THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



208 



venting the diseases and attacks to which the 

 wheat crop is exposed, is one of deep interest to 

 the agricultural community ; and some sugges- 

 tions on this subject may not be inappro- 

 priately subjoined to the account of this crop. 

 The time when the field is struck with rust, 

 seems to be just at the time of ripening. A 

 remarkable fact on this subject is stated in a re- 

 port to the New Jersey Agricultural Society. — 

 An extraordinary field of wheat, supposed to be 

 out of danger, on a hot day became drenched 

 by a sudden shower, which came on between 

 one and three o'clock, P. M. All was still ; and 

 on the passing away of the shower, the sun 

 came out intensely hot. The owner went into 

 his field to examine his wheat, which he found 

 much pressed down by the shower: he imme- 

 diately perceived a continued ticking, or snap- 

 ping noise, in every direction. The straw was 

 fine and bright; but, on examining it, he found 

 it bursting in short slits one-quarter of an inch 

 long, and the sap exuding from it. A day or 

 two after, the whole field was darkened with 

 rust, and the wheat nearly ruined. Another in- 

 stance of the same kind is also related. The 

 conclusion stated is — that the loss of the sap, 

 running out and becoming dried on the straw, 

 occasioned the rust. 



" Mildew and rust are said to be more com- 

 mon now than before the Hessian fly made its 

 appearance. 1 Previous to that time, the wheat 

 was sown the last of August and the first 

 of September, tillered largely, obtained great 

 strength of roots, and was but little injured by 

 winter frosts ; the effect of which was to pro- 

 duce strong bright straw, with but few leaves; 

 the consequence of which is but little mildew 

 and rust.' 



" To avoid the fly, manuring high at seed- 

 time and sowing late was resorted to. This 

 was attended hy mildew and rust. Being sown 

 so late, the plants had no time to tiller, or mul- 

 tiply and strengthen their roots and stalks; of 

 course, the winter weakened and thinned the 

 plants, which made the wheat still later in the 

 season ; and, when highly manured, the straw 

 was full of leaves, very succulent, usually mil- 

 dewed, and almost rusted. 'The means of pre- 

 vention are — first, a good dry, loamy soil, well 

 prepared by cultivation, and not too recently 

 manured, that by cultivation there may be a 

 good assimilation of manure to the soil: the 

 more complete, the better. Cover the seed about 

 two inches deep, either with drill or plough, that 

 it may have good hold of the soil, and not be 

 thrown out by winter frosts.' It is also said the 

 French chemists, having witnessed the blighting 

 of human food, have suggested the use of char- 

 coal, to absorb the excess of the ammoniacal 

 and other salts, which, taken with the plant in 

 excess, during the warm showers, when the 

 berry is growing, cause the stalk to burst open, 



its juices to exude, and the seed to shrink. The 

 result is stated to have been satisfactory. The 

 mode of using the charcoal, as suggested, is by 

 strewing it, well crushed, and as soon as possi- 

 ble, over the land ; and that it be well moistened 

 with soft water, by means of a watering-cart. 

 Ashes have likewise been recommended by Lie- 

 big and others. Some suppose they, or some 

 alkali, are necessary to dissolve the silicious sub- 

 stances, to furnish strength to the stalk. Liebig 

 supposes it to furnish a silicate of potash — an 

 important ingredient in the growth of wheat. — 

 Some soils, peculiarly free from rust, it is said, 

 are supplied with unusual quantities of potash. 

 It has also been recommended, as a means of 

 securing a good crop, notwithstanding rust, 

 when the plants appear thin on the ground, in 

 the spring, to sow spring wheat among the fall 

 wheat. This plan has been resorted to with 

 good success in Canada. 



" Bone manure is likewise mentioned as very 

 useful for grain, as bone is said to contain many 

 valuable principles, such as fat, gelatine, carbo- 

 nate and phosphate of lime. A striking experi- 

 ment in confirmation of this is mentioned. The 

 distinguished Berzelius, in 1817, is said to have 

 analyzed a soil which had yielded crops of grain, 

 from time immemorial, without manure. It was 

 found to contain small fragments of bone ; and 

 afrer it had been boiled a long time in water, 

 afforded a solution which yielded a precipitate 

 to the infusion of galls. From this result, he 

 conjectured that the ground had once been a 

 field of battle." 



SMUT. 



From amongst several expedients to prevent 

 the wheat from smutting, we copy the following 

 which we know to be efficacious: 



££ The wheat, after being thoroughly washed, 

 to be soaked ten or twelve hours in salt water, 

 as strong as it can be made. It is further said 

 that no injury will result if it lies in the brine 

 for several days, provided it be in a cool place. 

 After thus soaking it, let it be limed. Another 

 person recommends that the seeds, when placed 

 in the brine, be stirred up thoroughly, so that 

 the light seeds may rise to the surface, and be 

 skimmed off ; afterwards, that the brine be 

 drained into a tub, and the seed thinly spread 

 on the floor, and sifted with quicklime, at the 

 rate of one gallon to a bushel; and, after care- 

 fully stirring the lime through ihe seed a few 

 times, it is allowed to remain a few hours, and 

 then sown. The seed which underwent the 

 perfect cleaning gave a return of pure wheat ; 

 and that which was sown in its natural state 

 was infected with smut, and had a mixture also 

 of chess. In a Northumberland report on agri- 

 culture, it is stated that Mr. Culley, who grew 

 annually from 400 to 600 acres of wheat, bad 



