[ How to Multipy the Increase of Corn of Any Kind / To Prevent the Smut in Wheat / To Prepare Seed to Sow on Poor and Sandy Lands ]
Date: 1793/04/01
Source:
Halifax Gazette
Institution: Nova Scotia Archives
| Source Origin: Nova Scotia Newspapers on Microfilm
| Reference: Microfilm Reels 8152, 8166
Vol. V, No. 214. Microfilm Reel 8166. The instructions appeared in The Royal Gazette and Miscellany of the Island of Saint John on September 23, 1791. They also appear almost verbatim in the "Useful Recipes" section of The New-York Magazine; Or, Literary Repository, Vol. 2, p. 400 (1797) with the titular acknowledgement of "Extracts from a very valuable French Book, entitled The Farmer's Pocket Dictionary."
RECIPES.
How to Multiply the increase of Corn of any kind.
“Take of the dungs of the cow, goat, sheep, and
pidgeon, and of salt petre, each one pound; put them
all into three gallons of water, and let them stand co-
vered several days; strain the liquid through a sieve or
coarse cloth, and let your seed corn moisten therein for
eight hours; take it out and put it in a convenient cor-
ner of your granary; stir it well and often during seve-
ral hours after.” This recipe is adapted to 160lbs. of
corn.
Anotheer. -- “Put 20lbs of lime into a barrel, and
pour on it ten gallons of rain or river water; then put
120lbs. of corn into a basket, and let it remain 8 hours :
take it out and plunge it into an other vessel, in which
there is a quantity of water, and wherein you have pre-
viously dissolved three pounds of common salt or salt-
petre.”
To prevent the Smut in Wheat.--Moisten it well with
a liquor composed of lime water, in which ashes, com-
mon salt, and pidgeon dung, have been infused several
hours. A light solution of allum and verdigrese has al-
so been used for a similar purpose.
To prepare Seed to sow on poor and sandy lands.
Take 12 or 13 pounds of sheep’s dung, which you
will boil, dregs and all, in a good deal of water. Dis-
solve three or four pounds of salt-petre, and infuse in
this rickle for eight hours a bushel of new wheat, &c.
dry it in an airy place, not much exposed to the sun :
repeat this operation several times, and sow your grain
but thinly.
The author of the book from whence these recipes are
extracted, asserts. “that from experience, it is known
that every grain of the prepared seed produces ears of
more than 50 grains of corn in each.” He also informs,
“that more than 60 stalks have been counted in one
shoot” He continues--
First. “Grains thus prepared. starts sooner than
when sown in the usual method.
Secondly. “The birds are not so fond of feeding
on it.
Thirdly. “It grows thick and large, but ought to
be sown thinner than usual.”
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