Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1842-10-13
AGRICULTURAL.
From ihs Lsnf,rli, Lanrnal.

'h1 whit may be m some rneas sure pfeyentntiv..
"N' h.s' present TO your consideration some cir
eumSiarces which have occurred under our ob.er
vauon, TO show that 1t IS 70; in the power OF ps
short-Hsbted mortaIs, with our puny arm 20 c n
tend ega!nst the overriding providence Of God.
oVeuItheeS arse which are not IN the power Of
man TO ioresec, goyeIa or control. Ia oon6rmo,io,
OF Tins view OF the subject we present ,h. following
cases.
one OF our farmers had extraordinary piece Of
Whset, which lie thought out OF DANGER u vas so
near ripe. o. very no, day. oe,~een tic hours
VI one ano tor'e O'clock there came a small cloud
wheat. n death-hke stiffness succeeded; the cloud
passed away; the sun shono intensely hot, Thc
owner, IN ths state ofhe case went 10 examine the
"hea'' es was much pressed down by the show
efi ne Immediately observed a continual ticking or
swapping noise in every direction in tho What
4 &c SHAW was hne and bright, but upon eIanloa-
ton he perceived 1t bursting in short sp.its Of n
fourth o. an inch long, and the sap 1dng in thoc-
field was dltkened with rust and In. wheat Of w.
lit1e value IL does not appear that these crcunl
stances take place while the wheat is growing bu,
only al this critical state Of rpeniny
On my neishbor Whites form come vearsk:ne,
Wa'ohe Ct the heaviest pieces OF whes, straw
ever saw, remarkably hne, and rearly ripe. | hid
also coed piece advancing fast TO maturity: on
e'ose warm morning, small cloud of fog arose
rom me meadow and gradually covered the two
heids, but was not q general fog; being very still
Nremalned hoEsrin= the fields until the hot
sun cissIpaied the vdpor. Being acquainted with
the above case, was alarmed for the whea, and
watched over It with deep interest. When The sun
had somewhat dried :he straw, and vatm.d A. iha
straw began 10 burst with continu,l tic king noise
the sap exOd'ng a: oil these lite sllis In day
or two the fields were tlsek with rus: exceo, some
small spots, which are worthy of notice. Az acre
or two OF mine we're 60 rear riDe that III. xbeo,
was tolersby good, and the rust on this Fart Of a
reddish brown. In MIR Whites field there were
some treel which kept the intense hea, of the sun
lrom the straw: there was ioerab.e wheat. also
The res; OF the helds would scarcely pay 70. gath
ering and threshin:.
A question OF importance arises on these two cases.
was tbs injury fungus the very hre SEEDS Of
which float abou; and attach themselves to the straw
Is some o. our learned agricultural writers tell us7
or is It the sap Of the straw that ran out ard vas
dne1 up or the straw, md was reji en- or black nc
corcing 10 It's state OF ripeness fu ness Of sst2
cur COMMITTEES are dec dediy @! the cpinioa that
tire sap being lost at this critical time Of rpenins Is
the true cause Of the shrinking in the grain.
Some Of our most indieiols agricultural writer's
have taught that the leaves Of Indsn corn above
the ear canno; be taken IF c, the ,ne Of ripenins
without detrinlent TO the corn, causing it 70 shrink
IN the grain.
Your Committee made an experiment, on this case.
when the corn was nearly ripe, stripping some
Iows, and leaving ohers, over ssvers, tc-es. AT
masking time Il was evident that, on he rows that
were stripped many OF the ears were considerably
shrunk IN '.s grain, so much to b.. loose on
4 %.
showed none Of those shrive.ied grains thus 81 ~
ing m the most satisfactory nerthe damsge sus-
tanned by removing the leaves above the ears.
Your committee think Ihey fully sustained in
iheir conclusion on the wheat, by the parallel case
OF injury sustained by the corn IN the removal Of
the leaves, which at this critical time have the only
nour!shment 10 sustniu the corn IN rip nns So OF
the wheat straw-the lotion is dead 10 a great De.
gree; but from the UPPER join: 10 the ear is full Of
nouTishment 10 sustain the WHEAT IN rioeoing, and
this ia the part hat suffers he loss Of tap The un-
der part OF the straw is ripe, and passed though
The 'tl'e IN which 1t can suffer oSs, ems we often
ma II bright and tough at the lotion when tie top
Will scarce y make band.
