||irli> (fit I tare. 
WHEAT: 
Its Production and Consiunt>tiot>. 
BY T. C. PETERS. 
In a previous article I have assumed fifty- 
five acres as the average area of enclosed 
land in farms, and tlmt there are three million 
such farms now under cultivation. But as 
all farms have only a certain portion of the 
land under the plow, or in annual crops, I 
have assumed that only one-half can be reck¬ 
oned upon for tillage crops, and that of those 
crops not over one-fourth (1 think one-sixth 
nearer the fact) of the breadth cun be sown 
to wheat; and that eight bushels per acre is 
a high average yield. We soon discover 
that there must bo an error somewhere in 
the calculation; for at fifty-six bushels per 
farm, we find the three million of farms only 
produce one hundred and sixty-eight million 
bushels of wheat. 
If, therefore, ihe statistics of the Agricul¬ 
tural Bureau at Washington have any signifi¬ 
cance, this quantity must he considerably 
below the annual product of the country. 
The consumption and production of wheat, 
however, is largely overestimated. The na¬ 
tional census has been little better than a 
guess, but still it helped some, upon the prin¬ 
ciple that the errors corrected 1 iiemselves. 
it has been assumed by some statisticians 
that the consumption of the country should 
be reckoned at five bushels per capita of our 
whole population. This is more than equal 
to a barrel of flour, in the present condition 
of our mills. For our millers would now 
think they bad very poor mills, and poorer 
wheat, if they did not average a barrel of 
good flour from four and a half bushels; 
and the flour of commerce—a barrel of one 
hundred and ninety-four pounds—is made, 
upon an average, from less than four bushels 
and one peek of wheat. Our people are 
better fed than any other nation of people 
on the globe; but upon wheaton flour to a 
partial extent only. 
Corn meal enters largely into the bread 
food of nearly all families, especially the 
poorer classes. At almost every meal it is 
found on the tables of the wealthy, as well 
as the poor, and for one-half ihe year, from 
November to May, it is safe to claim that 
coni meal and its congener, buckwheat 
flour, form more than one-half of the bread 
food of the people. This, therefore, lessens 
the consumption of wheaten flour by not 
less than one-third. 
Before slavery was abolished, there were 
about four millions of blacks whose only 
food was corn bread in some shape, and 
their masters’ fed upon the same nearly as 
much as the slave. Whoever has been in 
the South has had frequent opportunities to 
realize the universality of “ hog and homi¬ 
ny,” as an article of diet. And herein lies 
the germ of an important fact in dietetic 
phenomena. The negroes were fed upon 
corn and pork, and they were healthy and 
prolific. Com bread can easily supercede 
wheaten bread, so far as a healthful and 
nourishing bread-food is concerned. 
It is safe, therefore, to assume that the 
four millions of blacks and the eight millions 
of whites in the Bouth did not consume their 
slxtre of the live bushels allowed them. The 
consumption of wheat, then, ought to be put 
down thus,—assuming that in the present 
decade population will reach forty millions: 
North.....27,000,000 
of the upland labor to the low lands, and it well; pulverize, and work deep, gradually, 
cause them to produce a crop that has a Work it mellow; loosen subsoil, and, if your 
value in market? Shall the farmer turn his soil is not too poor, the air and warmth will 
attention to producing more and better crops soon have their effect, and you will have a 
on his low lands for the sake of enriching his good, reliable thing. But, if your soil is 
uplands? I will answer both of these ques- quite poor, see that the manure goes on. It 
l ions by simply stating facts. must corne from somewhere. If you cannot 
First. — It should be the aim to raise a raise it or buy it, sow peas, clover or rye— 
crop that will sell in market. Some twelve that which 3 'ou can raise the most straw 
or fifteen years ago, I came into possession from. In order to do this turn under what 
of a farm that had upon it some natural sod or stubble you may have; or if there is 
advantages arising from the broken nature only bare ground, mellow the top; bow 
of the soil. A small stream of water, just peas—roll first in plaster, after wetting well; 
the size for a good trout brook, ran across cover, and plaster again when the blade np- 
one end of it. About the center of the farm pears. If the soil is absolutely barren, next 
I found a swamp of some ten acres, from to pure sand; if, in other words, it is light 
which the water ran in two directions. drift, as we find such soil, mix a little ma- 
That which went north, flowed through hurb with the top soil and harrow in with 
three smaller swamps in going a quarter of the seed. This is a blight affair and but 
a mile. The lowest one had been flowed little expense. Use the plaster also for top, 
fora reservoir; but, the water being no longer dressing; do not neglect this; it is a great 
needed for mechanical purposes, the dam kelp; it draws elements from the atmos- 
was cut and the water drawn off. Now was ph«ro, making the grain a medium for that 
left a lied of mud that was covered with purpose. T he manure starts the grain, and 
water during a rain, and exposed to t he air plaster aids it, and a fair crop, the season 
soon after. It being within a stone’s throw 13 °t too dry, is the result. When in full 
of my house, during summer the southwest blossom turn it under, 
wind often brought a stench to our kitchen Now you have not only the manure and 
windows, that was not agreeable. There plaster back again, but what they drew 
lerfrsntatt. 
was too much carbonic acid gas in the air from the air, the greater part—remember, the 
Sou tli. 
13,000.000 
Total...40,000,000 
The consumption will be for the North at 
four bushels, or twenty bushels to the family, 
which I still think too high. Say one hun¬ 
dred and eight millions; for the South, at 
two bushels per capita, or twenty-six mil¬ 
lions ; for seed thirty millions. Thus we 
have: 
Consumption. 
Beeil... 
l3t,noo,ooo 
30,000,000 
Total.. 104,000,000 
This leaves a difference of only some two 
millions of bushels, in the two modes of cal¬ 
culation. 
Either then, there must be a wider breadth 
laid down to wheat, or a larger acreable 
yield, or the assumed facts of the census must 
be at fault. Which is it? 
-♦♦♦ 
RECLAIMING LOW LANDS. 
As a practical farmer, I find much to re¬ 
flect upon. But what has most occupied my 
mind of late, is the undeveloped resources 
of the soil. Most of us have the habit fixed 
upon us of staying too much upon the high 
lands, and depending upon them for our 
paying crops, We forget the low lands or 
swamps, except to gather what naturally 
grows from their sour and “ unregenerate, ” 
soils. We. are skimming our uplands, and 
exhausting every energy to keep them in a 
productive, state, while in the valleys are the 
cream-pots, into which have flown the best 
to be wholesome. What, to do, was the ques¬ 
tion. In a dry time there was not enough 
water to keep the bot tom covered. I could 
not, therefore, make a fish pond of it. 
Having heard something of cranberry cul¬ 
ture, I determined to try that. 1 accordingly 
lowered the outlet, and was soon pleased to 
find the mud beginning to assume the char¬ 
acter of terra Jirma, It improved rapidly in 
appearance all summer. Tn the autumn, I 
took advantage of a drouth, and cleared off 
several patches of small willows and sweet 
Hag. The turfs of sweet flag were piled, and 
finally made excellent manure, paying for 
getting it out. The willows were piled and 
burned. I went into a large cranberry 
meadow, seven miles distant , and found some 
very prolific vines, bearing a very nice look¬ 
ing, hard berry. 1 pulled them up with a 
muck-hook. In tufts six inches square. These 
were subdivided Into from twelve to fifteen 
buncheB. 1 sot them about, three feet apart 
each way. I set them ovet about half no 
greater part, This then is clear gain. It. is 
manuring your soil, and meets the first rc- 
quisition. The. second you are supposed to 
have already met, either by draining your 
soil, or finding it naturally drained, as is the 
case with mellow drift. You have now a 
start with your land. You can now raise a 
small crop—only, however, if you have 
turned under peas (or clover or whatever it 
may be) shallow. Bury it deep, and you lose 
it. Cover lightly, and you have a fair sur¬ 
face soil. You are prepared to raise grass, 
nr even grain; but lightly and but one or 
two crops. Your best way, perhaps, is to 
ui-e clover. Phis you can grow more 
thriftily. Its root will pierce your poor soil, 
ff<l by the air, and it will give you another, 
heavier crop to plow in. Plow in deeper 
1 his time. Use manure if you have it, after 
the plowing. Now you are ready for work, 
Ibr a good crop. You have a start in fann¬ 
ing now, on a soil that no one would have 
ventured upon, and you must not venture 
acre, hut not, more than one half of it was in "l )on h if all your soil is like it, unless you 
ihe right condition, and that was where the have means and time. But if this soil is an 
turf was all taken off. They produced *’ Xt '-ption to the rest of your farm, treat it as 
