Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1838-09-12

the surface of the ground.
We have said, that wheat grounds
shouii, where practicable, DO plough.
60 at least seven inches deep, and we
VIII here give our reasons ia support
OF that opinion. Il is known that the
small hbsous roots ofthe wheat plant
penetrate the earth to a great extent
IN search OF food. In some instances
they have been traced to a depth ex.
ceeding two feet. Since, then, i, is
their nature thus to descend, il must
be obvious, that the greater the body
oipulyerIzed earth they have to pass
through the better, as the less difficult
ty they experience in their downward
course, the less distractions they may
meet with, the more profitable will
their labors prove, and the more vigo-
rous will they grow. In times of
drought, 1t must be also obvious, that
deeply ploughed grounds afford the
greatest protection, afIording as they
do pasture measurably beyond the
reach Of the intense heat of the SUM-
Again, should the season.be wet one,
deep pulverized ground furnishes
medium by which the roots of the
plants may be relieved from the dele.
FERROUS effects Of any superabundance
OF water, by means of the drainage
thus provided. View the subject in
whichever light we may. common sense
and reason corcur in the propriety of
deep ploughing and thorough puIveri-
cation of the soil.
PREPARATION OF THE SEED.
MI extraneous bodies and suhstan-
ces should be carefully separated from
the kernels of the wheat. All freed
seed may be separated by means of a
riddle or seiye. After being winnow-
ed, let the grain be thrown into vessels
OF clean water, in small parcels, and
thoroughly washed. Stir the grain
well and skim off all floating substan.
ces. After il is thus washed and clea-
ned, put IT into pickle made so strong
OF salt rs to float an egg; in this it
should remain from 81 TO IS hours,
then strain il off through baskets, and
to every bushel of wheat add two quarts
OF fresh powdered lime, (slaked,) and
one Of Plaster Of Paris: mix the lime
and plaster thoroughly with the wheat;
alter which il should be dried and
sown as speedily thereafter as possible,
though It viii not injure by remaining
a day or SO, provided il be not kept in
too great bulk.
There are other soaks strongly re-
:ommended-as solutions of Copperas.
olntions Of Blue.stone, ley OF Wood /
shes, ley OF Potash, Lime water,
cold,) solution of Arsenic, solution of
Nitre and boiling water. But the one
re have first named, We believe, will
G found most convenient and equally
alutary.
QUANTITY OF SEED TO THE ACRE.
Less than six pecks to the acre we
hink should not be sown, and under
eculiar contingencies we should not
estate to sow from to q bush.
Is.
If the ground be good, well prepared
y deep ploughing and thorough har-
owing, and the seed be put IN early,
TX pecks to the acre will be enough,
IS under such circumstances the loss
rom the failure OF the seed To veg
tate, and the freezing out of the !
plants, will be much less than il sown |
ate.
Ii the ground be not good, and the |
seeding late, allowances should be |
made for the loss OF seed by the eau.
'es before alluded to-; for it is a fact
hat much greater quantity of seed
grain perish I'D poor than in rich ground,
and it is equally true, that a much
greater amount Of growing grain is
lost when sown late than when put IN
early. Allowances for these things
should always be made nor should
the farmer be inattentve to the fac,
that the kernels of some wheat IS huch
larger than those of others, in which
latter case an allowance should also be
made, as bushel of such wheat con-
tains a much less number of kernels
than the smaller kind.
TINE OF SOWING.
The best time Of sowing, we believe
to be from the lst Of September till the
LIST OF October; many persons recon-
mend both earlier and later periods of
sowing than either of these, but all
things considered we believe those we
have named the best.
GENERAL REMARKS.
We have no doubt IN our mind that
IN many instances too little wheat is
sown, and hence it is that the wheat
fields are mostly covered with WORTH
less weeds, which while they extract
the substance from the earth and thus
rob the wheat oflts food, do not in the |
least benefit either the soil or its owner.
Hence il is that we have always been
the advocate of heavy seeding and of
sowing clover seed on all Grain 6aIIs