Western union. (City of Hannibal, Mo.) 1850-1851, 1850-11-07
THE FARMER.
AN ESSAY

which Premium Of Ten Dollars was .
Awarded by the last Michigan State |.
Fair. !
III reviewing the last twenty ycars In Waste 8
nav county aud the State OF Michigan in re- &
gard to tho culture Of wheat, We are astonished i
10 see the difference that appeared from year to
year in the staple product Of our county !
When the western pioneers fret arrived IN the u
new State Of Michigan, it was but little hou-
BILE TO cultivate and realize good crop OF
wheat, aud in particular the fret crop on new
land. | have cultivated wheat for three SUE
cessiys crop. or new ground. and the last crop
would be as good as tho first with tho excep-
ton Of there being little more chess. Now,
a. 10 the land which has been in tillage for the
last twenty years, farmers have received but
lille encouragement the last year in their crops
Of wheat; and tina, will probably be the case
for many years to come, If we cannct find some
means 10 prevent the many evils to which the
crop is liable.
The first evil 10 a small fly, known by the
name Of the Hessian hy. 1t is said by many
growers in this and other countries, that this
fly lays its eggs in the fall Of the year, in the
the roots OF the young wheat-the next year
this egg ha.ches aud destroys whole field. Of
wheat. but on new land we generally harvest
good crops, without being troubled with This
fly the first or second year. Why is it? The
land? in its newly cleaned state has IN il proper.
ties that insure a crop Of wheat. What are
thsyP In my opinion, the first property is
lime, and the second is vegetable matter. And
why does the fly comm, it. depreciation on old
ls.d, will answer that the old land having
been TILED for length Of :me, loses its prop.
critics to endure good crop Of wheat that is
lime and vegetable matter.
Now, propose to the farmers of this coun-
try, and the STATE OF Michigan. that when we
are about to sow wheat, we put our seed whea,
ON a clean barn floor, say five or six bushels at
atme. and put on each bushel Of wheat two
quarts Of lime. unslackel, and quar-: of plas.
ter; and after the wheat aud lime are proper
toned in thu heap pu: on water in sufficient
quantity to make he lime and plaster adhere
TO tho wheat, and stir it we'll from the bottom
of the heop with sho vel, aud sow immediate.
y; continue TO proportion your seed wheat in
this way, and for plains, il You sow late, SOW
two bushels to the acre, and il for timbered
land, one bushel aud half to the acre is .uili
Client, and you will get crop OF wheat. II the
whea! in the heap should prove 10 be quite hot
by the action O.: tho lime, so mach the better; i.
will have a tendency to destroy the eggs OF tue
fly tina, have probably been deposited in the
furze of the kernel. In pulling up the young
wheat you first discover the roots esten oil, and
sooh turns yellow ahc Cles
The bsst crop OF wheat that have ever har
vested in this country, was six acre lot which
had been seeded to clover. soved the wheat
as directed above, and the crop proved to b'
one Of the best that have ever harvested il
this country, the wheat weighing about sixty
tour pounds TO the bushel, and free from smut
insects, &c. When l neglected TO put lime OF
my seed wheat, together with right propof
ton of pla,tar, | have invariably failed TO pro
duce good crop Of wheat
Wheat that is sown IL autumn Ga clover
lay excepted) should, ms. II Of narrowing, be
covered with shallow ilrro", and the surface
of the ground left rough, tt will be in less dan
ger of being killedby TIL frost in the winter
and less injuredby the dr,iNg winds OF the FOL
lowing spring; the furrows should be- left with
out narrowing for the more uneven the groune
is, the better. the more the soil will be pulver.
lied and mellow by the action OF the frost il
the winter. The reason that shall bring for
ward to establish tho probable fact that tn
Hsssian fly may be deposited in the furze cnt
Of tho whsa. berry, is this Let any per'ul
purchase his summers supply of rice in tn
spring of the year, and keep j, closely en-
veloped from tina to time and about the frs
OF August you will perceive q small dark col
ored worm. about one quarter Of an inch il
length. with dark head and . small web at
tacne0 10 u, lively III Uv motioh! " walks
head in The order oflhe measuring worm OF tn
forest. Now the question is, how did the egg
ofthe worm come in your rice? II appear
that i, i. not an insect Of this country.
Having explained my views with regard I
the ways and means of the Hessan fly, | no,
proceed to give what information is in my row
or to the second injury which attends the farm
or in the cultivation OF wheat which is rust u
mildsw. ltappears that tho rust commence
in jolly al the ZINE of the filling of the Kernt
in the head Of the wheat, when combination
Of heat and moisture brings into action ric
manure, and forces into .he straw, which ha
now finished its growth, more juice than tn
kernel can take M, being already filed out -
These juices burst the stray or pass throup
the natural pores Of the stalk, and when the
juices come to the air, they loose by evapora
ton their thinner parts, become glu'inous all
form he matter called rust or mldew. II ap
pears that the old, red chaff bald wheat is NOR
liable to rust than bearded; especially if tn
land Is in a high state o! cultivation or lo
ground.
The remedies against rust or mew, so f
as have come under my own observation, I,
the last twenty years residence in Wash,ena
county, are, first, cultivuting the hardest sor
OF wheat second early sowing, third, raisu
the Garlies: varieties and on low ground III
wheat ought to be sowed at the ru.e Of two an
half bushels ofsced to tho acre, particularl,
ifthe land is sown late in the season; early "a
the first of September, less seed will un.wc
md it. has proved to be of the utmost cons,
Ouence 10 the farmer TO chanre his send A, n n