berries the second year, and continued to in- we kave said and you will have made a very 
crease till the sixth and seventh yeaf. I hne beginning. You will probably have 
sold fifty dollars’ worth each year. morc miiuurc hereafter. Use it; plow under 
Since then they have somewhat declined crops when necessary. Keep doing 
in productiveness?, caused by various ciremn* *hio always; you must always be feeding 
stances, which I will explain in another y° ur ^°il, it you wish return from it; and 
paper. 1 will also relate how a meadow on what you put !n you will get again with a 
the little trout brook, containing fivo acres, ft 101 *' • fI, e more you can use, the more profit, 
was changed into a grass and ■willow patch, Kcmonibei this; remember manure is the 
what became of the willows, and why 1 have 'king, and the only—the first, the main— 
refused uu offer of one hundred and fifty dol- Iking. 1 he rest are aids merely. f. g. 
the right condition, and that was where the 
turf was all taken off. They produced 
berries the second year, and continued to in¬ 
crease till the sixth and seventh yeaf. I 
sold fifty dollars' worth each year. 
Since then they have somewhat dec lined 
in productiveness, caused by various circum¬ 
stances, which 1 will explain in another 
paper. 1 will also relate how a meadow on 
the little trout brook, containing fivo acres, 
was changed into a grass and willow patch, 
what became of the willow s, and why I have 
refused an oiler of one hundred and fifty dol¬ 
lars per acre for it. Said meadow was not 
formerly worth more than twenty-five dol¬ 
lars per aero. Z. Breed. 
Ware, N. H. 
--- 
FOR YOUNG FARMERS 
Who Have 10 Trent Poor auil Wet fcoils. 
The two primary things in farming are : 
First, manure; second, ditching. These two 
work more than all the rest, though ditching 
should be put first, in rotation. There is no 
use in trying to pay for a farm without 
manure, if the soil is poor. As well give it 
up in the start. 
If your soil is wet; if there is a liardpan, 
or clay, to hold the water, you may as well 
give up as to try to do much without drain¬ 
age ; you cannot do it. 8omc seasons you 
may do better—quite well. But this water 
must be removed or you will seriously suffer 
at times. We have seen the most disastrous 
results from this cause. We use the super¬ 
phosphates; we apply guano and plaster; 
and experiment with sail, lime, Ac. But all 
this is only dallying with the surface, and is 
temporary, at the. best, in its benefits. There 
must lie something given if we wish to re¬ 
ceive back. Now, a poor soil has nothing 
to give. As well try to reap on 1 he ocean ; 
it cannot be done. If no manure can he 
had farming must be suspended, on poor 
soil. 
The first manure, the best of all, because 
it, meets more requisitions Ilian any other 
always, and pre-eminently is barn-yard ma¬ 
nure, including the contents of the stables, 
the sheep-yard, hog pen, privy, hen-roost, 
straw and so on. Here is an accumulation 
of variety that it is worth while to consider, 
that meets all the wants of ordinary farming. 
To rely upon 1 I 1 is is t lie only safe way. It 
all other tilings liii! this will not fail. Put 
in the earth, it is indestructible and can be 
used only in one way, and that to advant¬ 
age-through vegetation. But barn-yard 
manure is not always accessible; there is 
not, always enough made. W-are then to 
do tlie next best thing, which is somewhat 
like the first, viz : plow under green crops. 
This is a common resort in many places and 
enriches the soil largely, benefitting it also 
DO THEY LEARN? 
