Hannibal journal. (Hannibal, Mo.) 1852-1853, 1852-11-04
WHEAT, CHESS. SMUT. ETC.

| lUeTC lluS OteH 50 muCn Salu alreauy In re-
gard to wheat producing chess, that would not
trouble you with any views of mine, in relation
to this very important topic, were it not that |
have seen in your paper, communication,
written by Agricola, who seems to denounce the
opinion of many, that wheat will degenerate
into chess as being mere theoretical assump-
tion, and not the resutof practical experiences
but to believe that Wheat, or any other grain
when sown, will produce entirely different
species, is thing that very few persons would
be willing to do, had they not some practical
evidence Of the fact; and why is it that so many
farmers do believe, and are convinced, that
wheat will produce chess? Because they have
proven the fact by experience; they know that
they have sown wheat entirely free from chess,
and have found, in harvesting the same, that
their crop was filled with it. From whence did
it originate? Was it particles of earth that veg
etated and produced this chess, or was it sent
with the rain from the clouds? II we deny that
wheat will produce it we have no other alternative
bat TO believe that it is produced by some SUI
pernaiurai agency, where the land was free from,
chess the preceding year.
Again, we see that where wheat has been
cropped by the fowls or stock, during the win
ter, we have luxuriant crop Of chess, while on
other parts of the same field there is none to be
found; and again, where the wheat has been
Iwinter-klled, chess will appear in abundance,
and none can be seen where the wheat escaped
Iwinter-killing. These are undeniable facts,
and facts which deem sufficient to convince
the most skeptical that wheat will produce chess
II do not pretend to deny that chess will germi-
nate. l believe that it will.
We cannot in the face Of so many facts deny
that wheat will produce chess; yet there are
few amongst us who are philosophical enough
to account for the why and wherefore of this
Idegeneracy. still we know it 10 be fact, and
therefore we believe it.
Another very important topic is being agita-
ted among the farmers, relative to harvesting
wheat which wish to touch upon. 1t has been
ascertained by some that the proper time 10 cut
wheat, is before it is properly mature, that is,
while it is in what is called the dough state. -
Their motive in cutting wheat at this stage
of maturity, believe, is TO have fairer -four
believe that it will, when cut on the green Or
der, make farer -four than when permitted to
stand until properly matured, but the quantity
will not be equal. | have :ound, by weighing
the grains, that seventy-fve we'll matured grains
lis equivalent to one hundred and twenty that
were cut while in the dough state, both being ta-
ken from the same field; the ripe ones being
procured from those heads, which by chance,
were permitted tu stand after tho other was
harvested Now, when there is SO much differ
ence in the weight of such small quantities,
what will be the comparative weight in bushel
of each. 1t is evident that the loss which the
farmer saStains, by not permitting his wheat TO
Iripen before harvesting, is very great; and,
when wheat is cut green, it does not do well
for seed as the grains become shrivelled, and it
is by sowing these defective grains, that our
crops are 20 frequently polluted with smut; for
find that by sleeping the seed, previous TO
sowing, and removing all such grains as will
float, there will be very little, if any smut in the
wheat when harvested.
1t is custom among farmers generally, in
this section, TO soak their wheat in blue-s;one,
previous 10 sowing it, to prevent the production
of smut. Whether the bluestone has any agency
in preventing the growth of smut know not,
/ but, am inclined to think that the greater vir-
tue consists in the removal, by swimming, Of
those defective grains, which, if sown, will in
variably produce Smut.-Dollar Newspaper