Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1854-09-29

no part of our extended country,
with all its variation Of climate and
diversity Of soil, have so good crops
oil wheat been raised as England
From Maine west to Iowa, and from
Virginia north to Michigan, we think
there has been no tract OF country
that has produced on the average as
much wheat in quantity, as in some
OF the wheat counties in England,
Kent Tor instance. In Mr.. Colman's
book on European Agriculture,
though he says that in some stalisti-
cal works 20 bushels have been put
down as the average, and though
there are persons who insist that it
should be put lower, yet he could
never find the farmer who would
allow his own yield to be at the low
rate. He says that under good cul-
tivation he has rarely known it less
than 81 bushels. He has found it
40,-and is informed on the very
best authority that the yield is often
from SO to 81. Indeed, he reports
instances greatly exceeding that,
where it appeared that 81 and DO
bushels were Severely raised by Mr..
Barclay, M. P. and a Kenlish farm
laborer represented that about 35 or
40 bushels are raised there, as an av-
erage crop. We believe our best
wheat crops have been in Michigan,
and in some parts of Wisconsin,
Iowa, and Northern illinois. But
the average in the best of these
would not come up 10 the Kent
county standard as we have stated
it. la Virginia, it is greatly below
II.
As we have such variety OF eli
mate in the wheat-growlng districts
our shortcomings must be attributed
to one of two causes, soil or seed.-
There are two principal requisites in
soil, for wheat. According to the
opinion of most farmers, the soil
should be rather a stiff, tenacious,
clayey soil, and not mellow, light, or
loose. We think it should not be
too rich also. In a mellow, light.
rich soil, it makes straw at the ex-
pense of the grain. But the main
requisite in the soil for alimeui of The
plant, is phosphate of lime. TO
this condition or to the seed, or to
both, the greatest success in Eng
land, III wheat growing, is to be
attributed. England is limestone
country, and the farmers use bone
manure, which furnishes the phosh-
pate of lime on their fields. The
most of the western wheat growing
lands are in a limestone country, but
the soil is too light and mellow, favor
ing straw too much. So much for
The soil. Now every farmer knows
that there is a great difference in
the measure Of different kinds of
wheat grown on given number of
stalks. In some kinds the kernel
or berry is larger and heavier, and
in some kinds, there are a greater
number of kernels 10 an ear, than in
other varieties. Let the best kind
be selected, that which is of the best
quality, and bearing the largest ears,
the Kent county wheat if it may be
procured, or some other productive
variety and let il be sown in sufficient
quantity, (our farmers do not seed
so heavy as the English, our rule
being II to Il bus. to the acre, the
English 2 to 24) on a tenacious,
stiff soil, not too rich, only in good
heart, supplying to the ground
those articles which make the con-
stltutents of the plant, and if TALL,
sowing, on northern declivity,
early in September and we cannot
but think the product will be mater
tally increased.
AS to seed, the Siberian wheat is
much approved on some of the
wheat farms in Iowa. Others use
what they call the Ohio white, a
bald wheat with white husk. In
other paris. the variety known as
Club wheat, having the kernel set
horizontally on short ears, is prefer
red, for the reason that it is there
considered not liable to the rust,
which has greatly shortened the
crops of other varieties. The Win
ter Blue Stem is also raised with
success, even on quite light lands,
inclined to sand.
Mr.. Colman names several varie-
ties raised in England, and their
product in certain fields as follows
Essex Brown, rate 40 bus. "a lbs. per bus.
Sur Brown rate 80 bus. GA
lrownl calPd clover, rate i0b634
Snow drop, White,rate 30 busd3 .
Burwell Brown, rate As bus 60
Wilmington White, rate 35b 62 +"
w. Miles, Esq, raised as bus,
AZ bus, : pecks, Al bush, 50 bus,
3 pecks, and 40 bu.
p. Pusey, 3I4, 454, All bushels.
Samples of the whole field. w. l..
Kidd, NJ. d., Of Armagh, Ireland,
obtained at the rate of so bus. of 62
lbs. per acre, and there were larger
crops in his neighborhood. The
wheat was red wheat. Quality such
as to command the highest price,
The soil was stiff clay recumbent
on limestone.
Mr.. Gotham mentions other pro-
ducts in other counties coming up to
these rates. In Worcestershire, the
product on several acres was from
Sc TO 40 bus. weight from 30 TO fi2A