North American. [volume] (Swanton, Vt.) 1839-1841, 1839-05-08
AGRICULTURAL.
w HEAT.
Important discovery and RENE
du for Veil.

1
In order TO prepare the soil tor g,fod
crop of wheat, very much is dependedon
ploughing, as well as manurng the ground.
A few wears since, made the experiment
by pIoughing a small piece OF ground ,'ur
or five times, before sowed on 1t one pick
Of bearded wheat, and when the wheat was
grown about four or five inches high.
sowed half bushel Of Stacked lime or phs-
ter well mixed upon the wheat, early in
the morning, while the dew was on,whch
gave it white appearance for few follow
ing days. 1t soon changed to dark lively
green, and grew iree y and filled we'll so
that it produced seven bushels OF good
wheat, clean from smut and almost every
thing else but wheat, and that OF an excel
lept quality. But on three bushels sowing
in the ordinary way oil ploughing but once
in the spring, and sowing no plaster nor
lime, got about twelve bushels to one
bushel sowing.
The last Spring (1S3S)I sowed ten lush
els lacking four quarts of wheat, Of which
one bushel and twelve quarts was what IS
called Tea wheat, hall bushel was the
old red bearded wheat, and all the residue
of the seed was what goes by the name Of
the Black Sea wheat. About three acres
Of ground was pasture land, the rest was
tiIlage, which the year before was well ma
nured, and produced corn and potatoes, ex-
cept the pasture land, Of which part was
planted with corn and part with potatoes,
and had no manure at all, and was badly
hoed on account Of being very hard and
rocky; but was ploughed in the fall and
three times in the spring before sowing
The other old ground was ploughed twice
IN the spring before sowing. The wheat
was all washed clean and drained OF the
water. Then | added the equal quantity OF
lime and plaster, as much as would stick
to it, and sowed four bushels and half Of
clean seed, (meaning before prepared in
lime and plaster,) upon three acres Of pas
ture land Of Black Sea wheat and sowed
three bushels and half of Black Sea wheat
prepared in the above mentioned way, up
on about one acre & fve-eights Of ground !;
and the one bushel and twelve quarts of
Tea wheat prepared and sowed as above,
upon one acre and one-eight of an acre of
land and the hall bushel Of red bearded
wheat was prepared and sowed as above,
on about one IA acre Of land. The Tea
wheat and Black Sea wheat upon the old
ground were sowed on the thirteenth and
fourteenth days Of April the half bushel
Of red bearded wheat was sowed about The
middle Of May; the four and half bushels
upon the pasture land, on the 30th dag of
May; and upon this piece Of pasture land
| sowed mixed lime and plaster about four
bushels, when the wheat was about one
foot high.
j On the first day of July. discovered a
few of the yeIowish flies, or what are cali
ed wevils, at or a little before sunset and
finding them to be very active, felt desi-
, rous to find out how they performed SO
much mischief. SO put on my glasses
and saw them climb up the head Of wheat,
, and when at the upper part of the hull
which covers the kernel when grown would
make small stay, putting their tail OF
, sting under the upper edge of the huh,
while to appearance the fly would push
= back, and that instant ffutlering the wings
5 making stop but few seconds, and then
Fastening towards the top of the head, ma
= king his short intervals at the upper par,
D OF each hull as he passed upward. Upor
1 the second day there was a considerable
S increase ofthese flies upon the wheat head.
: early in the morning, and again toward.
e evening, busly performing in the same man
: ner as on the first appearance. The thirt
: day they had much increased from wha
a they were the day befole and having
r heard that lime sown upon the whea
n would be Of service. Immediately threw
on about one bushel Of Stacked lime upol
e the wheat while it was wet with dew, upol
!. about half an acre of the wheat. Tn
8 fourth day morning, again visited thi
, piece of wheat where | sowed the lime
o and upon a careful examination, | foun,
/ but one wevil or fly upon the wheat, unit
l. | came where had sowed no lime, where
), TO my surprise, | believe there were as ma
ny as dozen Of those yelowisIi flies upo
e every head Of wheat. This discovery eau