GRAINS.
General Remarks.
The compounds in vegetables really nutritive, are very few; farina, or the pure matter of starch, gluten, sugar, vegetable jelly, oil and extract. Of these the most nutritive is gluten, which approaches nearest in its nature to animal matter, and which is the substance that gives to wheat its superiority over every other grain.
There is a particular period at which each species of seed ought to be sown, in order to bring the plants to a perfect state of ripeness.
The condition of the land is, in fact, the best guide; for, if it be in a mellow state, between drought and moisture, the seed may be put in with confidence. Some kinds, however, prefer a dry and warm soil; others, that which is more humid and tenacious. Thus, barley, rye, and buckwheat, succeed best on the former; and wheat and oats on the latter.
The depth at which seed should be sown is a matter of nicety, as well as of importance. If too deeply buried, germination is impeded, and may be altogether prevented; while, if sown too shallow, sufficient moisture is not left in the surface to afford nourishment to the roots of the plants.
The depth at which seed ought to be placed must, therefore, be regulated by the nature of the soil. If stiff, more moderate covering should be used than if light and porous; wheat, barley, and oats also require more than rye or buckwheat; but, except in a few instances, from one and a half to three inches, is in every case, the lowest to which it should be carried.
Seed should be selected from the earliest and most perfect growth of the preceding year. Too much attention cannot be bestowed on this part of the operation, as every kind of seed will produce its like. Late sowing requires one-third more grain to the acre, than if put in early. Land, naturally very rich and too highly manured, is apt to cause during the hot season of summer a too rapid growth of the straw, at the expense of the seed.
Wheat.
The white are superior in the quality of their produce; the red are the more hardy; and in general, the thin and smooth-chaffed are preferred to the woolly and thick chaffed.
The produce of wheat sown in spring acquires the habit of coming much sooner to maturity, than the produce of that sown in autumn. Hence the farmer, when he sows wheat in spring, should sow the produce of that which had been already sown in spring, and not the produce of that which had been sown in autumn.
This change in the habit of ripening, though it may at first view appear somewhat singular, takes place in all the cereal grasses, and also in many other cultivated plants. The minor varieties of any species of wheat, under given conditions, will remain unchanged for an indefinite period; under other circumstances, however, they degenerate–and hence, particular kinds that were once valued, have now ceased to be so.
The soils of the lighter class are the best suited to wheat; and it is an error in practice to force the production of wheat on soils, and under circumstances which are better suited to the production of the other grains.
No wheat, however clean or beautiful, should be sown without being soaked 12 hours in a pickle of strong ley, brine strong enough to float an egg, or lime water, and after being drained, should be rolled in powdered lime.
As the wheat crop generally receives no after-culture, the soil should be brought into as fine condition as possible. Manuring and thorough culture are indispensable.
If it be desirable to sow wheal after a fallow crop of rye, oats, &c., the land should be immediately ploughed or thoroughly harrowed after it is cleared–then one good ploughing with sufficient harrowing is a good preparation for the seed.
As a large crop cannot be sowed in a few days, it is better to begin a fortnight too early than a week too late.
Two bushels of seed to the acre of winter wheat, is not too much: less than six or seven pecks should never be sown.
By sowing too thin, the growth of weeds is encouraged to the great detriment of the growing crop and the loss of the owner.
Ploughing in wheat is best, especially on worn land. The depth at which the seed is buried is more regular, and gives the young plants a stronger bold on the soil.
Corn.
As a general rule it may be laid down that any crop which matures so large a quantity of seed, must exhaust the fertility of a soil much more than a crop which does not produce seed, such as the root crops.
There is probably no other crop that produces so much nourishment for man and beast as this does. It was the opinion of “Arator,” that it was “meal, meadow, and manure.” And the manure which might be made from the fodder that is produced, if returned again to the soil from which it was taken, would keep it in a constant state of fertility, and in fact increase it from year to year.
To plant, plough well in the fall and early in the spring. Manure and harrow well. Select from the host stalks large sound ears–throw out the small, ill-shaped grains from each end. Soak in strong liquid of rich manure 12 hours. Put four grains in hills four feet apart each way. Cover one and a half inches deep, and press down with foot or hoe. Apply leached ashes or plaster, after the corn is up. Use the cultivator instead of the plough, which cuts the roots and makes them bleed–besides, all that is now needed is to keep the ground loose, well pulverized and free from weeds.
The ravages of the wire-worm may be stopped by slacked stone lime.
Of all the grains, corn is the most valuable, taking into view quantity and price. Soaking the seed in a solution of saltpetre keeps off the worm and largely increases the crop.
Topping the stalks diminishes the grain from 6 to 8 bushels the acre, without a corresponding increase of fodder.
Grind corn in the ear for feeding. Pure corn meal does not appear sufficiently to distend the stomach to
