254 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
brie, but with a more silky appearance. It would ap¬ 
pear that the Chinese grass can be supplied in unlimited 
quantity, and if that should be the case it must be a sub¬ 
ject for congratulation that an article of such large con¬ 
sumption in this country should be presenting itself as 
another exchangeable commodity for our manufacturers, 
the rapidly extending consumption of which throughout 
China seems to be limited only by the means which they 
possess of making a suitable return for them.—Leeds 
Mercury. 
WINTER GRAIN—STEEPS FOR SEED. 
We should be in favor of sowing rye as early in Sep¬ 
tember as practicable; and where there is no danger to 
be feared from the fly, we would observe the same rule 
in regard to wheat. There is a particular reason for 
early sowing rye this season, and that is the advantage it 
will afford for feed to sheep and young stock. The dry 
weather has lessened the hay-crop to a great extent, and 
the supply of grass in pastures must in many cases be 
very small. Rye, if allowed to get good root, may be 
pastured with light stock in the fall, and to some extent 
during winter. In some cases it may even be expedi¬ 
ent to feed in spring. The diminution which results 
to the yield of grain is not equivalent to the advantages 
as pasture. The crop starts very early, and is particu¬ 
larly adapted to the dry lands on which the grass has 
suffered most. Would it not be judicious to sow this 
crop largely, to be used this fall and next spring as a 
substitute for hay and grass? In passing through the 
country, we notice in the barn-yards, and around the 
barns, or sometimes by the road-side, considerable piles 
of manure, exposed to waste by evaporation and washing 
of rains. If some of the fields where the grass is dried 
up were plowed, and all the manure now lying useless, 
was carefully collected and applied to them, a large 
amount of feed might be produced, which would be 
available before much grass would be had next season. 
In the preparation of ground for winter grain, either 
wheat or rye, we doubt the propriety of bringing to the 
surface, the sward, and vegetable matter which had been 
buried but a few weeks before; especially where the soil 
is sufficiently porous and loose. Some tool should be used 
which will sufficiently mellow the soil, without revers¬ 
ing the furrows. A cultivator, if rightly constructed, and 
worked at first mostly lengthwise of the furrows, is found 
to answer a good purpose. 
The preparation of the seed is an important matter. 
The cleanest and heaviest should be sown. If it con¬ 
tain seeds of pernicious plants, they should betaken out. 
It will amply pay to pick over by hand a peck or half bush¬ 
el of wheat, or other grain, to be sown on a spot of good 
clean ground, purposely for seed. Chess, oats, and other 
seeds, lighter than wheat kernels, may be principally 
taken out by putttng the grain in strong brine, a small 
quantity at a time, and stirring it with a stick. The foul 
seeds will rise, and may be skimmed off. When it has 
been finished, it may be put on a floor and dried off, 
or rendered fit for sowing, by mixing with it air slacked 
lime or plaster. Passing the grain slowly through a 
good winnowing mill, will clean it from nearly all the 
small seeds, such as wild pink, wild mustard, and seeds 
of most weeds, as well as the most shrivelled and im¬ 
perfect kernels. 
The various kinds of smut in grain have been well as¬ 
certained to be vegetable parasites of the fungi tribe. 
The species known as Urcdo foetidee, commonly called 
‘‘dust, or pepper brand,” is the most injurious to wheat. 
Its seeds are so minute that they are believed to be taken 
in by the spungioles of the plant, and are with the sap 
carried up the pores into the cavity of the embryo ker¬ 
nel, where the fungus reproduces itself; causing an 
abortion of the grain, and giving in its place a black dust 
of most pungent and disagreeable odor and taste. 
