Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1843-08-04
AGRICULTURAL.
A SUGGESTION

We loy before our readers some experiments which
have been made England, upon the best time for
renpng wheat. IL these results shonld he confirmed
by ad, ouate experiments the United States, they
vii, prove very interesting If II be true, that 1t IS
best to reap weeks indeed, at any tine before
il be perfectly rps-if the wheat thus cut produces
more -four, this alone will b. decided advantage -
But much more is calculated to AVOID The worst e
fects of rus al critical period OF the gram We
hone then the experiments will be duly repeated at the
very next harvest IN Virginia As general remark,
we would respectfully recommends greater disposition
to make experiments in Agriculture. We would not
have them conducted upon any large scale any great
hazard of losing time, land, and labor. Let them be
conducted on small SCALE but with great attention and
great judgment For instance on large farms, why may
not single acre be carefully measured off, and then
divided into four Ave equal sections and be seeded
at the same time, and one SECTION reaped within a
month of the probable maturity of the grain-a
cond. within three weeks-a third, within two weeks
"a fourth one week-and the filth, when the grain Is
thus duly the result series of expe
riments carefully conducted upon system, aud with an
eye to the end IN uiesa would soon settle The problem OF
the time OF reapng Let other farmers try the experi
ment always upon small scale with cheat, speit,
&c, by SOWING the seeds Of the cheat, &c. aud also
the withered grams of wheat, &c THIS matter IS
brought back TO notice by an article IN the last
Fredericksburg .Rpcorder," from j. l.. c., of Stat
ford county, who rema upon the articles which have
appeared in this paper, &c embracing the letter OF
Mr. G. B. Smith, and yet contends, that cheat IS no.
thing but degenerate wheat He states, for example,
that this land, every spot where the wheat was
shocked last year. heavy growth OF cheat has put up,
to the exclusion of every thing else | have been
cutivator Of the soil Tor upwards of twenty years, and
although d. pretend 10 have sufficient scentfca
or even practical knowledge of the origin produc
ton Of the various species OF the vegetable kingdom,
to express opinion on the snbect-yet, nolWith
standing the great weight TO which the opinions shove
mentioned entitled, the circumstance alluded to,
inones TO the belief, ,ha the cheat, (as we call ~
is produced by the wheats having degenerated, from
some cause other, which | am unable and vii
ling 10 attempt explain Another Circumstance
winch goes 10 strengthen this belief is that around the
straw, where this wheat mach,ned, and amongst
which there very little, If any cheat, The growth
OF cheat in proportion 10 that OF wheat twenty TO
one" Now, why not settle The question at once, by
judicous, careful, and economical experimenting En-
quirer
From the Adrian, Michigan, Wachtowor, of July 20)
We publish the annexed article from the Xenia
Torch Light, cnntcin,ng mnch valuable information
the Farmer, which IS very appropriate az the present
time. We noticed during short ride through the
country in the early part Of The present week. that
ny already cutting their wheat, and doubt not
that the yield will show, that they have proved
in their calculation:
CUTTING WHEAT-PRoPER TIME.
Our friend, Thomas Rough. Esq, President Of the
Greene County Agricultural Society, has loaned US
copy of the Albany Cultvator, which find a va
luable article on tn subject of cutting wheat.
II appears from this article, that j Hannah, Esq,
farmer Of Yorkshire, England, made experiment
IN cutting wheat by reapnG q; five different tunes from
the crop u,th the following results the time
of cutting, and value Of the produce Of an acre. which
he sets down at twenty. EIGHT bushels
No. was cut month before fully ripe
No. 2 was CUT 3 weeks fore fully ripe.
No 3 was cot 9
No was cut2 days " Z"
No. cut when ripe.
Taking one hundred pounds of The grain, he found
it yielded -four, lbs, us follows: