51 
meadow I invited some of them to witness the result, 
at which I was myself astonished; we could disco¬ 
ver no difference where the manure was applied, anc. 
where the straw had been, but in both cases the 
quantity of grass was nearly double to that on either 
side where no manure or straw had been used. This 
experiment, pardon the frequent use of so ominous a 
word, was so successful, that I repeated it the past 
season, spreading all the straw we could muster im¬ 
mediately after haying, and in a few weeks the dif¬ 
ference in ' the growth of the grass where the straw 
had been spread and that of the adjoining part of the 
meadow was so manifest that no one could doubt the 
utility of the practice—in the one case the grass start¬ 
ed quick and grew rank and thick, and in the other, 
the growth at the end of two or three weeks was 
hardly perceptible, and I am told by a Long Islanc 
friend, that the crop will be more enhanced at the se¬ 
cond mowing after the application than the first.— 
What is the rationale of the thing, I pretend not to 
know; I merely state the facts of the case. Anc 
yet, Mr. Editor, how common is it to see great heaps 
of straw about the barn or in the fields, left there to 
rot and become a nuisance, instead of adding, if pro¬ 
perly applied, from 50 to 100 per cent to the crop.— 
And this species of manure is so much more easily, 
and cheaply applied ; two loads being sufficient for an 
acre, whereas from twenty to twenty-five' of barn¬ 
yard manure would be required. 
Another experiment, (pitysome “experiments” of 
a more important character should not have resultec 
more favorably) I made last spring with ashes anc 
plaster, has satisfied me of the great value of the for¬ 
mer as a top-dressing for our meadows. I plasterer 
a part of a ridge in a meadow, where the season be¬ 
fore we had cut a middling crop of clover and timo¬ 
thy, and on the balance of the ridge I sowed ashes at 
the rate of twenty-five or thirty bushels to the acre. 
The crop on the whole ridge was improved, but the 
part that was ashed, turned off a swarth full one-thirc 
heavier than the other. The spot on which this last 
experiment was made, might perhaps have been 
ploughed to advantage, but there are numberless 
acres of what we call natural meadow, that cannot 
be ploughed without extensive ditching and under¬ 
draining, and while I fully coincide with you, Mr. 
Editor, in your views of the utility and great impor¬ 
tance of this branch of agricultural improvement, it 
must be borne in mind, that comparatively few can 
afford, except by degrees, the expense which it would 
involve. All the surplus population of the Emerald 
Isle, in a quarter of a century or more, and at an 
expenditure of many millions, would hardly accom¬ 
plish what would really be beneficial in our country. 
We must therefore adopt the best expedients within 
our reach, to add to the fertility and profits of our 
farms. 
Permit me to say that the Dutton corn did not dis¬ 
appoint my best anticipations. Owing to the wet and 
backward spring last spring, we did not plant it until 
the last of May or first of June. The Dutton corn 
ripened to my satisfaction, while nearly one half the 
common eight rowed kind was soft—so that I am satis¬ 
fied, that had we planted all of the former it would 
have been an advantage of more than twenty-five 
dollars. With much respect, 
Yours, W. W. J. 
Efficacy of Gypsum sown in Autumn. 
Seneca-Falls, March 1'Sth, 1838. 
Jesse Duel, —Dear Sir,—I address you now sim¬ 
ply to give you the result of an experiment which I 
made last year with gypsum. In October 1836, I 
sowed about six bushels per acre upon part of a field 
sowed to wheat early in September. The land was 
a mixture of sand, gravel and loam. It had laid seve¬ 
ral years in timothy. In the spring it was plough¬ 
ed, and oats, corn and peas put in. Part of the field 
I applied no plaster to. The difference between that 
sowed with plaster and that on which no plaster was 
sowed, was quite one-half in favor of the former._ 
That which was plastered produced a vigorous growth 
of straw, while the heads of wheat were much longer 
and fuller than that which was not plastered. By 
sowing in the fall, the gypsum becomes, from the ac¬ 
tion of the fall and winter rains and snow, perfectly 
dissolved, forms a chemical union with the soil, and 
affords to the wheat plant its natural food. When 
sowed in quantities from five to six bushels per acre, 
the benefit is felt on the subsequent crop of grass. 
Prom experience I am satisfied that gypsum ought 
to be applied on timothy and other grass meadows, 
in much greater quantities than are usually put on 
clover. Gypsum when sowed in large quantities on 
a clay soil, ameliorates it. Upon a few yards of stiff 
red clay I spread about half a bushel of plaster last 
spring ; in the course of the summer the color of the 
soil changed to a dark brown, and the clay pulverized, 
lost its tenacity and became, when dry, almost as light 
as ashes._ I agree with you in your opinion as to the 
manner in which plaster benefits different crops._ 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
Of some plants, such as corn and clover, it constitutes 
the specific food. But others, such as timothy, wheat 
oats and barley, it benefits by its chemical action on 
the soil as well as by furnishing lime to those which 
require it. The wheat crop, as far as I have observ¬ 
ed since the snow has left us, looks well. 
