The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1861-06-27
Change of Soil and Change OF
Seeds,


tance, when-which is not always-ben-
gift really accrues, to the mere change of
seed more than anything else. Indeed,
so little Is the 0sodus operandi by which
improvement is produced, considered,
that all the explanation we get of the
matter, usually, is, that seed does bet
ter changed from one part Of the country
10 another" Now, according to my views
which are the result Of thirty years
experience, in various circumstances, In
wheat culture-a mere change of seed,
unless other conditions also are different,
has very little if any necessarily beneficial
effect on the resultant product of the crop.
Still, I hold that seed should be procured
from other localities, or changed, because
by this course tendencies not desirable,
of any kind, may be materially checked
or corrected by conditions whose eufu-
ence is toward different effect
I'm the Prairie Farmer of March I,
DR. \. W. Abbott says he got 81 bush
els Of wheat per acre more by procuring
seed, of the club variety, from Iowa, last
reason" But whether there was change
of soil in this case, we are not Informed
by him. | judge, however, there must
have been, because a mere change of seed,
of itself, from one locality to another
where the soil and climate are essentially
the same, affords no apparent reason for
advantage. Forinstance, if seed be chang
ed from white oak loam-prObably the
best wheat soil we have-in Canada West,
to the same quality of soilin New York : is
there ything of the nature Of real change,
other than that Of the differences of lati-
tude or longitude involved in the process?
/ trow not If the soil be the same nat
urally and in fertility, contend that no
more benefit necessarily follows a change
Of three hundred than Of only three miles,
more or less, in distance For the same
quality of soil, IN the same season, with
similar weather and climate, can lot read
lily he supposed to produce essentially
different effects and transmissable quail
ties in the same sort of grain. 1t may
be earlier or later, heavier or lighter, &C.,
but its essential or vital characteristics
will be quite similar or nearly Identical.
1t, therefore, benefits result, as there are
good reasons to believe is the case, they
flow from some other causes, more infu-
ential though closely connected, besides
the change of seed alone, whether from
far or near.
1t has been abundantly proved by the
experience of farmers, past and present,
Il of. h,,, ;ol
times il is not only no benefit, but an in-
iurv. This | have seen illustrated in
abundant instances And such facts
seem to confirm the view that it is not a
change of seed only that is necessary, but
that there must be, moreover, change
of sol, as an indispensable condition to
Improvement Let US briefly note few
facts which seem 10 exhibit the reason
why this must De so.
When wheat is grown on soils essen.
tally different in texture and compost
tion. tho nature of the soil affects the
quality of the wheat, in all parts and
charac eristics of its structure, produced
ON such different qualities of land. On
pcaty and mucky soils, for instance-if
in tolcrable condition as to fertility, or
sbilty to bear a full crop-the straw will
be larger. softer, more flexible, aud much
more liable to lodge, in consequence of
the comparative scarcity Of silica IN its
various forms; and the ears will not fill
80 well, nor will the berry be so plump,
or the yield, in proportion to straw, &c,
20 GOOD as where the straw is stiff, aud
the crop stands up even and well. Much
of the prairie land of the west, from its
deficiency in sileca, produces crops with
.pch characteristics On the other hand !,
sands and gravelly soils and sandy loans
have an abundance Of silica, and their
eropss generally stand up and fill well,
though the heads are not always large,
the soil not being rich enough to do much
work. and do it we'll, too. 1t sometimes
;s also the fact that soils with ample ST.
leca are defective as to lime, which is a
nri,ne essential of wheat culture, and with
which q GOOD share of western prairie
s,,s are we'll provided.
T shall consider then, that within my
observation, as a general rule, soils that
obound in silica are deficient in lime, and
that mucky soils usually have too little
If silica. Strong loans have fair pro
nortionate supply of both silica and lime
and may be properly considered the best
wheat soils, as they produca the best tim
ber-white oak-also, they comprehend
All the necessary qualities, are represent
atives, as it were
If we change seed from a mucky prai
RE in Illinois to like quality of land il
Wisconsin or Michigan. of what avai
will it be? or what defect or tendenc.
w;lI i correct? If Wheat has been grow
ero seasons on such q soil, tn