Twelve years ago, when I came to this 
State, the majority of farmers practically 
ignored the value of manure, No effort 
was made to make or save it. The straw 
w as allowed to go to waste, ami even burned 
by the thousands of tons. Farming was 
carried on upon the principle that the soil 
w as inexhaustible. Converse wit h a farmer 
about making and saving manure, and lie 
would tell you “that was all very East, hut 
it was of no use hero.” “ The land, it any¬ 
thing, was already too rich.” “ You never 
would make a farmer until you got West¬ 
ernized and outgrew your Eastern uotions.” 
Well, the farmers are learning. They 
begin to find out that their lands must be fed 
or they will not always continue to return 
dividends; that Eastern practice and phil¬ 
osophy wire founded on natural laws; that 
those laws must be complied w ith or ruinous 
consequences are hound to follow. So now 
the majority save their straw, and will not 
part w ith a load unless you return a load of 
manure in its place. The ball is in motion, 
ami the next ten years will see the fortuity 
ot Wisconsin farms increase, year by year, 
until results are attained that but few now 
dream of. l. l. Fairchild. 
Rolling Prairie, Wis. 
of vegetable mold from the beginning of mechanically. 
time. The question of dollars and cents Drain first if needed, and it almost always 
appeal's to be, AY ill it pay to transfer a part is needed. Ploiv then; work your soil; work 
Tim Hnrisun Potato. - An Oswego Co., N. Y., 
correspondent writes us that he planted eight 
ijuartsof the Harrison potato in the drill on a 
piece ot land eight rods long- and throe feet 
wide, front which lie raised eleven bushels of 
potatoes or u yield of IglO bushels per acre. 
During twenty years experience as a potato 
grower lie lias never had such production as 
this. The California, ranking next as a prolific 
potato, yielded 1,000 bushels per acre the past 
year, with the same advantages, 
rftirpriim Onto.— Mr, M. K. Sawyer, De Jvulb 
County, III., writes ihe Prairie Farmer that he 
sowed Surprise Oats last year at the rate of tw o 
and one-half bushels per here; soil prepared in 
the usual manner. Hia yield was 75 bushels per 
acre, oats weighing 45 pounds per bushel, A 
field of common oats, on the same kind of soil 
near his held, similarly treated, gave 85 bushels 
per acre. 11c believes ihe Surprise will yield 
about double the amount of the ordinary oats. 
•-- 4-4-4- 
Chinesc Yam.— Philip Vdr.urr. a subscriber, 
asks for the experience of those who have culti¬ 
vated the Chinese Yam the past season. And he 
wants to know where it can be purchased. 
THE TEXAN CATTLE DISEASE. 
BY J. STANTON GOULD. 
The researches of the New Y'ork Board 
of Health, of the State Cattle Commission¬ 
ers, and of the Springfield Convention of 
Cattle Commissioners, have established a con¬ 
nected scries of facts in relation to the fear¬ 
ful malady which has made such ravages 
among the herds of cattle pastured in the 
Western States, that wc are now in a condi¬ 
tion to state with some degree of clearness 
and Certainty what is the nature of the dis¬ 
ease and what are the best methods of avoid¬ 
ing the dangers which it threatens us with. 
External Symptoms. 
