[April, 
AMEBIC AN AGBIGTJ’ET U B 1ST. 
one end of a row to the depth of the roots, so that 
the whole plant may be taken out without break¬ 
ing. It will be found that plants grown in this 
way, greatly excel those left to shift for them¬ 
selves. * 
A Dwarf Broom Corn. 
This is to us a novelty, and it has every ap¬ 
pearance of being valuable. During the Winter 
Mr. E. B. Good, of York Co., Pa., sent us an ac¬ 
count of it, and we desired him to forward some 
specimens of the entire stalk, including roots and 
brush, which he did, stating, that the samples 
were of about the average size, but not so fine 
as he could have furnished, had we applied 
earlier. We were so well pleased with them, 
that we suggested his advertising the seed, if 
enough could be got to make it worth while, and 
he has done so. (We have recently procured a 
moderate quantity of the seed, which will be 
offered as premiums only. See one of the closing 
pages of this paper ) 
The specimens before us have about two feet 
of stalk and two feet of brush, the latter being of 
very excellent quality. As this is not half the 
hight of the common variety, it may be grown 
much thicker on the ground. The upper leaf- 
sheath embraces the lower part of the brush, 
which, with its low growth, saves all necessity 
of breaking down the brush while ripening. As 
ffiras we can gather from the statements receiv¬ 
ed, and from the specimens, we think it likely 
this may be decidedly superior to the kind gener¬ 
ally cultivated. It is certainly worthy a trial, 
and for this purpose only we offer it for limited 
distribution. We shall test it the coming Sum¬ 
mer, and we request reports from those who 
may receive the seed. Mr. G. states that it 
should be grown thickly in the rows, to secure 
the best development of brush. 
---- — o— — - - 
Spelt. 
CKRJIAN WHEAT—SPELT WHEAT-DINKEL-( Trill - 
cum spelta.) 
The above names are all applied to a variety 
of wheat, grown extensively in Germany, and 
also in the southern part of France, in Switzer¬ 
land, in Italy, in some parts of Spain, in the north 
of Africa, and at the Cape of Good Hope. Small 
importations of seed have been made to this 
country, but after several inquiries at seed stores 
in this city, (in response to the request of Mr. Fo¬ 
ley, of Tioga Co., Pa , and two or three other sub¬ 
scribers,) we have been unable to find any of the 
seed, and have never seen it growing. From the 
description we find in foreign works, this grain 
would seem to be worthy of trial in some parts of 
our country. 
Spelt belongs to the Triticum or wheat family. 
There are Winter and Spring varieties. There 
are also the awned (or bearded chaff) and the 
awnless. The bearded variety is most cultivat¬ 
ed, but the chaff can not be removed by ordinary 
threshing, a mill being required for this purpose, 
similar to a rice mill. For sowing, this chaff need 
not be removed. 
Dr. Wm. Lobe, a German author, in his 
Handbook of Rational Agriculture ( Handbuch der 
ralionellen Landwirlhschaft) for 1858, says : The 
Dinkel (spelt) is better protected than the com¬ 
mon wheat, by its strong husks, against the in- 
jv-h.us influences of a rough or wet climate, and 
therefore less subject to smut. It can be grown 
on a lighter soil; is less exhausting ; suffers less 
from rain ; can be sown later in the season ; is 
less exposed to ravages by birds; and gives the 
finest flour, while its straw is better adapted to 
* feeding to horses, because less stiff or woody. 
This last characteristic, weakness of the straw, 
is, however, an objection on account of the liabil¬ 
ity of the heads to break down when over-ripe. 
Generally, the dinkel is grown where the condi¬ 
tions of soil and climate are not all favorable to 
the culture of common wheat. 
After describing the several varieties of Win¬ 
ter and Spring dinkel, including both white and 
red, Dr. Lobe says, the culture of Winter spelt 
or dinkel is very similar to that of common Win¬ 
ter wheat, except that the dinkel does not require 
so fertile a soil as wheat : it thrives better than 
wheat, after potatoes, turnips, flax, and peas. As 
it is sown with the husks on, about twice the 
bulk of wheat seed is required. It is often grown 
mixed with rye, about one fifth of the latter, and 
the mixed product ground together for bread 
making. Spelt and wheat should not be grown 
mixed. Spring spelt is cultivated the same as 
Spring wheal. The removal of the husks is done 
in a burr-stone mill, as stated above. 
According to the accounts we have, spelt 
would seem to be best adapted to our southern 
and south middle States, though we hear of its hav¬ 
ing succeeded well in one instance in Scotland, 
at a hight of 600 feet above the level of the sea. 
It has probably been tried on a limited scale in 
some parts of this country, but we are not aware 
at what points, nor with what success 
-• --«»•--- —- 
A Live Farmers’ Club. 