Your obedient servant, 
SAML. J. BAYARD. 
REMARKS. 
The suggestions in the preceding communication of 
Mr. Bayard are very important to the farmer. They 
go to render probable, what before was doubted, that 
gypsum may be advantageously applied to clays, if 
applied in larger quantities than usual; that it has a 
chemical action upon the soil, and is thus in directly and 
highly beneficial to crops upon which it is believed not 
to have any direct action. The improvements it sug¬ 
gest are, 1. To sow gypsum in the autumn, or early in 
the spring; and, 2, to sow it in larger quantities than 
usual upon clays. We sowed plaster upon our mea¬ 
dows in April, and upon two or three ridges the quan¬ 
tity was doubled, i. e., at the rate of two bushels the 
acre. The crop upon these ridges was nearly double 
what it was upon the rest of the field. Soil, clay loam. 
— Cond. Cult. 
Smut in wheat. 
J. Buel, Esq.'—Dear Sir,—It seems that our wheat 
crop, as bread-stuff! in this country, is considered the 
most important; it is well known there are many 
evils befalling this grain, especially of late years.— 
Many inquiries has been made for warding off those 
evils. The smutting of this grain may be considerec 
one of the greatest evils, although a remedy is 
found to allay the matter in some degree ; yet the cul¬ 
tivator is not exempt from much trouble and anxiety, 
that is from the mode of liming, brining, &c. It is 
ascertained in my neighborhood, that the sowing of 
old wheat is a complete preventive; a neighbor 
having spared all his new wheat sowed of his old, ob¬ 
serving the product to be perfectly clean from smut, 
when his neighbors and his former crop was more 
or less smutty; when this was fully discovered, they 
flocked to him for clean seed ; inquiry was excited, 
and the circumstance of sowing the old grain was 
brought in question, and considered to be the only 
cause. 
As we are small wheat growers in this section, but 
little has been said respecting the discovery. I have 
laid it up for a valuable truth. Mr. Editor, if you 
know nothing relative to this statement, I think you 
will cause it to be published in your paper, soliciting 
information; if correct, it must be a valuable acquisi¬ 
tion to the public when generally known. 
If the true cause of smut in wheat be an' insect, 
the period of one year destroys them. If it be seed, 
the germinating powers must have perished. If bug¬ 
gy peas are kept over one season, there will be no 
live bugs found among them. 
A small portion of fine salt sifted and raked into a 
bin of corn, or any grain whatever, immediately 
kills the insects or drives them off; can any quantity 
of salt sufficient to drive them away from the field be 
applied and not destroy the grain, at the proper sea¬ 
son of their mischief! Respectfully, 
ABEDNEGO ROBINSON. 
Portsmouth , ( N. II) March 1, 1838. 
REMARKS. 
The modern opinion is, that smut is a parasitic 
plant, i. e. a plant which feeds and lives on the wheat 
plant, and Bauer, in the transactions of the Royal So¬ 
ciety, says its seeds are so minute as to pass from the 
seed grain in the soil, with the ascending sap, to the ear 
of the grain, where it grows and produces smutty grain. 
Many of the salts, as marine salt, lime, vitriol, copper¬ 
as, &c., are found to destroy the germinating principle 
of this seed, and the supposition is a rational one, that 
the smut seed loses its vital principle by being kept 
through one season, which we know to be the case with 
many seeds. And upon this hypothesis we account for 
the fact stated by Mr. Robinson. But even if old wheat 
is put into a bag which has contained smutty wheat, or is 
in other way brought in contact with smut seed, the in¬ 
fection will take, and the crop will be more or less af¬ 
fected.— Cond. Cult. 
In harvesting I found one uniform original appearance 
of the early garden, the sachatash differing only in soft¬ 
ness. A few ears were boiled when in a proper state 
and found to be good sachatash. I have now a hand¬ 
some little trace of this corn, no more mixed than 
common, where other varieties are planted neighbors 
to it; some ears being perfectly clear. 
This statement infers, that different varieties 
of corn as to size, color, and period of maturing, may 
be chosen as fancy may lead, and planted aside or in 
the midst of sweet sachatash, which w ill receive a 
portion of sachatash in the ear, the product of which 
planted by itself, will be of the original in all the par¬ 
ticulars, except it being soft, sweet sachatash. Mr. 