There is no longer any doubt that this substance may 
be eradicated from wheat by means of certain substances 
applied to the seed. So often has this been proved by 
actual experiment, that we “ hold him no longer guilt¬ 
less,” who neglects the application of the remedy. The 
vegetative power of the fungus may be killed by lime, 
ashes, brine, solutions of arsenic, vitriol, &c. We have 
tried nearly all these substances, and give the preference 
to vitriol. Our mode of using it has been as follows: 
Dissolve in hot water two ounces of blue vitriol, (sul¬ 
phate of copper,) for each bushel of wheat; add as much 
water as is necessary to cover the grain, stirring the so¬ 
lution well. Soak the wheat two or three hours, and 
dry it with plaster before sowing. 
In regard to fertilizing steeps, we do not know that 
we can add anything to the suggestions given in our 
May No., page 158, to which we would refer those 
wishing to make experiments of this kind. 
NEW PERIODICAL. 
The Farmer’s Library and Monthly Journal of 
Agriculture. Edited by John S. Skinner. Gree¬ 
ley and M’Elrath, publishers, Tribune Buildings, 
New-York—100 pages, monthly, at $5 per annum. 
We hail with pleasure the re-appearance of Mr. 
Skinner in the editorial chair, and congratulate him as 
well as the public upon the favorable circumstances under 
which he again makes his bow to the friends of Agri¬ 
culture, with all the vigor and enthusiasm of youth. He 
is most fortunate in securing such men as Greeley & 
M’Elrath for his publishers, as their well known enter- 
prize and industry afford abundant assurance that the 
work over which he presides, will be issued in the best 
style, and take its place among the permanent publica¬ 
tions of the day—an assurance highly necessary to the 
success of a work of this character. 
We are much pleased with the plan of The Farmer’s 
Library. Each number consists of two parts, one of 
which is to be devoted to the re-publication of new and 
valuable works on Agriculture—the other to constitute 
the Journal of Agriculture. The first part of the present 
number is occupied with a re-publication of Petzholdt’s 
“ Lectures to Farmers on Agricultural Chemistry,” a 
work issued the last year in London, and which has been 
highly commended by the foreign agricultural press, but 
which we have as yet had no opportunity of examining. 
The Monthly Journal opens with an appropriate and 
interesting biographical notice of the late Hon. Stephen 
Van Rensselaer, of this city, whose labors in behalf 
of’agriculture are well known, accompanied by a well 
executed portrait on steel. This department shows that 
our friend Skinner has lost none of his enthusiasm for the 
cause, or ability to manage a journal of this description. 
Sixteen chapters are devoted to the consideration of va¬ 
rious subjects, such as Deep Plowing—The Value and 
Progress of Agricultural Science—Claims of Agriculture 
on the Business Community—Southern Agriculture, &c., 
together with several pages of miscellaneous matters. 
A lithographic print is given of three of Mr. Gratham’s 
prize South Down wethers, and another of the Silk Plant 
(apparently a species of “ milk-weed,”) from Tripoli. 
GRAPE-VINES ATTACKED BY ROSE-BUGS. 
In our answer in the July No., to an inquiry on this 
subject, we stated that we had not before heard of this 
insect having attacked grape-vines. Our attention has 
been recalled to the subject by a letter from “ H. W. S. 
C.,” of Oatlands, near Burlington, N. J. He remarks 
that his vines suffered from this cause some years since, 
and refers to a remedy given by Dr. Underhill, in the 
Cultivator, vol. 9, page 199, which we had overlooked. 
The remedy recommended by Dr. U., was to go over 
the vines,every morning, and brush the bugs into cups 
containing water. H. W. S. C. thinks he has te found 
out a readier way to kill them. He takes a lillte spirits 
of turpentine, instead of water, in the cup, which he 
says saves the necessity of treading on them, as it kills 
them instantly. “ The next season,” he observes, <•' after 
having practiced this mode, there were certainly net 
half as many insects as the first, and this year there has 
been comparatively none, and my vines are now loaded 
with fruit, with scarce a berry injured by the rose-bugs. 
The fact stated by Dr. Underhill, that the rose-bugs breed 
in the ground, is clearly demonstrated by the following 
fact: I was last summer preparing a heap of compost 