The first thing that the herdsman observes 
as indicating the access of die Texan Cattle 
Disease is a staggering of the gait, as if the 
hind quarters were paralyzed. Very shortly 
after the head hung - down below the line (if 
Ihe back, and the eyes are observed to have 
a stupid, vacant, staring expression. We be¬ 
lieve that these are the only symptoms which 
are absolutely invariable, but they are always 
associated with others, some of which are 
rarely absent, and others which are infre¬ 
quently manifested. Most animals have the 
urine so deeply colored red t hat it appears 
almost black, yet we have seen them in the 
last stages of the disease when the urine was 
perfectly limpid. The coat in about one-half 
the causes is veiy rough, in others rougher 
than natural; in a few severe cases wc have 
seen it quite smooth. There is an odor from 
the diseased cattle which may be loosely de¬ 
scribed as a decomposing, gamy odor; it is 
very characteristic and is easily recognised 
by any one that has once smelled it; it is most 
easily detected when the nose is held near 
the flank. The flanks are tucked in, and 
there is much twitching of the superficial 
muscles, especially those of the flank. The 
back is generally arched, and there is a mo¬ 
tion in it which seems to indicate that the 
beast is making ineffectual efforts to void its 
excrement. The stools arc sometimes hard 
and dry, at others soft and loose, mixed with 
much mucus. Occasionally, though rarely, 
the st,<*jls are streaked with blood. In most 
cases there is a frothy drool from the corners 
of the mouth. The pulse is generally as high 
as one hundred and twenty beats in a minute, 
but the strokes are weak. Some observers 
have seen a yellowish rheum flowing from 
the eyes, unri smelled an exceedingly fetid 
Odor in the breath, but we have never seen 
anything of this kind in the cases that have 
come under our notice. The animal is evi¬ 
dently uneasy, gets up and lies down fre¬ 
quently, and is very thirsty. If an animal 
having the con. taut symptoms above men¬ 
tioned, associated with more or less of the 
variable ones, 1 .-, found, on inserting the ther¬ 
mometer into the rectum, to show a temper¬ 
ature over one hundred and two degrees 
Fahrenheit, we may be sure that the animal 
has the r i exits cattle disease. Our prognosis 
will depend upon the temperature. No ani¬ 
mal has ever recovered where the tempera¬ 
ture exceeded one hundred and live degrees 
Fahrenheit , it has been found as high as one 
hundred and ten degrees, Fahrenheit. If it 
is under one hundred and five degrees, we 
may entertain hopes of the recovery of the 
animal. 
Dost jYIoi'trm Appearances. 
On opening the animal the first thing ob¬ 
servable is the dark brown mahogany color 
of the muscular portions, and the greenish- 
yellow color of the lat. In cases where the 
disease has been protracted, the fat is brown¬ 
ish looking, like the pigment known by 
painters as Spanish brown. In most eases 
the fat of the omentum is browner than the 
superficial fat. 
7 hr liver is fatty, and considerably enlarged. 
T)r. Baugh of Chicago found the average 
weight of seven thousand nine hundred and 
fifty seven livers of apparently healthy Texas 
steers to he twelve and forty nine-hundredths 
pounds. The liver of a sick Texas steer wc 
found to be seventeen pounds eight ounces. 
We have heard of eases where they weighed 
twenty pounds. On examining the tissue of 
this organ with a microscope, a round orange- 
yellow' apt it is seen in the center of each lobule 
which is perfectly diagnostic. 
1 he gall-bladder is generally very much dis¬ 
tended, with thick, black, flaky bile. 
The spleen is ecchymosed, greatly enlarged, 
and black when cut into. The average weight 
of eight thousand four hundred and three 
spleens, of apparently healthy cattle, as 
weighed by Dr. IUt i u, was two and thjrty- 
four-hundredths pounds. Wc have seen them 
in this disease weighing five pounds and three 
ounces, and measuring two feel live inches hi 
length, six and one-fourth incites in width, 
and three and one-Jburth inches hi thickness. 
The spleen is mottled and presents the ap¬ 
pearance of Castile soap, though considerably 
darker. 
The bladder is generally distended with a 
very dark red lu'ine. The neck is sedema- 
tous and covered with inflamed patches, the 
fundus is thickened and covered with bloody 
puncta. Sometimes, however, we have met 
with very sick animals without any of these 
appearances in the bladder. 
The Stomachs. —The first and second stom¬ 
achs are not usually much affected, and rarely 
show any obvious marks of disease; the third 
stomach or omasum, which is known to butch¬ 
ers as the book or manifolds, is frequently 
diseased. The epithelial coat can be rubbed 
off with the finger; in some eases the par¬ 
tially digested food is found very dry, and 
when removed, the epithelium is torn off - with 
it. We have seen the chymifled mass sepa¬ 
rated into circular masses like gun-wads, 
those nearest to the periphery of the stomach 
I haling the largest diameters, and those near¬ 
est the center Ihe smallest. The fourth 
stomach or abomasum, commonly called the 
Reed or Rennet stomach, invariably shows 
marks of the disease. The folds show more 
or less of gastritis, especially on their upper 
portions; here and there the sip'lact* js broken, 
and clots of blood fill the cavities; the lower 
portion of this stomach, near the pyloric 
orifice, is covered with ulcerations. We have 
seen an ulcer, irregular in outline, measuring 
two inches in length and one inch in breadth. 
