Buck-wheat is known to a vast majority of the farmers of this kingdom only by name. It has, however, numerous excel lencies, is of an enriching natore, and pre pares well for wheat or any other crop. One bushel of seed is sufficient to sow an acre, which is only abont the fourth part of the expense of seetl barley. It is sold at the same price as barley, and is equal to it for the fatting of hogs and poultry. The end of May is the pmper season for its bein; sown, and grass seeds may be sown with it, if the practice should be thought in any iitstance eligible, with more advantage than with any other grain, un lesslewley maybe excepted. Buck-wheat may be sown even so late as the first week in July, a circumstance by which the period of tillage is considerably protract ed, and an a ineliorating crop may thus be produced, after the usual period has, from any unavoidable or casual occur rence, been neglected.
Potatoes form a most important article of food, both for the human species and for cattle, anti are an inestimable substi tute for bread formed of grain, the best tesource in periods of scarcity of wheat; ancl, happily, when the crbps of grain fail, through redundant moisture, the potatoe is far from being equally injured, and sometimes is even benefited by the wet season. The choice of soil forthe culture of this root is of prime importance. Po tatoes never make palatable nourishment for man, if grown in a clay soil, or in rank, black loam, although in these circum stances they am well fitted for cattle, and relished by them, and also produced in great abundance. They grow to perfec tion for human food in gravelly and sandy soils. The drill should be universally preferred for their cultivation. In Sep tember, or October, the field intended for them should have successively a rousing furrovv, a cross braking, and the opera tion of the cleaning harrow ; and being formed into three-feet ridges, shotild re main in that state till April, which is the proper season for planting this root. Af ter cross braking them, to raise in a small degree the furrows, well-rotted horse /lung should be laidalongthem, on which the roots should be laid at eight inches dis tance. The plough should then pass once round every row, to cover them. As soon as they appear above ground,the plough should be passed round them a second time, laying on the plants about an inch, or somewhat more, of mould, in addition. When they have attained the height of six inches, the plough shonldgo twice along the middle of each interval, in opposite directions, laying earth first to one row, and then to another ; and, to apply it more closely to the roots, a spade'should after wards be used to cover four inches of the plants, and bury Al the weeds. The weeds which arise afterwards must be ex tirpated hy the hand, as the hoes would go too deep, and damage the rootsof the plants. From ten to fifteen bushels will be sufficient to plant an acre, the produce of which may probably be three hundred bushels. Sets should be cut forsome few before they am planted, with at lea.st one eye to each, and not in very small pieces, and the depredations of the grub upon them may be effectually prevented by scattering on the so rface of the land about two bushels per acre of lime, fresh slak ed. The mostcertain method of takinn. then) up is, to plough once rottnd every row, at the distance of four inches, after which they may easily be raised, by a three-clawed fork, ratlier than by a spade, and scarcely a single one will by this practice be left in the ground. They may with care be preserved till the ensuing crop, particularly by the allowance ne cessary till April beingelosely covered in the barn with dry and pressed down straw. while the remainder tor the ensuing part of the year is buried in a dry cave, mixed with the husks of dried oats, sand, or leaves, especially if a nay or corn-stack is erected over it.
Potatoes are subject to a disease called the curl, which has drawn the attention of sagacious and experienced men, and suggested, in consequence, a great varie ty of opinions on its cause and remedy. Some kinds of this root, however, it is al most unanimously agreed, are less sus ceptible of the disease than others, and the old red, the golden dun, and the long .dun, are the least Mall so. One or more of the following circumstances may be most probably considered as causing it ; frost, insects, the planting from sets of un ripe and large potatoes, the planting in old and exhausted grounds, and too near the surface, or the small shoots of the sets being broken off before planting. Where certainty on any interesting subject can not be obtained, the hints of the judicious are always desirable. The methods most successfully exercised for the prevention of the curl are, to cut the sets from smooth ripe potatoes, of the middle size, which have been kept particularly dry, to guard against the rubbing off the first shoots, and to plant them rather deeply in fresh earth, with a mixture of quick lime. No plant thrives better even in the cold est part of this island than the turnip, and none are more advantageous to the soil. Its introduction was an improve ment of the most valuable nature. There is no soil which will not produce it, when previously prepared for it by art ; but the gravelly one is best of all adapted to it. No root requires a finer mould than the turnip, and with a view to this object, the land intended for it should be exposed to frost by ribbing it after the harvest. The season for sowing must be regulated by the time intended for feeding, the later from the first of June to the end of July, in proportion to the designed protraction of this feeding. The field should be first ploughed by a shallow furrow. Lime, if necessary, should be then harrowed into it. Single furrows, at the interval of three feet, should be drawn, and dung laid in them, which should be then covered by going round it with the plough, and form ing the three feet spaces into ridges. Wider rows answer no profitable object, and with straiter ones a horse has not room to walk. Thick sowing is far better than thin, bearing better the depredations of the fly, and forming also a protection against drought. The weeds may, in Many cases, be most effectually ciitirpa ted by women, without injuring the crow; and the standing turnips should be left at twelve inches distance from each other. On average seasons, with good prepara tion, the produce from this number per acre may be considered as amounting to 46 tuns of valuable nourishment. For pre servation they may be stacked with straw ; and 42 tons may be thus secured by one load of straw, or of stubble and old haulm. A method preferred by many is that of sowing late crops, even in August, by which a succession of them remains on the field to be consumed on the spot, even so late as the ensuing May, and the ad vantage of having turnips good till the spring grasses are ready for food, has greatly encouraged this practice. To pre vent the devastations of the fly, the most destructive enemy to a crop of turnips, the most effectual method, as little de pendance can be placed on steepings, or on fumigations, is to sow the seed at such a season, that they may be well grown before the appearance of the insect; and by well (lunging and manuring the ground, to hasten their attainment of the rough leaf; in which the fly does not at all affect them. New seed, it may also be observed, vegetates more rapidly and vigorously than old ; and the more healthy and vigorous the plants are, the more likely they are to escape depredation. The sowing of turnips with grain is by many recommended in this connection, and stated to be higldy efficacious.