Rutland herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1823-1847, 1841-12-14
From the W. Watch-en & Stat Journal.
WHEAT

Messrs Edifors:--It may be of some benefit TO
the agricultural interest OF our State If you will lay
the following extract from The Complete Farmer,
before your readers II has been laid down rs n set.
tied maxim by political economists that It is ruinous
to our agricultural country to be dependant ON anoth
cr country for its brcads,us and think If Vermont
is be drained of It's cash year after year. II has
been for the past few years for western -four we shall
vet experience the truth Of the maxim There rs no
other agricultural product which will compensate for
the want ofthis The proceeds OF our grea, staple
WOOL will be consumed for the purchase Of -four
IN ordinary years, and If by any casually that staple
fails the market is destroyed, must still have
-four for who can live without that and -four is al
ways n cash article But if our hreadsufs can be
raised within own borders, are then indopon-
dent, and the nvas of our wool our dairy. our hcci
and porl, viii be increasing ia, wealth Of oar state
| | know that our farmers have m" with discourage.
mcnts in raising WI AZ: bat Jet us not despair Las
year those who so, 1 roapod an abundan, harvest
and by continuing TO make experiments and collect
the experience Of others may yet be able TO raise
| good wheat IN Vermont year in and year out A
geological survey viii doubtless be a very great aid
as it has been IN England and other countries by
enabling the farmer to serc, the best soils and pre-.
pare in the best manner for raising this invaluable
crop J II +.
4 at IS well known that our lands, where the soil
is at all suitable, will produce good crops Of wheat
when first cleared from Their native growth ofwood ;
but after having been TILED for some years they gen.
orally yield wheat with difficulty and il is often
found impossible 10 raise !, by any Of the modes com.
monty adopted for wheat culture Ia most parts Of
, Massachusetts and in parts Of New Iiamp-
shire and Vermont, the farmers scarcely attempt
to raise wheat and still more rarely succeed when
they do attempt II Yet we believe, wheat "a
{ common and profitable crop in those places IN the
early period Of their settlement In process Of time,
4 however, the land became exhausted Of Us wheat
T. bearing qualities, and farmers were forced near
ly TO forget is cultivation The same variations and
Appearances have been observed also IN Europe -
9 Wheat countries by continued cultivation have he
u come almost incapable Of Welding wheat The
cause and remedy Of partial barrenncs this falling
d off with regard to particular plants, was alike IN
volved IN obscury, I'LL modern chemistry threw
light on the suhloc, II has been found thai the tex
ture Of every soil s defective unless there is a mix
;, ture f,hree kinds Of earth, viz clay sand and ime
y and that lime in Of is combinations exists IN
u, wheat, both in straw and in the kernel In cone
soils fertile in other respects lime may either have
If existence found IN very minute portions and ~
soon exhausted Ifime be necessary constituent
., Of wheat and is no, in the soil when atemp Il
raise wheat It must b. supplied by art or wheat wil
not grow Or If native lime exists IN the soi il
small quantities the land may bear whca, until IN
land u exhausted and then become ncapabe Of pro
ducinp the plant I'LL fresh supply Of lime mari
" puveriZod bones or some other cnlcarons aifstnnc
. is addcd Mr. Young says I, cannot b. denied, tina
= since the p'n'iiul Of lime has been ndoTscd lam
~ IN Europe viii produce wheat which o,herwis
were incapable of hcaring H. and he quoted severn
" instances IN proof Of this operation DR. Anderso
u hke,yise givcs an account Of a field, which had
i top dressing Of lime for the purpose d raising when
= bu the lino by accident was no, applied 70 a srna
!, patch Of the field and m that patch there was n
u crop while every part Of the field which the lin
u wa. applied produced wheat luHuriauily II woul
' be- easy 90 produc" many ins'nnces 70 show nh
lime IN Grtai Britain il consdertd no Only uscf
~ bui indispensable Tor the production - wh"~'
- British farmer believe mrely md rake ~ rai'
W Wheai trifIop, the usr n lime rnd an Ameries
." arner a. rarely rnde-'ak's 10 rnise with he VI
w u that slletan-e ~ manure
nthe foregoing premises correct, would NJ
W. seem impossible and indeed scarcely unprolabl
~ that by the jud eous Of lime Gbef eaiearor
- srii,s'anrfs wheat may be- well raised IN Ney
'o England IN the western Slatfs The subject
certainly Of very great importance and deserver y
~ peaied e1perimsnis
Hon n " Thompson a Wing member u Co
--.- In. t. g.r,o~i .,,aupr.t "a g.