To the Editor of the American Agriculturist: 
... .We have a very pleasant, interesting, and 
I think profitable Agricultural Society (in a small 
way) in our neighborhood. It is limited to fif¬ 
teen members, who meet once a month at the 
residence of one of the number, dine, and dis¬ 
cuss some subject pertaining to agriculture, 
agreed on at the previous meeting. The society 
as “ Committee of the whole,” examine to some 
extent the premises of each member in turn, but 
a special committee of three is appointed to min¬ 
utely examine the farm, crops, fencing, stock, im¬ 
plements, etc.—and present to the next meeting 
a written report to be put on file, of the condition 
in which they find things. If good, and worthy 
to be commended, it is done ; if otherwise, the 
brother is not spared—so that once in fifte”en 
months each member is brought under the screw. 
In addition to this ordeal the brother’s charac¬ 
ter as a farmer passes through once in fifteen 
months, and there is a constant watch over each 
other. This is manifested in the humorous jokes 
played off at every meeting; for if a member 
sees any thing amiss on a brother’s farm, he is 
sure to speak of it. This you may be sure makes 
us, and keeps us, more particular. 
Talbot Co., Md. G. W. Harrington. 
[The plan contained in the above extract from 
a business letter, is excellent. Emulation and fear 
of ridicule are among the most powerful stimu¬ 
lants to action, and we predict that each mem¬ 
ber of that association will be made a better farm¬ 
er. The good dinner provided—especially as our 
correspondent saysalcoholic drinks are excluded-- 
will promote good humor, and prepare the com¬ 
pany to appreciate and submit to the “ sharp 
hits” provoked by careless or unthrifty manage¬ 
ment. We place this institution on the list “as 
worthy of general adoption.”— Ed ] 
The London Punch says that the reason why 
editors are so apt to have their manners spoiled, 
is because they receive from one correspondent 
and another, such a vast number of evil commu¬ 
nications. Does Punchspeakfrornexperier.ee'? 
-- < — --- 
Not Advertising Information Gratis. 
HOW TO “ RAISE THE WIND.” 
We have a capital plan for “ raising the wind.” 
that is, making money easily, which we shall not 
patent, but throw open to the free use of all our 
regular paying readers. All others who adopt the 
plan, are expected to send us in advance “ One 
Dollar” in payment for the secret. Here is the 
plan : Go to some distant Western State ; select 
a plot of ground, no matter what its character; 
buy it at the government price of $1£ per acre, or 
less if “ swamp lands draw up a map of it, cut¬ 
ting it into city lots ; plant yourself at some out- 
of-the-way Post Office, in an Eastern State, (the 
more out-of-the-way the better for your safety); 
employ in some adjacent city an unscrupulous 
Commissioner for the State where your land is 
located, to sign your deeds ; draw up a splendid 
map of your property, being sure to locate it on 
one or two railroads, present or prospective ; print 
a lot of flaming hand-bills and plausible circulars, 
showing that your city must soon be an immense 
one, and each lot be worth thousands of dollars, 
and scatter them through the country ; in these 
offer to give away a LOT to each of the firsf 500 
or 1000 applicants, who sends you simply “one 
dollar” to pay the Commissioner's fee for acknow¬ 
ledging the deed ; tell them as a reason for thus 
offering them these lots free, that you want them 
to aid you in directing emigration to the vicinity 
of the prospective city. 
You will find fools enough to snap at the bait, 
and the dollars will pour in like a hail-storm. 
(Of course, you need not stop giving away lots, 
so long as the dollars come ; the buyers will think 
only 500 lots are given away, but you need not 
tell them to the contrary.) Now see what a for¬ 
tune you can make: You buy 3125 acres which, 
at $1£ per acre, will cost you $3906, or say 
$4000, and this you cut into 50,00.) City lots. 
Your printing of circulars, blank deeds, etc , ad¬ 
vertising, and postage, will cost about $4000 
more. You will need to pay (he Commissioner 
perhaps $2000 for signing the deeds. You "give 
away" 50,000 lots, and get back “commissioner’s 
fees of $1 each,” or in all $50,000, making a net 
profit of $40,000 ! Ts anything more simple ? 
To prove the feasibility of this enterprise, we 
have only to say, that the thing has been done, 
and is now being done, and will continue to be, un¬ 
til the “ fools are all dead,” so that no more dol¬ 
lars can be got. 
Our readers, who are receiving and sending 
circulars of enterprises like the above to the 
Agriculturist, will understand its drift— "Wise 
men never buy a pig in a bag." 
-—--—---- 
Those Italian Bees. 
From what has been said by Mr. Langstrolh 
in regard to these bees, and from sundry news¬ 
paper items and advertisements, a good deal 
of interest has been awakened in regard to them. 
We have no opinion to give. They have not been 
tried thoroughly in this country. They may be 
all that is claimed for them, but. we must confess 
to a little surprise that a variety of bees, having 
such superior merits as are claimed for these, 
should not have been, ere this, more widely 
distributed throughout Germany and other parts 
of Europe, and even in Italy itself. We will hope 
for the best, and give due credit to those, who are 
willing to invest their time and money in a trial 
of them. Those who do so, will d-o it on their 
own account, and not upon our recommendation 
