The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1860-10-05

had been taken together. The best quail
ity of itself would weigh sixty and seventy
pounds per bushel. 1t is curious to see the
way in which the wheat has become mixed
of late years. Some farmers will point out
as many as seven distinct varieties, all grow.
ing together-including Black Sea wheat,
English, Irish and Scotch, and quality
brought from Prairie du Chen. These do
not, as may be expected, all ripen exactly
at the same time. But, except in the case
of that from Prairie du Chen, which gen.
orally takes ten days longer than the rest,
the difference in the period at which the
whole becomes matured is not very great.
Whether this medly sowing is advantageous
or not, is mooted point. 1t has its advo.
Gates, who believe it to be productive of bet
ter returns; and its opponents, who have
resolved to rid themselves of it altogether
and put down instead some very fine seed
wheat furnished by Rev. Mr.. Cowley.
The land in the Lower District is cult
vated to much greater distance back from
the west bank of the river-where the Set
tlement almost solely lies-than elsewhere
Six, seven, eight, and twelve miles of the
very best land intervene between the " Big
Swamp" and the river. Some farms are as
far back as four miles from the owners
houses, but there is no regularity in the
breaking up of the land. Small patches
adjoining the dwellings are generally culti-
waited, but 70 find the remainder thickets of
poplar and underwood must be explored.
Farmers do not wish to clear their land so
long as they can find enough else for use.
Lower down in the Indian Settlement
on the east bank of the river-wheat had
fully ripened nearly four weeks since; and
was all stacked before farmers in other
parts had begun to do anything but cut a
little barley. The settlers nearest the lake
are usually thus fortunate, their land being
of light, sandy quality, which allows the
grain to come to maturity quickly. Though
sown later, the crops in this vicinity were
reaped week earlier than any above the
Stone Fort.
Now that farming is being prosecuted on
a more extended scale throughout the Set
tlement, the want of laborers is beginning
to be felt as serious drawback. There is
great difficulty in procuring even small
number of Indian "helps" to use the sickle
or follow up the work of the reaper by ty-
ing and " stocking" (which is the diminu-
tive for stacking') the sheaves in the field.
When few harvesters such as these have
been scared up, the great problem is how
to keep them at work. They are part icu-
larly slow and careless in what they do. A
little group of women and children, with
bois brule visages and dishevelled hair,
laughing and chatting boisterously, and oc
casionally STOPPING amid the blue corn flow
ers in the prosecution Of their work, might
form very pretty scene for the pencil of
an artist, but the tiller of the soil is noways
moved by it except to wish that some stur-
dy latorers from Canada or the States or
beyond the sea, could be substituted for
those who are thus trifing away the time
Many able bodied men in the mother coun-
try, would be glad Of the Is. Cd. or Is a.day
and meals which workers here earn so cas-.
lily.
AS means of shortening the labor at
this season, several farmers purpose this
year to give the experiment of winter wheat
a fair trial. Rev. Mr.. Smithurst, formerly
of the Indian Settlement succeeded in rails
ing it while stationed there and timid peo-
pie have sown it in small quantities and in
careless manner, and it has been found to
thrive. This year, MIR. Lilly, Mr.. John
Gum, aud Others intend to try it; and we
hope to hear of their success.