Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1868-03-04
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WHEAT GROWING IN New ENeLAND.--
DR.. George B. Loring OF Salem, president Of
the New England agricultural society, spoke
as follows concerning wheat growing, at the
annual meeting Of the society in Boston,
Wednesday,
There is one crop to which desire to call
your special attention. The large consump-
ton Of wheat -four, as one Of the staple arti-
cles Of food, has given peculiar importance to
the growing Of this grain. ! suppose the FREE
quent failures Of this crop in New England !;
the growing idea that our soil and climate are
untitled for IL, and the usually low price Of
-four. previous to the war, have all combined
to prevent its cultivation here. But il seems
to me that under existing circumstances, we
should, II possible, return to at least local
and domestic supply Of what lie called the
staff Of life. 1t is impossible to predict the
time sben bresdstufIs will be brought to their
former market value, while the present cost
Of production and transportation continues.
aud an easy money market enables the spec
ulator to hold for profit. Would it not be
we'll in the meantime to devote email por-
ton of our land to the supply Of bread for
our familiesi The experiment would not be
an expensive one. An acre Of land set apart
for wheat growing or every farm would add
but little to the labor commonly performed (;
and IL the statement is true, that twenty-five
or thirty bushels Of winter wheat are easily
raised to the acre, the benefit to be derive
from this crop is apparent. | have had no
experience in wheat growing myself, but
learn from those who have that the crop is
sure one, when sown on strong lands so early
IN Ho nj IN 70 civ hH nla nj n I'M
root before the frosts Of winter set in. It is
said that wheat sown in August is as sure
crop as any that can be raised in New Eng
land. If this be the use, the matter is wor-
thy Of your careful investigation and en-
couragement. There seems to be no doubt
that the system of wheat growing, especially
in those sections Of the West where great
attention is paid to this crop, must be ere long
modified. The cultivation of large tracts Of
fertile land, the market value Of which is CON-
psra,ively low, is conducted in so imperfect
a manner that the crop is diminishing from
year to year, and the land itself is becoming
weedy and exhausted. Superficial blowing,
light seeding, no manuring, and careless
covering Of the ID in the earth, are all uni
ting to render the holesale growing OF wheat
much less profitable than it was formerly I;
and the result produced by them tends to
place the proper cultivation OF this crop
among the branches Of mixed farming on
more limited scale. | have no doubt that
the devoting Of large farm to wheat alone
will be abandoned and that the average
yeald per acre will be increased by more care.
full cultivation, either on smaller farms or as
part Of a mode of husbandry in which the
wheat grower will also be cattle. feeder, a
corn-cultivator and a producer Of wool.
have seen nothing to establish in my mind a
belief in large farms, devoted to special
crop, when the land is held in freehold.
Thie system may be sustained for fe w years
with free labor, and for longer period, per-
hips, with slave labor but the legitimate
farming, which may be made constantly re-
munerative and improving, must be carried
on by the owner of the soil, and must supply
the market with more than one commodity
from each farm. 1t is 80 at the East, where
farms have always been small 1t is SO in
the Middle States, and must be 20 ere long
at the West and South, on those lands that
have been hitherto devoted to wheat, or corn,
or cotton. | see no reason, therefore, why
wheat cultivation should not again enter into
the agriculture of New England-provided
always that the soil and climate do not war
against it. The increase Of the crop, under
careful cultivation, the proximity to the mar
ket. and the small cost Of transportation which
the farmer here enjoys, should induce him to
try the experiment--especially while he is
obliged to pay fifteen or twenty dollars a
barrel for his flour.