Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1840-08-04

SPRING WHEAT AFTER PoTAToEs.-l
spring whea, after potatoes, and without
ploughing. | think in 1886 | made tho
first trial had rich piece of ground
of one and three fourths Of an acre, de-
scending to the north. The year previ-
Gus to my coming into possession, it had
been sowed with turneps, but there had
been an entire failure Of the crop. spread
another coat of manure in the spring,
which was hauled ont the fall previous by
the former occupant, plowed the ground
the last of May, fine and deep, once only;
narrowed well, planted with the common
yellow potatoe in my usual way, which |
have practiced for twenty years. 1t was
the last year of our agricultural society's
existence. My potatoes looked so fine,
measured off one acre according to the
rules Of the society, which then the ground
should be measured, the potatoes dug, and
measured by men under oath. The acre
Welded 1884 bushels. We found one po-
tato that weighed three pounds five ounces
and there were many that weighed from
two 10 two and three fouTlhs pounds.
got the premium by more than two hum
dred bushels. So much for the potatoe
crop The next spring purchased four
bushels spring wheat. cleaned out Of it
by tanning and washing in strong brine,
about twenty quarts, leaving three bushels
and twelve quarts. About the first of
April we had dry, warm spell; went
and took a lock at the ground, and it look
ed so clean and mellow, determined to
try an experiment. | accordingly went
on with my team and harrow, at the Same
time set another team to piowing two lands,
fourteen PAGES wide, making about one
third of an acre. The second or third day,
sowed the whole, broad cast, after being
well rolled in lime That which | sowed
without blowing, harvested six days pre-
vious to the other, it being ripe, and the
quantity and quality OF the former was far
superior to the latter. Now for the pro-
duct, which was 1853 sheaves, yielded a
little over six bushels the hundred; every
hlrshel of which weighed 92a pounds
The next year | plowed the ground once
narrowed and planted with corn, three feet
one way and from one and half to two
the other. | harvested from one acre, by
actual measurement one hundred and four
bushels Of good corn. The next year
plowed once, sowed with barly had fine
crop, but do not recollect the quantity, as
| did not take an account ut the time, and
seeded with clover and timothy. The rea-
der will see that these four successive
crops were raised with but very little labor
and expense, and that these four crops
yielded as much, or more clear profit than
some five or ten acres equally aa good by
nature.
My object in writing this communication
is, first, to call the farmer to tho import
ance OF tilling TO more land than he can
well do, and make profitable; second that
he would make the experiment of sowing
spring wheat on potatoe ground without
blowing.
In 1887, had two pieces Of potatoe
ground Of one acre each, which were ma
nured and treated in every respect alike,
one peice plowed, and the other ] did not;
sowed both the same-day. The field that
was plowed | though, was of the two the
most psomisiIg, but when harvested the
other had the preference. | think have
tried this every year but one, since 1926,
and that was three or four years ago, when
the snow came on early before the ground
was frozen and lay very late in the spring
which made the ground very hard and hea-
w.