THE CULTIVATOR. 
135 
kind impregnating the pistil of another, and the two, 
thus conjoined, produce, like two animals of different 
breeds, a new variety, partaking, more or less, of the 
qualities of the two parents. This change is not so 
perceptible in the seed of wheat as it is in the seed of 
Indian corn ; but it is, nevertheless, as certain, in the 
habits of the new plant. We have particularly no¬ 
ticed this tendency to amalgamate in the maize crop, 
where it becomes palpable to the eye in the new corn. 
We planted, last spring, seven kinds of maize, a cou¬ 
ple of rows of each, in the same field, at intervals of 
some 20 to 30 feet, with a view of determining both 
their comparative earliness and productiveness.— 
Every variety has become impregnated with two or 
more other kinds, as is indicated by the colour of the 
grain—and though, from the colour, &c. of these 
strange grains, they appear to be identical with the 
male parent, they will, if preserved and planted, pro¬ 
duce entire distinct varieties. Upon the mode of pro¬ 
ducing new kinds of maize artifically, see the inte¬ 
resting articles from A. Robinson and G. B. Smith, 
in our April and May numbers. 
We make these remarks preliminary to the notice 
of a fact, stated by M. Le Couteur, of much interest 
to the farmer, viz. that all our old varieties of wheat 
have become very much mixed, if not adulterated, by 
the natural process of crossing. M. L. says, that in 
1832, he thought his crops were tolerably pure, yet 
on Prof. La Gasca, curator of the royal garden at 
Madrid, walking through them, lie selected 23 sorts, 
of which some have since been discovered to be three 
weeks later in ripening than others. “ Hence,” says 
M. L. “I repeat, it must be obvious, that corn har¬ 
vested in an unequal state of ripeness, cannot be the 
best for making bread,—when the greater part of the 
grain has been reaped in the state the farmer consi¬ 
dered was fitted for the miller, whilst the lesser part 
has been in a milky state, or much over ripe, or some 
in states between both.” To this cause he ascribes 
the appearance of many shrivelled, lean and ill grown 
grains, in many samples of wheat. We paused, while 
penning this article, Aug. 28, to examine several 
kinds of wheat, which we have growing in an experi¬ 
mental plat; and we found M. L’s remark verified, 
more or less, in all, but least in the Trimestrian. In 
the Italian, Siberian, Tea, Egyptian, Galena and 
Chilian, some heads were over-ripe, some were in 
condition for harvesting, and others were quite green. 
These wheats were all sown May 19, and may be put 
down as to their forwardness, in the following order : 
earliest, Italian, Tea, Siberian, Galena, Egyptian, 
Chillian, Trimestrian. There are some ripe heads 
upon all, and some green heads upon all. Of their 
relative productiveness, we shall speak hereafter. It 
should, however, be remarked, that the seeds of these 
wheats come from various climates and latitudes, 
which undoubtedly has influence upon their maturity. 
The above facts suggest the propriety of using 
great care in the selection of seed—that the kernels ap¬ 
pear of equal maturity—that the seed has not been 
^ grown contiguous to other varieties—and of begin¬ 
ning, de novo, as the Scotch farmers have done in va¬ 
rious instances with wheat, oats, barley, &c. by se¬ 
lecting a plant, or stool, or an ear of choice grain, 
and of propagating it carefully, till the product will 
suffice for an entire crop. The intrinsic value of the 
product would, in a very few years, amply compen¬ 
sate for the trouble. It was in this way that the 
Houpton oat, chevalier barley, and various other high¬ 
ly esteemed varieties of grain, now eagerly sought 
for, first obtained notice. 
There is one other observation of M. Le Couteur, 
that we found amply verified in our early practice in 
farming—the impropriety of applying fresh stable 
dung to land intended for wheat, and, indeed, in our 
opinion, to land intended for any small grain, “ inas¬ 
much as it tends to produce much grass or straw, and 
less grain, which grain is also of a dark coarse na¬ 
ture. Stable dung should be applied plentifully to the 
preparatory crop," and lime or ashes to the wheat 
when they are procurable. 
M. Le Couteur quotes Columella’s account of the 
varieties of wheat cultivated in his time, which was 
about the commencement of the Christian era.— 
Among the varieties described by Columella, we ob¬ 
serve one whose name and character materially cor¬ 
respond with a sample sent us by Mr. Ashburner, of 
Stockbridge, last spring, and which we have grown. 
We subjoin the quotation. 
-- “ The Trimestrian,” says Columella, “ shall be the third, 
which husbandmen are mighty glad to make use of; for 
when, by reason of great rains, or any other cause, the early 
sowing has been omitted, they have recourse to this for their 
relief. It is a kind of white wheat. Pliny says, that this 
is the most delicious and daintiest of any sort of wheat, ex¬ 
ceeding white, but without much substance or strength’ on¬ 
ly proper for moist tracts of land, such as those of Italy and 
some parts of Gaul; that it ripens equally, and that there is 
no sort of corn that suffers delay less, because it is so ten¬ 
der that such ears of it as are ripe presently shed their grains; 
but in the stalk, it is in less danger than any other corn, for it 
holds its ear always upright, and does not contain the dews, 
which occasion blasting and mildew.” 
