Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1819-10-26
RICHMOND, OCTOBER 26.


hlNilMOND, W iOBER 70.
TO Dr.. John adams, Secretary of he Ag1i-
cultural Society IF Virginia.
SIR-Wiili view To extend the know
ledge OF lime as valuable remedy for
preventing The smut in wheat, The follow
ing statement OF lis experimental effects,
i addressed 10 the society at Richmond,
for The improvement Of agriculture.
In The year 1917, nv crop, for the first
Tine, was seriously injured by this disas-
Ter. In order 10 obviate future conse-
qnenccS OF The kind, adopted the COM
mon plan OF exchanging seed The ensuing
season. lew bushels, however, ot the
detective wheat WAS sowed principally as
AN experiment. The result MAS that
reaped crop from the changed seed I'm
1918 clear OF injury except very small
portion that appeared in one spot, while
the product from The diseased wheat was
vastly more injured iiran the preceding
crop.
Finding the expedient of chaaging seed
promised but doubtful exemption from
The effect, determined in the iall of 1918.
on making an experiment Of the use of
lime, IN order 10 counteraci il. ] had
learned that II had been practised 10 great
advantage IN Great Britain, and upou
further enquiry, found that Thomas NJ.
Randolph and other gentlemen of Ire
county oil Albrmar!e, had made decided
experiments III favor Of IFS efficacy. |
accordingly measured FIVE bushels Of the
wheat Just mentioned 10 have been great
lv injured. The proportion of smn,ty
grams at This time appeared 10 amount 10
one tenth, though probably that was not
more than half of what il contained when
reaped. ! soaked il 10 or Is hours in
lime, when II was taken out aud immedi.
aiely rolled in Stacked lime in a quantity
sufficient 10 give the appearance of entire
whl,eness TO the whole mass Owing 10
some accidental cause, it lay in this stu
alton several days before If was commit
ted to the earth, by which time il had
become nearly dry. II might probably
arise from this circumstance that very
little inconvenience tO the hand was
experienced III sowing it ami if The
opinion be true that the defecf is propa-
g"sed through the medium ofa contagious
influence contained in the particles of
smut, IL might also contribute 10 the sue
cess OF the experiment, as the lime lay
longer IN contact with The surface of the
gram before II vas sowed, and must have
formed an encrusiment less liable 10 be
separated by falling on the ground in the
act OF seeding AT the approach of liar
vesf, examination of the effect was made
ana several times repeated with minute
attention. One solitary head only has
ever been found in the product of the
wheat thus prepared. A land immedi-
a'ely adjoining the last one, 10 which the
limcd wheat extended, was sowed for the
sake OF making fair experiment with
fhe same seed unlimed. This was literally
ruined lie proportion of defective heads
beng by the most impartial mode of
estimate that could be devised, exactly
Two 10 one sound one. When il is consi
dered with what facility whea, and every
other kind of small grain becomes scat
tered over the land, il seems quite as;rea
sonable 10 conclude that The seed of
which the injured head found in the linn
Ell wheat was The product goi there by
some accident, as that the lime failed OF
producing the same effect in that single
instance that il had on the whole five
bushels. II may perhaps be found in the
course oil further experience thai rich
sou contains some property more favOra-
BILE 10 the production of the smut Than
one of lean fertility such al least seems
TO be the bearing Of several facts tina,
have come under my Observations. This
point OF The subject claims the attention
OF sucl, as have an opportunity 10 extend
experiments and talent 10 illustrate their
operation AMI results.
| am aware that few Instances are
reported in which the lime has been I'D.
Piled without the appearance of any
advantage but in every case have
beard Of (and there are only two) there
is much reason to doubt iihtr the quality
OF the lime or the correctness OF The
mode i'll which il vas used.
w. ii. PEASANTS.
GOOehLand, Oh Do. 1919.