Massachusetts spy and Worcester advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1823-1825, 1823-10-08

Io'Soe q cPH ds al MdlUc3 WITHOUT any
covering of snow to protect it and
and where severe cold and sudden
thaws sometimes alternate through the
winter. Twas also informed by gen.
tleman residing on the st. Lawrence, - IN
the State Of New York, that winter
wheat was successfully cultivated in his
neighbourhood, in climate similar to
that of Maine ; although prejudice had
existed there, as it does here, that it
would not bear the severity of our win
tiers.
My first experiment was made about
i've years since, with seed brought from
New Orleans. Having been informed
in the middle States that wheat sown late
was not so liable 10 be injured by the
Hessian fly, as when sown early, l did
not sow mine till October. 1t was sown
on light soil, and in the Spring looked
well. 1t was however struck with rust
before it was ripe and the crop was
very much injured. As the winter had
not lnJuredmy wheat, was not discour-
aged, but have ever since sown wheat
at different periods, between the last of
August and the 10th of October. All
that have sown onlight soil, has looked
well ~ the spring; but what was sown
late, that is, after the middle of Septem-
Der, has been Invariably struck with
rust before it was ripe while. what was
soWn early, has as invariably given
good crop. Most of my experiments
have been made on green sward. After
haying lhave selected a piece of ground,
which required ploughing, and general
ly OF light loan. | have ploughed it
once, and narrowed it twice or thrice,
putting on between the borrowings from
Is to 90 loads of manure to the acre, and
sowing the seed before the last harrow.
ing. l have always fed it in the autumn,
believing, that it would be less likely du-
ring the winter to mould or die, if eat
en- close, than if left long on the ground.
| have found that the lighter the soil,
the less liable was the wheat 10 be de-
stroyed by the winter ) but this is of less
Importance, than at first might be sup
posed; for each remaining root, sending
up from 10 to 90 heads in the spring,
will supply the places of a great many
killed in the winter. One piece, that
raised this season, on rather heavier soil
than had been accustomed to cultivate
with wheat, appeared in May to be two
thirds dead, but when | reaped in July
the ground was nearly covered with
grain and it has yielded probably 90
bushels to the acre. have never accu-
rately measured my ground and crop but
once which was last year, when rails
ed 40 bushels of excellent wheat upon
one acre, 1875 rods of land, being 81
bushels 90 quarts to the acre. This
wheat weighed last autumn from IS to
Sc lbs. the bushel one bushel last
week weighed 63 lbs. having probably
become lighter by drying. A busheI Of
the same wheat gave so lbs. 10 ounces
of flour, the toll having previously been
taken out.
The cultivation of winter wheat is
preferable to that of summer wheat on
a great variety of accounts. 1t is sown,
and the ground prepared, at a season of
much greater leisure. One of the great
est disadvantages of our northern eli
mate is the extreme shortness of our
spring, so that it is difficult for our farm
ers to complete the work which is abso-
lutely necessary to be done, after the
frost is out of the ground, and before
the season of planting is over. If there
fore any work, as the sowing Of wheat,
can be advantageously postponed till the
autumn, it is of great importance. The
winter wheat is less liable to injury from
insects than the summer mine has new
er suffered from them. 1t affords good
fall feed; and the larger quantity of
roots and stubble to be ploughed in make
the land in better state for the next
crop. II will yield larger produce to
the acre. The grain is heavier, and the
same number of pounds will yield lar
ger quantity of flour, and of much SUI
Perior quality. For these reasons, il
cannot be too strongly urged upon the
attention of our farmers. From every
experience, should recommend that
winter wheat should not be sowed later
than the middle of September, that the
soil, on which it is sowed, should be a
light loan, and that about five pecks of
seed be sown to the acre. have also
found the use of plaster on wheat ad-
Vantageous, as also rolling the wheat af-
ter it is we'll up.-Winter wheat might
probably do better after peas and beans
than on green sward. intend trying it
after both, and also after summer fallow.
but have not hitherto done it.
R. Fl. GARDINER.