The Diseases of the Plum and Pear, 
That is, the canker on the one ) jS md the blight on 
the other, continue to arrest the attention and em¬ 
ploy the pens of our horticulturists and pomologists. 
The causes that are conjectured, and the cures that 
are recommended, are almost as multiplied as the 
writers. There is no doubt in our a minds, that many 
of the failures in these fruit trees, are owing to a bad 
soil, or bad subsoil—to the absence of some matter 
essential, or to the presence of something prejudicial, 
in the soil, to their health and vigor. But the disea¬ 
ses in question, which, so far as our memory serves, 
are comparatively recent, are undoubtedly caused by 
insects. “Like causes produce like effects,” is a 
maxim of unquestionable truth. The elements re¬ 
main as they always were. If these diseases were 
owing to the soil, the sun or the atmosphere, why 
were they not known to our grandfathers ? But that 
new insects are continually coming among us, is wo- 
fully evidenced by the depredations of the Hessian 
fly, the bee moth, and the grain worm, which depre¬ 
date upon our wheat and our honey. And why not 
the like new and unwelcome visitors upon our fruit 
trees 1 Another reason for imputing these diseases 
to insects is, that they seem to come periodically—to 
intermit for years—and to continue for years. We 
saw the pear blight in 1801, and in 1825; and the 
canker in the plum at different periods. For the last 
few years we have been comparatively exempt from 
both. Insects do appear at intervals of years. The 
locust is said to be fourteen or seventeen years in its 
various transmutations. We yet know hardly half of 
the insect creation. All matter seems animated with 
life, which, in its minutest form, is capable of inflict¬ 
ing incalculable injury upon man. See, for instance, 
the aphides, which prey upon almost every plant; the 
fly and grain worm which destroys our wheat—the 
various tribes which live upon our farm-stock, and 
others that are parasites upon man. And are fruit 
trees alone, of all animated nature, to be exempt from 
these minute enemies, which cause disease and 
death l 
Diseases of trees, we have said, are often to be 
ascribed to the absence, in the soil, of something es¬ 
sential to the plant, or of something prejudicial to its 
growth. Where this is the case, the evil, we think, 
may in most cases be remedied, by trenching the 
ground, preparatory to planting, anil by the admix¬ 
ture of clay, or lime, or such other elementary mat¬ 
ter as the soil may appear to be deficient in. Last 
autumn, we followed Mr. Reed’s suggestion, and 
placed around many of our pear trees furnace cinders ; 
and around others tan from the morocco factory.— 
The earth was taken away from around the base of 
the trees, two or three shovels full of the material 
thrown in, and the earth thrown back upon it. No 
blight has appeared upon them, and most of the trees 
have started with new vigor. Whether the cinders 
and the tan benefit, by neutralizing something obnox¬ 
ious in the soil, or by affording a requisite food, we 
are unable to say ; but it seems certain that they pro¬ 
mote health and growth. 
Varieties of Early Indian Corn. 
The Maine Farmer, of Aug. 21, says, “ the Dut¬ 
ton corn grows luxuriantly, but is much later than 
many of the old varieties.” 
The Fanner and Gardner, of the same date, print¬ 
ed at Baltimore, states two cases of the Dutton corn 
being gathered, in a ripe state, in less than 90 days 
from the time of its being planted, viz. Mr. Giles 
planted on the 17th May, and gathered perfectly ripe 
samples on the 15th August; and Mr. Harrison 
planted, on the 16th May, and gathered on the 14th 
August. 
The Franklin Farmer, printed at Frankfort, Ky. of 
Aug. 18, says, “ Our Dutton corn, planted April 30, 
has been gathered more than a week. It is perfectly 
ripe, hard and well cured. Though a dwarf species, 
it is a generous bearer, and we are satisfied, from the 
experiment of this season, that an acre of it will pro¬ 
duce as good an average crop as our larger eared 
corn.” 
Some of our Dutton corn, planted on the 19lh May, 
had perfectly ripe ears on the 15th Aug. and this part 
of our crop was harvested, that is, cut up, on the 
28th Aug. though it might safely have been done on 
the 21st; and most of the Dutton corn in our neigh¬ 
borhood, was harvested either in August or the first 
week in September. 
We have recorded these facts, to explain their 
seeming contradictions, and to make some sugges¬ 
tions, which we think of importance to the farmer, in 
regard to seed. 
We have before observed, that there is a spurious, 
as well as a genuine, Dutton corn, the former of 
stouter growth, and later in ripening, than the latter. 
