Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1844-04-09
SPRING WHEAT.
BY "pRAIRIE BREAKER"

the West there still exists, q strong pre- u
dice against spring wheat. And as | think
it has arisen in consequence oil errors COM
mitted in the management Of il, beg leave
10 speak few words in IFS ia or; and as
a set-off | will endeavor 10 point out some
of these errors and give the remedy so far
as my experience or observation will ena-
bic me.
First, good article is generally pre-
ferred to fall wheat for bread by those who
have tried it.
Second, with the same labor bestowed,
it will as a general rule yield more per
acre than winter wheat.
Third, it being sown in the spring, farm
ers can raise more wheat with the same
amount Of help than they could if depend
ent entirely upon winter crop. The
same argument will also apply in reg I'd
10 harvesting, as the time of ripening is u
little later. The price Of good article is
bat little less than fall wheat. Now for
errors
First, in general the ground is not pro.
perly prepared. 1t should be poughed in
tho fall. | raised the past season 70 BUSH
els 10 the acre on The ground thus prepared,
without doing any thing 10 it again but
narrowing. If had plowed it again in
the spring, am confident | should have
obtained 35 bushels. On land that was
not fall plowed, obtained but 20 bushels
per acre.
Second, the seed is not we'll prepa ed
1t should be washed in brine, and then as
strong a corrosive applied as the wheat
will bear without injuring it, in order 10 Tree
it from smut
One of my neighbors, Mr.. L. Haskell,
pursued the following method with three
different parcels.
First, washed in water and then in strong
ley.
Second, washed in ley alone.
Third, sOwed without washing.
The result was, that the first had no
smut 10 injure it; the second had but little,
but more than the first; the third was abou;
one fourth smut. The wheat spoken of
above was the red chafr bald, a very hand
some wheat, more nearly resembling win
Ter Than any variety | have seen, but
think more liable to injury by smut than
the Siberian (white chaff bearded) or the
white chaff bald. There is another thing
worthy of note in relation 10 the parcels
washed in ley-there was marked dfie
renee in its favor over the unwashed
through every stage of It's growth, and i,
yield more per acre, The wheat should
not remain IN the ley bat few minutes.
If it be washed IN brine and dried with
lime it should be left in bulk thirty six
hours after the lime is sl(ted on, before
sowing.
Error third, there is not sufficient guam
tlty Of seed sown TO the acre. Two bush
els is little enough if soSn as early as
possible in the spring; more is required if
sown late: Reason: gain sown thin on
our rich lands will spread or tiller, and
while occupied in this operation it loses
much valuable time. And when it does
commence shooting upward, the season is
so far advanced that it grows very rapidly
the straw, rank but weak, is consequent
ly liable to rust; the heads will not be uni
form in size, those produced by the last
formed shoots being smaller, in conse-
quence of the main shoots overtopplng
them, and taking larger share of nour-
lshment, both from the root and the aiinos.
phere. On the contrary, when grain is
sown thick it occupies but little time in till.
ering, and before the season is so far ad.
vanced as to cause rapid growth, it ac-
qulres a hardness or firmness in all its
qualities that it does not lose in the latter
stage Of its growth. From an experiment
made last spring. | am inclined to believe
that the bushels is safer than less. sow.
ed that quantity on one land through the
middle of field, and at harvest the advan-
tage was clearly on the side of the thick
sowE. The straw was not SO tall as that on
either side where two bushels to the acre
had been sown; but it was bright, and stood
very thick on the ground, well headed, a
plump, round berry, and ripened several
days earlier than any ether part Of the field.
And this last is fact worthy Of being ia
ken into account. Every farmer of anv
experience knows, that the earlier grain
comes TO maturity, the less liable it is TO
rust. And there is another fact that pro-
badly all have observed; which is, that if
there be spots in the field but partially seed
Gu, UT IL from any cause Inc grain has been
killed oct, blight or rust will be found in
those spots if it be found any where in the
field. This | think is good evidence in
favor of hick seeding; for in these thialy
seeded places the plant has room to spread
or tilIer, and is thus occupied while the
other parts of the field are going on to
maturity.
but 10 conclude: prepare your ground
well, wash your seed in brine and lime it,
or soak il in ley, and sow it early and
plenty of it, and my word for it, you will
make il a part of your crop ever afterwards.
There is no fig or smoke about it, bu, all
plain sailing.
Providence, Bureau CO., H., Feb. 20,
1874
Com. Stewart has written letter. that