Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1860-11-28
Spritultural Matttrs.
WHEAT AND CHEss-ONCE MORE.
Five Hundred Dollars Reward.
From the American Agriculturist.l

I've been aching for more than thirty
years, to give editors of agricultural jours
mails fits" for you are the most arrogant
chaps, we farmers have anything to do
with. Just look how you treat us on The
old chess question. "You are tired Of
it," then to settle it, you launch off into
learned names of some authorities, no
farmer knows OF, and treat them to dish
Of Bromus Sscalina, and insinuations of the
silly notions Of 4" common people," intima-
ting that farmers don't know enough to
last them up short hill. You call for
specimens, when they affirm their expe.
rlence of having seen the fact of Chess
and Wheat growing together, as if they
were either liars, or were incapable of
judging what we see. Now I've lived some
sixty.three years, and once in that time
have seen head OF wheat and spran
gle las we call it of chess growing on one
stalk, in the then Territory of NJ chigan,
and showed it to many of my neighbors,
men and women, we'll able to judge Of
what they saw, Common as they might be.
| also in that same Territory, saw chess
growing on more than dozen stalks OF
.far, and having some seven or eight
hands hoeing corn on my land at the time
! called them TO witness the fact. Some
ofthese men are now living good men
and true, and reminded me of it two
years ag }, when was there on visit
Again, fifteen years ago, when first act.
tied here, brother in law of mine broke
up ten acres of new land, part prairie, part
barrens on one side, about six rods from
the edge OF said lot, ran an old road
which didn't get broken up much with
the rest, being hard. He sowed the
plumpest cleanest wheat ever saw, on
said lot. The result was an abundant
crop of beautiful wheat, excepting the
said strip OF road, of some eight feet wide
and forty rods long-which was chrss,
stout enough to bear up a cradle. Now
sir, you may call chess by any name you
choose, but it won't explain how that
strip of chess came where clean wheat was
sown the previous season. There was no
chess in the wheat on either side of the
said road. This fact was witnessed by
some of the best farmers in the town, and
many of them are here now, and often
speak of it. don't say wheat turns TO,
or is transmitted TO chess, for think can
explain it upon the principles of natural
science but that was mt the object Of the
present article. 1t was to get upa little
modesty in agricultural papers, and pre-
vent their squirtations of so much learned
dyestuff into the eyes of old eye witnesses
of what said editors deem delusion. -
What in the name Of common sense, car
Bromus Sccaina have to do with the fact O
the appearance Of chess where wheat il
sown2 Then TO call for specimens a
though you, because you are an editor, hac
any better senses than observing farmers
Now sir, believe in book farming anC
read all can get hold of on the subject
have taken another agricultural paper anc
yours in '59, and my son takes yours nov
and another paper but I don't be
iievc you all together can sec a stalk o
chess growing in company on the same
stem moro sure than or any other oil,
oryoung farmer, though VIC may be com
mon folks. 81 JoHy r. RoB,Ssoy.
hane Co., III.
RsaARKs.-Mr, Robinson must feel BET
ter now, after having spoken his mind
His bile has rather overhoved and raj
down into his ink little, but we are To-
benevolent to Withhold a letter, the insei
tion ofwhich will alleviate an aching q
thirty years standing" and we shaI
try not to personally appropriate any q
those fits" We don't know what agri
cultural editors he is driving at, as, will
few exceptions, our aequain.ances anon
.he fraternity nre very modest men :
and il could not well be otherwise. II
the universal rule, that while 80 it'll
knowledge isa dangerous thing" becaus
it pufs man up, and makes him "arrc
CANT" good deal of knowledge make
him humble. Agricultural editors dc
vote their chief attention to gathern
knowledge from wide field of obsery.
tion, and they onght to be, and we be
lievo generally are, far from arrogant.
isnot Mr. r. little arrogant in assumin
tospeak for all the common peopleR"-
We have s,rong admiration for tbs
class-those possessed Of common sens,
and have battered ourselves until th