We would remark, that this difference may result 
from the seed planted—seed of the same variety, 
grown at the south, giving a larger growth of stalk, 
and maturing later than seed grown at the north.— 
This is evidenced by the fact, that southern seed al¬ 
ways gives a comparatively large and late growth at 
the north; while northern seed gives a dwarfish 
growth and early maturity at the south—and that 
they both become acclimated in a few years, and take 
the habits of their new location. These considera¬ 
tions suggest, that so far as early maturity is sought 
for, it is advisable, when a change of seed is desired, 
to obtain it from a more northern latitude, or elevat¬ 
ed district. 
But we adopt the opinion of Joseph Cooper, so far 
at least as relates to maize—which was, that a change 
of seed is not necessary , when due regard is paid to 
selecting the seed. We have cultivated the Dutton 
variety of corn eighteen years—we have always se¬ 
lected the earliest and fairest ears, assisting in per¬ 
son, for seed, which we immediately braided, and 
hung in an airy loft. It has ripened as early this, as 
it did the first year we received the seed from the far 
north; while we are satisfied it has increased in pro¬ 
ductiveness—that it has larger ears, and more of 
them, and taller stalks, than it had when we first be¬ 
gan its culture. The seed is left to mature on the 
stalk, till the crop is gathered from the field—the ear¬ 
liest ripened, being then easily determined by the ap¬ 
pearance of the shuck, or husk, and the rich colour of 
the corn. Hence the importance of every farmer 
taking care to secure, in person, his best seed. 
There is one other fact that should not be lost sight 
of—the influence of soil and location upon vegetable 
growth. A moist, rich soil, will give the largest 
growth, both of foliage and fruit, and a light and dry 
one the earliest maturity, and the richest or most 
concentrated product. Prof. Ives states, that plants 
from the seed of the morus multicaulis, have the fo¬ 
liage of the parent in a rich humid soil, while they re¬ 
semble those of the M. alba, on a thin light soil; and 
it is believed that a pound of the leaves of the latter 
are intrinsically more valuable to the silk-worm than 
a pound of the former. It is not the size that indi¬ 
cates superiority in the animal or vegetable. A very 
large apple is seldom a very good one. The cider 
from a hilly, dry, calcareous soil, is always superior 
to that from a low and rich one. A very large beet 
contains much less sugar than the same weight of 
small beets. Indian corn, grown upon a light dry 
soil, comes to earlier maturity, but is inferior in its 
growth, and in the size of its ears, than when it is 
grown upon a highly manured loam. Indeed the dif¬ 
ference is so great, on our own grounds, this season, 
that the growth and product in two locations, would 
hardly be taken for the same variety. 
We have another suggestion to make, in regard to 
the influence of steeps. It will be remembered, that 
in our last volume, we referred to a communication 
of Senator Johnson, inserted in the first volume of 
the transactions of the old agricultural society, show¬ 
ing that the crop from seed wheat, steeped in a solu¬ 
tion of salt-petre, ripened two weeks earlier, and 
gave 25 per cent more product, than the crop from 
seed which was not thus steeped. We began to plant 
our main crop of corn on the 12th May, and finished 
on the 16th. All the seed was steeped 12 hours in a 
solution of nitre, in quantities sufficient for one day’s 
planting. A few quarts of seed, which remained, 
was set in the cellar, where it remained, partially co¬ 
vered with pickle, till the 19th, when it was planted 
in a vacant patch of thin soil, in which we also plant¬ 
ed, the same day, six other varieties, all reputed to 
be remarkably early, and the seed of all which had 
been soaked in salt-petre water. The last planted 
Dutton corn, was decidedly the earliest of the seven 
sorts in coming to maturity, and was at least two 
weeks earlier than the main crop, planted from three 
to six days earlier. Its maturity may have been in 
some measure accelerated by the porosity of the soil, 
compared with that of the main field, which was high¬ 
ly manured with unfermented dung, and to the con¬ 
sequent influence of the dry weather; yet we think 
it not improbable that it was principally owing to the 
seed having remained saturated, for 98 hours, in the 
nitrous solution. 
Having referred to our specimen plat, we will add, 
that it consists of the following varieties of corn : 
1. Dutton; 2 and 3. Lake Superior and Squaw 
from Lake Michigan ; 4. Early white, not recollect¬ 
ed where from ; 5. Early Canada, from Poughkeep¬ 
sie ; 6. Red Blaze, from Elmira ; 7. Early yellow, 
from Vermont. These varieties were all planted the 
same day, two rows of each, with intervals between 
the different kinds of 20 or 30 feet. On examining 
them to day, Aug. 28, we find No. 1 mostly ripe, the 
husks dry and separating from the grain ; No. 2, Lake 
Superior, an 8 rowed yellow, growing 4| feet high, 
but very prolific in succors and ears, next to the Dut¬ 
ton in maturity. The early white is an 8 rowed corn, 
5| feet high, and is third in ripeness. The Vermont 
is a yellow 8 rowed corn, grows 6 feet high, and is 
next m ripeness to the early white. The Squaw, 
No. 3, is an 8 rowed coloured grain, grows 6 feet 
high, and is fifth in its earliness. The Red Blaze comes 
