102 
THE SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
ents of his soil, of vegeiable tnould and muck, 
of an excess oi moisture in the surface or sub- 
soil no knowledge of the substances that Na- 
ture ransl have to lorm a perfect wheat plant, 
and the condition in which those substances 
should be placed, isuselul to the wheat-grower'? 
ft is a sad sight to view forty acres of wheat 
all blackened and shrunken with rust, involving 
a loss of several hundred dollars, because the 
owner despised a knowledge of those simple 
laws of nature, which produce this parasite 
plant on the stems, leaves and heads of his 
wheat. It is painful to w'itness the toiling hus- 
bandman, harvesting fifteen bushels per acre, 
v.'here the amount of seed sown, the thorough 
tillage, and the hard work perlormed, would, 
by the aid of a little more knowledge of the na- 
ture and properties of wheat, have given him 30 
bushels per ac/e. Thousand of farmers will 
reap this season an average of 30 bushels of 
corn on land that might grow 70 quite as v.'ell, 
with an equal amount of labor, it scientifically 
applied. 
Too manyfarmers unwittingly prepare their 
v;heat crop just right to be stricken, as it is 
termed, with rust. They fail to drain their 
wheat fields most thoroughly, and thereby in- 
duce the growth of sickly imperfect wheat 
plants, which fall an easy prey to parasites. 
They place their seed in soils that contain too 
much vegetable mould, and too little ot the al- 
kalies, potash and soda, too little ot the alka- 
line earths, lime and magnesia ; and too little 
phosphorus, sulphur and chlorine. The young 
wheat plant finds its nourishment as a lamb 
would find his, provided you give it a gill of its 
mother's milk a day, diluted in a pint ot bad wa- 
ter. 
There is but little study, little knowledge, and 
no science biought to bear on the feeding and 
raising of wheat plants in the State of N. York, 
which makes twelve million bushels of grain. 
The habits of this head-bearingplant, and what 
it needs to form a firm, bright, glassy stem, which 
Uredo — riis<, cannot grow upon: and what it 
needs to develope a long ear, well filled with 
plump kernels, are matters that pertain to wheat 
culture, most sadly overlooked by those that 
toil too much with their hands, and exercise too 
little those nobler faculties of reason and com- 
mon sense, which God has given them. 
Every rational being that happens to have a 
mouth to feed should study the science of trans- 
forming earth, air, and water into good, light, 
wheat bread. It is hardly possible that this 
knowledge will be utterly valueless to anyone 
during the whole period of his existence, what- 
ever his pursuit in life. 
As a general rule, it is cheaper to grow SO bu- 
shels of wheat on one acre than two, provided 
the use of the land was given to the cultivator. 
On an acre of well drained, well pulverized 
soil sown in wheat, scatter broadcast with a sho- 
vel, ten bushels of unleached a^hes, five of 
lime — (ten will be better if not too expensive,) 
two and a half of gypsum and an equal quanti- 
ty of common salt. If possible, the ground 
should be entirely free from the seeds of weeds, 
that nothing but clean wheat plants may grow. 
The above compound will serve to make bright 
flinty straw, so little subject, as every observing 
man knows, to be attacked by rust. Deep plow- 
ing, thorough harrowing and early sowing, con- 
stitute prominent features in the practice of 
those wheat growers, whom the editor has late- 
ly visited, because of their notable success in 
this branch of husbandry. In Scipio and the 
adjoining towns in Cayuga county, the good ef 
feels of underdraining wheat fields, have been 
most signal this season. During the last four 
weeks we have collected many interesting facts 
relating to rust, smut, &c., in connection with 
shale, sand stone, clayey and muck soils. 
These will be embodied in our official report to ' 
the N. Y. State Agricultural Society. 
Any gentleman that has made or shall make 
any discoveries relating to insects injurious to 
wheat, potatoes, apple, pear or peach trees — re- 
lating to the blight which is now injuring, if 
not destroying so many quince trees as well as 
others, will confer an especial favor by commu- 
nicating an account ot the same to the Corres- 
ponding Secretary of the State Society, for 
publication in the current volume of its trans- 
actions, or to be made public through some 
other medium. 
The study of Entomology^ — the science of in- 
sects — is becoming every year more and more 
important to the praciical.larmers of this State. 
The popular work of Harris should be in the 
family library of every cultivator of the soil. 
Let every young man that reads this article, be- 
gin at once the systematic study of his noble 
profession, if he designs to be a skilful and suc- 
cessful farmer. Let him unite knowledge with 
labor — science with practice — and the great 
Fountain ot all knowledge will reward him a 
thousand fold for his well directed efforts. 
Frcna the Farmers’ Library and Monthly Journal. 
The Amateur Gardener. 
There is no pursuit to which man is moreev- 
identlv led by the hand of his Creator than the 
cultivation of the ground. Our necessities ren- 
der the spade and the plow of the first impor- 
tance to every community, and a high or a low 
state of husbandry will always be the distinc- 
tive mark of a flourishing or a declining peo- 
ple. In an occupation whose principal capi- 
tal is industry, and whose object is thesupply ot 
our natural wants, the greater number ot human 
beings must always be engaged. With the va- 
riations of fashion, and the mutations of ages, 
other pursuits, once sedulously lollnwed, may 
become obsc^ete; but imaginaii m 'cannot con- 
ceive a state ot things in which the benignant 
stores of mother Earth will not be sought afier. 
