Massachusetts spy and Worcester advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1823-1825, 1823-09-24
AQrtcnItmraI.
From the New England Farmer.


Mr.. EDIToR.-With much pleasure
and interest perused an article in your
paper No, 48, taken from the Massa-
cbusetts Agricultural Repository for
June, 1923, on " Sleeps for seeds previous
to sowing" The writer of that article
Every properly conceive) questions
their possessing any f'ucti fling property,
yet as he has placed little or no merit
to their credit, and as have made use
of some of them for several years past
to advantage, | am induced TO detail
some facts respecting their utility as an
antsdote rather than aItment.
The present season before planting
my corn, the seed was soaked in a strong
salt petre pickle (the same my hams
were cured in) for about three days.
have made this my practise for several
years past, as a safeguard against the
attacks ofthe zUire z0osm, which as every
farmer knows, are more deadly than
any other of the worm tribe, on corn, as
they sap the very foundation, by d.
rectly eating into the germ or chit of
the seed. 1t so happened that immedi-
ately after planting, a heavy rain Of
twenty-four hours laid many parts of the
field under water for several DAYS.
When the ground became sufficiently
dry to puiverize, | prepared to repIant,
when to my establishment | discovered
the sprouts forcing their way through
the crust now formed over them. Had
not the seed been soaked in brine, pu-
trefaction would have commenced be-
fore vegetation could have ensued. The
last mentioned circumstance consider
of sufficient importance to urge the use
of the brine, both with corn and wheat
before sowing.-Although the field was
literally full of the qpire germ, yet in no
instance did detect their rayages on
the seeds
My experience in the use of sleeps
for seed wheat before sowing, has also
impressed the belief in their (Iye from
wood ashes OF lime water value as an
antidote against the smut. Several wears
since | sowed my wheat with no other
precaution,-the appearance Of the seed
being excellent-than a slight washing
with water; the result at harvest. al
though an excellent year for wheat in
Massachusetts,, was almost seven-eighths
OF the crop smutty; of course of no
use but for very bad fodder, whilst my
neighbors, who sowed the same kind Of
wheat, but took the precaution of lining,
had fine crops.t
Since the before mentioned year. |
have made use of lime or I've, and in no
instance suffered by smut, except the
.N'elle Cor blasD of the French, which
appears to be disease taken in with the
food of the plant, as the ear on bursting
from its prison, exhibits jet-black ap.
pearance, composed of dust not very
unlike that contained in the kernel Of
smutty wheat.
On inspecting the roots fmany of the
diseased plants, discovered in i9-20ths
of their number, pieces of charcoal ad-
herring to the feeders, or lateral roots.
! found none at the roots of the healthy
stalks. If this on further trial, should
prove to be the source of the disease,
the only advantage to be derived from
the discovery, will be to desist from the
use of ashes, unless sifted, on our wheat
v The copper head nearly extirpate by
ploughing deep, just as winter is setting in,
which has however little or no effect on the
lotre 1CoTa.
The testimony of NJ. Tile, M. Du Hamel,
MIR. Tull, Arthur Young, and an able writer
in the Massachusetts, Repository for July,
1918, over the signature Of senex. NAV be
considered as almost r.nncI,,sira or, ,h;a n,,L