The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1857-04-08
BURIAL ya9010lg.
From the American Farmer.


| Ws From the American Farmer.
PREPARATION OF Sedan IMPORTANT
EXPERIMENT.
II Messrs. Editors The arrival of your
useful journal for December, reminds me oI
a promise to send you an account Of an ex-
pertinent, made last year, in growing small
grain.
This, and kindred subjects, have occupied
my attention for many years; and have ex,
perimented, when opportunity permitted, not
with view to excite, or satisfy others, but
merely 10 prove to myself the possibility Of
increasing crops, on all soils, by preparation
Of the seed. The practice Of preparing seed
lis by no means a modern invention. The
learned Blumenbach once remarked to me,
l"what is new is not true, and what is true
is not new" aud this would almost seem Il
literal truth, for often. on investigation, we
find what is considered modern invention,
is in reality Of great antiquity. The Egyp-
tians, and other Nations. practiced the art,
and ] have reasons for believing that il made
a necessary part Of their system Of husbandry.
Alter multiplied observations, aud varied
experiments, | have arrived at the conclu-
sion. that 4 proper preparation increases,
vastly, production. | also believe, that the
same cause renders the plant less liable to
casualties Of disease, and the destructive ac
tion Of insects; and IN small grain, upon which
my experiments have principally been made,
increases the quality and quantity Of the
grain, as well as adding greatly to the size,
hpaIthiness and amnunt If straw
These observations have been repeatedly
corrobOrate,l by those who have had occa.
sion, aud taken sufficient interest in the mat
ter, 70 compare and examine into the subject.
As the experiments were instituted for my
own personal satisfaction, and they have
been varied and progressiye-I have not
found il necessary TO be exact as to measure
ment Of ground and product. Varied plant
ings, side by side, offered the means Of com
parison for my purposes. At the instance Of
q friend, ! carefully measured the ground
! planted last year in rye and wheat, in which
was kindly assisted by my neighbour Mr.. s.
Crawford, who witnessed the preparation of
the ground, and the seeding. and was present
at the threshing. Ii is scarcely necessary for
me TO remark. that no manure of any kind
was used. Nor do the lands ia this vicinity
come under the head Of rich on the contrary,
they are considered light. and heavy crops
are not expected Of them, in their present
condition, whatever they may have been
originally. or may be rendered BY fertilizers.
My efforts have been TO increase the product
economically, and as all things are relative.
the principle is not changed, whether they
be rich or pp0r.
The ground seeded, amounted to nine and
halt acres-seyen and half in rye, and two
IN wheat. II was exposed 70 the y. Z. and
y. W., and with gentle decliyity 10 the low
grounds, part Of which il included. The top
Of the hill, which thought the poorest, (and
those who have known the place much lung
er than myself, expressed themselves as de-
cided upon that point,l was sOwed with rye,
the seed having been previously prepared ;
through the entire length, and in the centre,
a strip Of about two lands, was soHed with
the same seed, ia its normal state. The
ground sOwed with prepared seed. measured
three acres. There was a manifest difference
10 the size Of the heads, straw, and grain,
between the prepared and not prepared. Even
10 casting lis eye over The field, the mosl
casual observer could al once perceive the
difference, for il was on either side like q
step. That upon which the unprepared seed
was planted. Is comparatively new ground
the stumps still standing, and the low ground
included. may be called rich, judging from
the corn have seen grown upon il. The
crop from the prepared seed was even, tall
and heavy, the heads long, aud bending
over. That from the unprcparcd was un'
; even. much u il small. (nOt knec high) and
not worth cutting. This was particular,
the case with the wheat, which was injarct
. By the ~.
! The three acres, from The prepared seed
yielded 81 bushels. The six and half acre.
Iron unprepared seed, yielded rye, 80 bush
els, and wheat y bushcls-42 bushels.
The grain from the prepared seed wa
! pronounced remarkably fine, heavy, full, az,
decidedly superior to that from the unprc
pared. Indeed, neighbor, who had purehas
cd for an extra price, choiee rye. iound tha
my grain from the prepared seed was deci
de,lly superior.
have no reasons for believing that thes,
results are different lrom what | have pro
4 duced on former occasions. Il was all putt d
BY the same hand, at the same time; aud
: there was any advantage in the treatment,
vas IN ia,or q the ground planted with ~
prepared seed.
Double the yield by preparation is an in
portant difference, aud that particularly
when we consider The small cost Of preparation
10 letter 10 Mr.. Earle, late President 3
the Maryland State agricultural Society, \
favor Of a scientific Institution. projected 20
the advancement Of Agriculture. &C., Ia ID
State Of Maryland. which you published ]
: the last number Of the Farmer, ! gave le,