The cultivation of the ground, in all its de- 
partments, manifests the high honor which is 
attached to human wisdom and skill by the great 
Lawgiver of the universe. Nature, wild and 
unattended, will produce luxuriantly the indige- 
nous fruits of the soil, but demands forethought 
and labor from her dependents, before she yields 
to them her most valuable riches. By observa- 
tion, man has improved upon the past, and bet- 
ter methods of cultivation are constantly disco- 
vered. Now, in this process of induction, or 
the Baconian method, as it is called in philoso- 
phy, the amateur gardener has employed efforts 
which have often been cr-swned with eminent 
success. Those who till hundreds ot acres as 
the means ot subsistence have seldom the cou- 
rage lo perform expeiiments on a large scale; 
but the owner of a small garden can do so with 
pleasure nnmingled with the fear of loss. Agri- 
cultu’'e has thus been indebted to the lovers of 
gardening for many discoveries, by which the 
wealth of nations has been increased, andevery 
amateur, however limited be his domain, may 
hope to add to the mass of knowledge If, by 
the application of manure in some novel man- 
ner, or by experiments in hybridizing or cross- 
ing, a vegetable may be made more productive, 
the application ot this principle may result in 
a grand national benefit.f 1 have a great re- 
spect for working gardeners of all grades, lor 
this reason, that they are the silent and modest 
precursors of those great changes by which the 
vegetable property of a country acqui-res an en- 
hanced value. Whether, therefore, you are de- 
lighting in an exclusive garden adjoining a 
countrir residence, or looking proudly on the 
beauties of a suburban retreat, 1 thus remind you 
of a very important argument to be employed 
in the defence of your pu'^suft. 
But I turn with pleasure -ft qsa the objects 
contemplated by tlie spade and the plow to flow- 
ers, those luxuries of Nature, given to re- 
ward man for his obedience to the law. “In 
the sweat of thyjjrow shaUthou eat thy bread.” 
These emlTlems' of purity and innocence are 
like the bright eyes which animated the knights 
of the tournament, calling forth their exertions 
and rewarding their conquests. The matchless 
charms of flowers force the attention of the 
most tasteless ot mortals, and win the hearts of 
the susceptible and refined. A child once said 
that the stars were little holes pricked in the fir- 
mament lo let Heaven’s glory through; a truth- 
ful idea though linked to a physical error. Ap- 
ply the same mode of reasoning to flowers, and 
what can they be but emanations of the beauty 
and happiness which reside in the mind of an 
Infinite Being? Their utility is less manifest 
than their subserviency to the wants of our in- 
tellectual nature, since they appeal almost ex- 
clusively to what is refined and sentimental and 
poetic in our constitution. Seed is produced 
without the accompaniment of a splendid co- 
rolla, with its wondrous sanctuary of stamens 
and pistils, as in the case of all kinds of corn, 
so that utility is rather associated with that 
which is plain and unattractive. But the most 
glorious structures ot the floral world belong 
lo plants which, in refeience to a man’s bodily 
wants, may be called useless. Trade would go 
on, and fortunes be made, if the world did not 
possess a Carnation, a Tulip, or a Rose ; and yet 
they are here, v inning our attention and rivet- 
ing the emotions of our hearts. Why are they 
here? Doubtless to recall us from pursuits 
carried on in reference to our lower nature, and 
to lead us to that which is gentle and good. 
The amateur gardener is thus evidently a re- 
spectful observer of the will ol Heaven, when 
he receives these gifts with ihanklulness, and 
bestows on them a portion of his intellectual 
worship. To think lightly of floriculture is al- 
most to disparage the wisdom of our Maker, 
who calls the attention ol the child and the man 
by enameling the earth with the rich colors and 
lovely forms of these uni versal favorites This 
is a second and convincing argument which you 
may use in refuting detractors, and justify your- 
self. You may no^succeed with the former, for 
some men are destitute ot ihepowerof appreciat- 
ing such reasonings as I have endeavored lo 
unfold. But be contented if you are able lo 
satisfy yourself that in loving your garden you 
are acting right. Hear what has been written 
of wild flowers, and be sure that such senti- 
ments are still more appropriate to those who 
have had so uething to do in the production of 
the beauty they admire : 
“ Oh chide not at the simple theme that wakes the 
minstrel’s lay ; 
Earth were less bright without the flowers that blos- 
som by the way ; 
He at whose words the universe her ancient might did 
yield, 
Hath taught proud man a lesson from the Lilies of (he 
field. 
1 thank ihee, God ! for every boon thy hand in mercy 
showers, 
And ohj not least among thy gifts, the beautiful wild 
flowers !” 
From the Floridian. 
Potatoes. 
Mr. Edito.^: — It appears to me that if the 
farmers of Florida would turn their attention to 
the cultivation of Potatoes, they would realize 
a more general benefit from their farms than at 
present, for the climate of this State is more 
congenial lo the growth of that excellent article 
of husbandly, than of most other articles grown 
by the planters on our soil. It is a true max- 
im, perhaps, that an acre ol land that will yield 
30 bushels of corn, will, with the same industry, 
yield to the planter 300 bushels ot potatoes. 
The corn sold at 50 cents per bushel, will bring 
himS15; the potatoes at 50 cents will make 
him S'150, and that price may always be had, if 
care should be taken of the potatoes till spring, 
and they are as easily pre.served as the seed till 
that time of year, and the cost of making them 
not more, nay, much less, lor draws and vines 
will do well to plant out till .June or even July. 
I have even known a farmer to plant an early 
field of corn, which was forward when laid by, 
say any time in June, and at the first season 
thereafter, to sefout in the centre, between the 
hills of corn, potatoe vines, and make a crop of 
small potatoes for his hogs when the corn is ga- 
th?red, which prepared his hogs lor fattening, 
and cost him much less to make his pork, than 
the usual way of neglect, or even growing peas 
for hogs. The potatoes are much the best arti- 
cle tor hogs, for peas often kill hogs, and pota- 
toes always agree well with thi m. 
