Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1851-06-12

ass aS BY w. LITTLE. 80
Fifth Annsi Report of. State Board
Of Agriculturs-p. 356-7
.yiIt is a commonly received opinion
in this vicinity, that wheat will turn
into cheat or chess under certain cir
cumstances, as for example. when
the wheat is winter killed or rrinjured
blythe fly or other causes. Although
it may seem presumptuous in one
who has SO little practical kn0wl-
edge as myself. 10 combat this long
settled opinion, vet, regarding as
do all error TO be dangerous, and BE-
Iieving this opinion to be contrary p
all the laws Of nature, | think it but
RIGHT TO saw something about it. l.
IS as settled principle of vegetable
and animal life, that like produces
like consequently that il, you sow
wheat you will reap wheat, if you
sow oats your product will be oais,
and If yoh sow cheat your product
will be chess Now wheat is essen
tiatly different in every particular
from cheat, different in its berry, diff
ferent in Nits stalk as any body can
see by examinations. and therefore
they are in their nature altogether
opposite. Moreover, if wheat pro-
duced cheat under certain circum.
stances, under other circumstances
cheat would produce wheat. This,
believe, is not pretended, although
some of the advocates of that doc
trine contend that if sown, il will
produce timothy, an idea no more
absurd than the other. By this same
class of persons il is also alledged
that cheat will not produce itself, a
2 manifest error which any body can
disprove who will try the expert
ment. The true reason why cheat
is foundiin such large quantities in
some. fields, is that it is either mixed
with the seeditself, or in the earth in
which the wheat is to be sown.-
Sometimes we think we have clean
seed, but examine closely, and almost
always some grains of the filthy
weed are found. Again, when ouI
wheat is cleaned on the barn floor
whatever seed Of cheat may be blown
e from il by the tanning mill is mixed
with the straw, and carried TO the
barn-yard or the stable, where il lies
until spring, and as very few farmer;
take the trouble Of throwing up theil
manure that it may ie ment, but hau
it out directly upon their fields, it re
mains there TO produce its seed ir
due time, and curse their future crops
q Again, when by any of these unhap'
-9py causes, which so often destroy
the hopes Of the farmer, the wheat
crop is injured or destroyed. the
chess plant, which, if surrounded by
strong and healthy wheat plants
would make but a small and feeble
growth, strikes its roots downwards
and brings forth its seed upwards
and spreading itself far and wide.
assumes The place Of its unfortunate
rival. The result OF one seed thus
accidentally dropped would astonish
anyone. m have myself counted rs
stalks each stalk averaging 20 seeds,
making about l,560 seeds from one
single plant; multiply this all ever
& the field, and it is moi hard to tell
where all the chess comes FROM
The remedy is this, clean seed, clean
fields, and well rotted manure; add
TO this deep p ughing and subsoiling,
to prevent winter killing, and my
word Tor it, your wheat will cease
turning to cheat. 1t would be proper
here, perhaps, TO enlarge on the
mode and time Of preparing the land
for the different crops, but as thi;
whole subject was most admirably
: managed in the address or last year
will only refer you 10 ii, and car
assure you that il will repay you fol
the time expended in its perusal.
A MoTHER's PRAYER.-"When
could first remember" said John
Randolph to a friend, al slept in the