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[For the Spy.] 
Ohio Staple Commodities—Provisions. 
July 17th, 1819. 
As far as my observation and inquiry goes, I 
find it conclusive, that we generally have a rainy 
spell here in July, which most commonly com¬ 
mences between the 4th and 15th of the month. 
Our wheat harvest is nearly central on the 6th 
or 8th, (being however more early in dry sea¬ 
sons,) so that settled rain or frequent showers, 
often incommode in getting the harvest home. 
My object in offering these ideas is, to draw 
the attention of practical farmers to the consid¬ 
eration of the above statexl circumstance, in or¬ 
der that experiments may be made to find a 
remedy for the difficulty, by those who are sen¬ 
sible of the evil, and who dare deviate from the 
practice of their fore-fathers, so far as to con¬ 
form to a change of latitude; or, the variation 
our climate may undergo, as the country grad¬ 
ually becomes cleared. The methods I would 
recommend, as worthy of trial, are, 1st, to pro- { 
cure and use the earliest sort of wheat, and 
give it the most favorable cultivation to make 
it ripen early, and house it very soon after it is 
cut. 
3d, To sow the latest sort of wheat, and give 
it the most proper cultivation to make it very 
late in ripening, so that the greatest violence 
of the rainy spell may subside, before it is ne¬ 
cessary to cut it. 
3d, Perhaps ploughing up strips of 20 inches 
wide, every three or four feet, on or about the 
25th of April and again on the 31st of May, 
(where common seed is sown,) might cause it 
to grow so thrifty, or rank, as to make it late 
in ripening, and the product continue to be 
nearly the same;—stirring ground in dry wea¬ 
ther increases its degree of moisture: plough¬ 
ing would therefore have a tendency to prevent 
the wheat from ripening prematurely, as it per¬ 
haps sometimes does, in consequence of the 
dry season in June. 
If farmers can be convinced of the facts I 
here state, 1 doubt not but that they will, ei¬ 
ther soon or late, find out a remedy, at least a 
partial one. 
The period called, the -wet spell in July , must 
according to my theory of the earth, be very 
general; at least along the east side of North 
America yet, the locality of seas, lakes, river- 
vallies and mountain-ranges, according to their 
s ! ze ’ n ^. arness ^nd direction, must vary the pe- 
nod of its acme, independent of the difference 
produced by latitude and longitude. 
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