodera(ely deep 

 sowing, 1^ inch thick; and if from 1^ inch to 

 3 inches in depth, it is called deep solving. 1 The 

 choice of seed is very important ; and the re- 

 mark may be repeated here, made in the last 

 report, that the grain which is most suitable for 

 nutritious bread, on account of containing the 

 largest portion of gluten, is not lhe lest for the 

 seed. The neglect to observe this may have 

 sometimes contributed to influence the crop. It 

 is also well ascertained that grain threshed by 

 threshing machines yields seed far less suitable, 

 on account of its being broken, than that threshed 

 by the hand-flail. The amount thus obtained 

 too from the sheaf is supposed to be one-third 

 less."* 



RUST. 



On this subject we have the following : 



" The question as to the Lest methods of pre- 



* The machines which induced this estimate must 

 have been of a character very inferior to those used 

 in this country. — Ed. Planter. 



