Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1843-10-12

From tie Southern Planter.
SOWING WHEAT.


An impression prevails that our wheat
ssgenerally TOO thinly seeded, and that
much larger crops would be the result
ola freer use Of grain. Capt. Barclay,
the intelligent Scotchman who made
an agricultural tour Of the United States
IN 1871, earnestly urged upon lIr.
MARX, whose farm he visited in this
ylcalnty, 10 increase his allowance to
tour oashels an acre, the quantity usu-
ally given by British farmers. He
thought the liability to winter killing in
tins country, made even a greater al
lowance desirable.
we IND an editorial upon this sub
leet II the last number of the American
arneF, which, with all our respect
tor the wisdom and experience Of it's
conductor, We must be permitted to
consider, IN part, visionary andimprac-
tcable. We allude especially to the
advice, or suggestion, as the Editor
modestly terms it, that, there is no ne
cesslty for delaying the sowing Of
wheat to avoid The fall attack of the
ny, tor, says he, if the progress of the
insect be carefully watched, it may be
taken IN lis pupu, or worm state, and
mashed by passing a heavy roller over
the field. We would suggest to our
trend that his finger and thumb would
constitute much more eficacious i'm
PIGMENT for the purpose, and that it re-
'eulres much nicer fit that roller
makes with the inequalities Of plough
ed ground, to mash worm.
After SOLDERING down again to his
usual style of practical wisdom, the E.
dltor concludes with the following re-
marks, the excellence of which more
than excuses his unwonted flight Of i'm
a5ination:
eve would suggest that in every
instance where wheat may be sown.
that the ground undergo thorough pre-
Paratlon, and that all should consider
deep ploughing and repeated harrow
lngs essential operations.
+" We would advise, that if the land
may not have been previously lined,
fhat from five to ten bushels of lime
per acre be sown thereon, or an equal
quantity of ashes. These quantities
are small, but viii be found sufficient
tor the uses of a season. And WHEREBY
ef wheat may be sown on a clover-lav. !
we would SOW from two to four bushels !
Of salt to The acre.
!" We would, by all means, be parti- |
cular IN the selection Of good seed, hay |
ing due regard to weight of grain, |
strength Of straw, earliness of maturity |
and quality Of -four.
We would not have any wheat |
sown without having it first thorough |
" washed in pure water, and then soa-
ked IN brine that would bear an egg
OF potato, for twenty-four hours, which
when taken out should be drained land
then dried in lime. We are the more
particular in insisting upon this mode
Of preparing seed wheat, because we
have noticed many accounts of injury to
the crops during the late season from
SMUT, disease perfectly within the
control Of the wheat grower, and which
can never occur but from culpable ne
glect, as the means which we have
pointed out, we do know, will prevent
its occurrence.
"While we are upon the subject, let
us, advise all wheat growers to give to
bis land a bountiful allowance Of seed,
as should he fail to DO this, the bare
portions Of his soil will call into being
some Of those numerous weeds, the
seeds Of which are always at hand, to
occupy spots left by the neglect of the
husbandman. He that wants clean
field Of acheat must fill that field eoith
aoheot plants. # he does not commit
asn6fciert quafatity Of seed 10 the earth,
nature mil not supply them, but she
oiB supply q crop q pestile,,t aOeeds
TO rob has a0heat plants of their food,
diminish Ills crop, and thus punish him
for neglect Of duty"