The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1842-11-10
Frsn ID. Lexington ~. } q Islls.

Fron a. Lsriassoa IVA q Esiis.
Mn. EnTroR: In mr. late communlcs-
zion On the subject Of Rust in What. ]
incidentally designated :. early II Oclo-
bers a the proper lime for so.sing wheat
In This latitude. Such is the oplnicn Of
the most successful wheat growers in The
stale. On the great wheat estates in low
er Virginia. the wheat crop is pitched. IL
practicable. beiweea The 10th and 25ih
October. Allowing Cor the difference in
climate, ten DAYS or i~o weeks earlier,
that is about The first Of The month, would
be corresponding period in the Valley
of Virginia. In fixing this period for
seeding wheat. the chief object seems 10
have been 70 guard against the destructive
dcpredalions Of the Hessian hy, which,
!; is well known. deposites It's eggs on
the growing wheat. chiefly before the hard
frosls set 10. Before the HessiaR ay in
vaded our country in l776. and even al .
later period. down 10 about tbs year 1900.
when. as am informed. il first made lis
appearance in Rockhfidge, il was the
common practice of our farmers, under
the old fa'iow system. TO SOW their fallow
fields with wheat the last Of August or
the first of Sepiember-and excellent
crops they made. Corn ground was Of
course seeded somewhat later. The
wheat farmer has now two enemies to
fight, one in front and the other in rear.
il he sows very early, he encounters the
fly; If very late, the rust. To hit the
very nick Of lime. Ia avoid both evils in
the greatest possible degree, requires the
incest practical Judgment. Much will
depend on the situation Of the land. II,
from the proximity of my land to water
courses. and the consequent prevalence
of dense fogs; or If. from its low and hu>
mid situation, il was particularly liable 10
the attacks Of rust. | wonld SOW the last
ofAugust and the FIRST Of September. II,
on the other hand, from the elevation,
dryness. and peculiar character Of my
land, had little to spprehend from rust.
! would SOW early in October. IL ii was
equally liable to both evils, | would select
q middle period, say the middle Of Sep
fember. In series Of wears. il will be
found far better to COW early than late,
though late wheat may occasionally yield
the best crops. farmer must lay down
general rules, and adhere to them inaexi-
bly,. in spite Of any accidental exceptions
90 which they may be subject. Wo be
10 him. il he POUNDS bis common practice
on those rare exceptions which exist to
NIL general rules. ...-
The best Geld OF wheat made in my
neighborhood last harvest, was sowed
early in September; and il 10 a common
remark among farmers that, with few ex-
ceptions, the only good wheat r:ade this
year. throughout large portioH of the
Unitel States. was from early sowing.
The following extract is from al address
before the Kanawha Agricultural Society,
by Gen. Peter II. Steinbergen:
"Some experiments were made last
year by Mr.. M'Mullin, member of our
society, with view Of ascertaining the
best period for seed wheat. A part OF
his crop was sown on the LIST day of Au-
gust. another part in September, and the
balance in October. The product has
proved very different. The first sown
entirely escaped the rust, the straw unu-
sualIy bright and clean. the grain full and
plump, equal to any produced in our best
seasons-second time of sowing succeed
ed next, and the last materially injured
by nst."
In the Genessee valley, New York.
where they sometimes make so and 60
bushels of wheat to the acre, they COM
mence seeding about the first Of Septem.
Der.
Another safeguard against rust is to
SOW thick. according to the quality of the
land. On Elk Island, in James River,
peculiarly exposed from its situation to
rust wheat uniformly failed until from .
to bushels were sowed per acre, and |
then the product was from 40 to SO bn-
shells.
| commenced seeding wheat on the
lGh instant. CSep.1 and mean to push
ahead until get through, which will be,
Ihope, by the first of October. My land,
an alluvial soil near the mouth of North
river. is peculiarly exposed to the rava-
ges of the trust. / fear il more than the
ny. A WORKING CLoDHoPPER.