These ulcers had entirely eaten a way Ihe 
epithelial and mucous coats, and were cor¬ 
roding the muscular coat. We have never 
seen the muscular coat, perforated, but it has 
been found in this condition by others. 
Bowels. —Patches of inflammation arc scat¬ 
tered through the bowels; though Peers 
glands are never injured as in typhus, the 
bottom of the caecum is deeply injected. 
Large red points are collected into transverse 
bands in the ileum; longitudinal red stripes 
about an inch apart, are found in the rectum. 
The kidneys arc frequently healthy in appear 
mice, but sometimes are engorged, mottled, 
and when cut into, the cortical tissue is studded 
with bloody puncta, and is so much softened 
as to break down readily under the finger. 
The brain is generally found to be more or 
less softened at the base, and sometimes the 
softening extends throughout the entire mass. 
The superficial blood vessels are often found 
very much engorged, though they sometimes 
appear quite natural. 
Gauae of the Disease. 
When the blood of an animal that has died 
of this disease is examined through a micro¬ 
scope, small, dark dots arc seen in it; these 
points grow and appear as kidney-shaped 
cells; a still farther growth enlarges the cell, 
and two nuclei are now seen in it. in one 
case we have seen these cells considerably 
enlarged, and with five distinct nuclei. This 
is the highest development that has ever been 
seen within the body. If these cells arc now 
removed from the blood and planted on a 
cut apple, the rind of a lemon, or other anal¬ 
ogous body, and kept at a temperature of 
ninety-eight, degrees, Fahrenheit, it will grow 
and develop a cryptogamic plant, the genus 
and species of which can he botanically de¬ 
termined. This has been done and the plant 
bus been determined by competent botanical 
authority to be Tillttia caries. The dots or 
cells of which we have been speaking of are 
therefore the spores of the plant. 
It is certain that in the blood of every ani¬ 
mal w here these spores are developed and 
grow, there is always a change in the aspect 
of the blood corpuscles; instead of being cir¬ 
cular with a clear and well defined edge, the 
outline is cremated, or appears like saw-tooth." 
The substance of the corpuscles is wasted 
more and more front day to day; at length 
they look like a semicircle with a jagged 
chord, then they become lunated, looking like 
a new moon, and finally the. corpuscle disap¬ 
pears altogether. 
If blood containing these growing spores 
is examined chemically, we find that it 
changes in its composition from day to day. 
The proportion of water constantly increases, 
and the proportion of fihrine ns constantly 
diminishes. The Texan cattle disease is 
therefore a blood disease in its essence; the 
other morbid appearances in it are produced 
by the deficiency of the vitalizing and nutri¬ 
tive qualities of t he blood. Thus far we have 
stated facts about w hich there eau be no con¬ 
troversy, without any admixture of theory 
whatever. 
We think that almost every one will be 
ready to admit that the growing spores and 
the destroyed blood corpuscles are related to 
each other as cause and effect. Probably the 
spore grows by assimilating the substance of 
the corpuscle. It is well set t led that the yeast 
plant grows by assimilating to its own sub¬ 
stance the sugar in the solution, and then 
throws out alcohol as tin excrement. Whether 
the TiUelia, after consuming the blood cor¬ 
puscle, throws out a poisonous excrement, 
like the .yeast plant, is not yet ascertained, 
hut we have little doubt that the disease is 
engendered in one of these ways, or in both 
of them.—[To he continued. 
- 4 - 4 >- 
Tim Texas ('ntttc Law of Illinois lius been de¬ 
clared constitutional by the courts. II prohibits 
the introduction of Texan cattle in that Stale 
and provides pain* and penalties therefor, and 
that parties introducing this stock shall pay 
all damages resulting therefrom. Wo are in¬ 
formed that, numerous suits and indictments are 
resulting in Champaign Co., •where there was 
great loss among the native herds the past season 
in consequence of such introduction. Our in¬ 
formant doubts if these suits succeed, from want 
of technical proof. 