Editor, it will be my greatest pleasure to send you 
one ear of this experimented handsome corn, if any 
opportunity by sending it by water should occur, and 
hope it would be accepted. If any rare seed should 
be in your hands, intended for distribution at the time 
this may be received, I should think myself highly 
flattered in receiving a few seed, especially of such 
as promise a profit. A. ROBINSON. 
Portsmouth , (N. H.) March 2d, 1838. 
REMARKS. 
The idea of improving our corn, by artificial crossing, 
is novel, yet perfectly philosophical; and we doubt not 
but in this way improved varieties may be obtained, or 
at least varieties combining the prolific qualities of one 
kind, with the early maturity of another. Although 
when corn is found mixed on the same ear, as white 
and yellow, the grain appears to resemble exclusively 
one or the other parent, that resembling the male must 
partake more or less of the peculiar properties of the 
female parent, and must of course constitute a new va¬ 
riety. Mr. Knight experimented with the pea, with 
wheat, and the strawberry, and produced by the artifi¬ 
cial cross several esteemed varieties, several of which 
in consequence bear his name.— Cond. Cult. 
Steeping and Tarring Seed Corn—Italian Wheat- 
Farm Accounts. 
Sennett, March 8, 1838. 
Judge Buel, —Dear Sir,—We planted about 12 
acres of corn, most of it 8 rowed, some the large 12 
rowed variety, common with us, and about 1 acre of 
the Dutton. All of it was soaked, tarred and plastered 
with great care, and planted the 12th to 15th of May. 
It came up remarkably even and thrifty, maintaining 
its superiority over all other fields in its vicinity, and 
has produced about 70 bushels per acre of excellent 
sound corn. The tarring and plastering, although not 
a perfect cure for the crows and wire worm, we are 
fully convinced is better than all other means hitherto 
employed, and for promoting the growth and ripening 
of the corn, so valuable, that accidental causes alone, 
will prevent me from using them hereafter. Their 
successful application requires much care, both in the 
preparing and planting, but when well done, will add 
one-fifth to the product, besides lessening the liability 
to be destroyed. 
I sowed 6£ bushels of Italian spring wheat from 
Rome, on 5 acres of corn stubble in the best condi¬ 
tion, the 15th April, and from it have received 202 
bushels of excellent wheat, which I have sold for seed 
at 2 dollars per bushel. This all fell down, 3 weeks 
before it was cut, yet it did not rust in any degree, 
while winter wheat in the same field, was completely 
spoiled by it. 
We sowed 2 acres of roots, ruta baga, carrots, and 
mangold wurtzel, and gathered about 6U0 bushels pr. 
acre from the turnips, but not as many from the car¬ 
rots, and still less of the beets. We consider the 
turnip the most valuable for common culture, consi¬ 
dering the relative labor, in raising and their value 
when raised, although the carrot is probably the most 
nutritious of the three. 
The plan of keeping an account of the produce of 
different crops, and our operations, we have pursued 
the past year for the first time, and find it very useful; 
and on the whole have learned much, and we think 
' aid the foundation for learning much more. 
Yours very respectfully, 
LEYI J. HOPKINS. 
How to produce new varieties of Com. 
I selected last June from my early garden corn, 
sachatash kernels, sufficient to plant about thirty 
rills, continuing the rows a few hills with the origi¬ 
nal product of the cob. This corn was a bright yel- 
' ow, and of tolerable size; the kernels picked out of 
the rows of the'ear were also yellow, but mot as bright 
a tinge as the original, but very well matured; those 
Kernels must have originated from white sachatash, 
as I have never seen any other color of the sacha¬ 
tash, other than dark purple, which is used for color¬ 
ing frequently; this corn was all planted at the same 
time, and the attention precisely the same. Its ap¬ 
pearance was so uniform, no one acquainted with its 
growth would pretend to draw a lme of distinction; it 
Kept equal pace to maturing. The result of my ex¬ 
periment has far more than remunerated for the set 
out, and has successfully exceeded my expectations. 
The Contrast. 
The astonishing power of hereditary opinions, and 
of impressions received in early education, is attempt¬ 
ed to be illustrated, by the following dialogue, supposed 
to have occurred in an evening conversation, between 
a farmer of the hereditary school, and his son, on the 
’ atter’s return from school, where he had studied, with 
some interest, the principles of scientific farming. 
LANSINGBURGH. 
Father —Well, John, since you are becoming a 
scholar, I suppose you have quite outgrown the 
thoughts of being a farmer! 
Son— No, father, the effect is quite the contrary. 
have been paying considerable attention to the study 
of agriculture; and I assure you I have found it a 
most delightful subject. 
Father —From the number of books and foolish 
newspapers, all about farming, you have brought home, 