Thee TWO cases fully demonstrate Il @ innos.;-
/ biUy faay management IN the power OF man al.
ways 10 insure crop OF wheat safe against the de.
s'rueuye ELECTS of rust. We, kind Providence
has eit us so many means ny which we may re
duce ts loss, ard IN measure approach 10 this
very desirable security, that hey are worthy Of our
! attentive consideration, and practical experiment
Mlldew and rust ate more common now. than be.
Tore that destructive scourge the Hssslan fy, ep-
peared IN this State. Previous TO that time the
wheat was sown the last OF August. and the irst OF
Sepiember, Uttered largely. obtained great strength
OF roots, and was but l,tle injured by winter fross:
the effect Of which was to produce strong, brisb;
straw with but lew leaves; the consequence Of
which was hu, little mildew and rust.
The fly having totally cut OF the wheat, put the
farmers on many schemes 20 meet this ruinous enc.
my. Among the experiments tired manurins high
just at seed time, and sowing late was much de-
pended on. But disa pponiment frequently followed
from mdew or rust. As the whea, was Often sou
late IN October il ought TO have had thre, bushels Of
! seed 10 the acre, instead Of three pecks or one
bushe the usual quantity then soWn. Being sown
so late, the plants had no time 10 tier or mu'tpiy
and strengthen their roots and stalks; OF course he
winter weakened and thiunel the plants which
made the wheat still later IN the season; and when
! hishly manured the straw was full OF leaves, very
succuleni usually mildeved, and almost certainly
ruste6i OF course crop of small value
At this difficult time Of obtaining a small LOT Of
wheat, one OF your committee in Conversation with
an Englishman who then was q very succes,f,
rliser Of wheat on PENIS Manor fully stated he
difficulties as above narrated. lie considerably re
Piled, that there appeared 10 be two prominent or.
rors in the then practice the manutng 50 late, and
sowing so little seed.
QusstioH-whai injury by late manuring
.fasiesr-Apt TO make The straw very succul.nt
and ull OF leaves.
Q.-What quantities of seen ought 10 be sovo
H.-lncreese the quantity Ill L. fully occup;es
the ground, making Tue straw fne and but f.w
leaves.
This short history Of the difficulty and mems
made use OF 10 OBTAIN small lot Of wheat imme
dintely alter the fly came, your committee thought
might be Of use IN further examining the subject
u shows the progress we have made Of the present
lime IN better cultivation, early manuring ssrIer
sowlrg, and eo1ollng the quantity Of seed sown.
ftrN .dtanS-Ihe means Of prevention; first a
good dry, loamy soil, we'll prepared by cu'tiyation
not too recently manured, that by cultivation there
may he good assimilation OF manure TO soI the
more complete the better Cover the seed ab,ut
Ivo inches deep either with drill or plough that
may have good hold Of The soil and not be ,brosn
out by winter fros;s.
Second Means Quantity Of seed sawn mus, de- /
pend on the judgment Of the araor. Tne strength |
OF the sol, The size OF the grains, &C., must lie IA
Ken into consideration. The grains Of some wheat
arc almost as long again as some others and some
kinds uer more than others: at any rate Iet the
ground be fully occupied, that no weeds or trash
occupy the ground and fl the void sracss between
the wheat, or their places, which will be fun OF
leaves and sap. and, OF course, rust. Such thin
place. by unequil sowing, were observable In
s7me fields this year, by their dingy or rusty np-
pearaucei whereas the rest OF the land sown was
bright and good.
TiHs Of SeioiHg-As early sown wheat produces
The strongest straw ard fewesi leaves and not go
liable 10 bo laid with wet, nor so apt 10 us thrown
out Of ;he ground by winter lrosis, hsl reasons re
commend u as alprevtntive TO rust
AZ wha' particular time wheat ought to be soWp
70 escape both lily and rust s not clsy 10 Sc Gle; hut
should the ~ cease us dcpredatiors cir'y in SEP
iemhcr say iiom The 18Th TO the % h, would be al.
v.sab'o for the reasons assigned aboye. The late
'oWn wheat somelimcs succeeds under p't,i,u NJ
cultivation and soil; ST.! the chances OK linsl 10 are
as ten 10 one
KIND o. WurAr In a former communication
your committee recommended tho Mediterranean
wheat as most safe. Hitherto the dy has not touch.
ei a. IL has the same character az tbc South os we
see by the farmers Rcclsicr-Jcioe un'oucheI /
he c. This s strongly in Ne favor. Il is also less
liable 70 rust than any kind are acquainted With
Hut Other Kinds may offer and uunn lila hr f1rtnd