Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1845-08-28
WHEAT.

As the period is now approaching when this i'm
portant crop ia to be put into the ground, we ex-
tract from the Cultvaior for August, l84l the fol-
lowing admirable and judicous remarks upon its
cultivation
TIME OF SOWING. is the
month in which our most important crop,
wheat, should be- sown, as the experience
OF nearly every farmer proves that putting
the seed into the earth in this month, is
preferable TO any earlier or later sowing.
II sown earlier, there is great DAM ger that
hot dry weather, such as frequently pre-
walls in August, will prevent the seed
vegetating, or give only weak, spind-
ling plant; while late sowing prevents
the plants getting sufficient root, and by
making The harvest late, renders the crop
more liable TO the attack of the rust or
midew. Wheat sown too early is also
more liable to be injured by the Hessian
fly. Taking all things into consideration,
il the land Is properly tiled and in good
condition, it will be found that fromthe 18th
TO the 20th OF September will as good a
time as any for sowing wheat. There is
a chance OF its escaping the fly; it can
hardly fail of vegetating it Will get suf-
ficiently rooted and will come forward
a: harvest early enough to escape the
mildew, unless in extraordiary cases.
SELECTION OF SEED.-The selection Of
seed for the wheat crop, is not sufficient
ly attended TO by most farmers, and the
losses consequent on their loose practice
liz this respect is immense. To this II is
owing in a great measure, that our wheat
fields are covered with stenkrout, cookie,
chess, and the multitude ofviIe weeds that
exhaust the crop, and not unfrequently
destroy all profitable cultivation. Bright,
plump, clean seed, should always 5e cho.
sen, and impure, shriveled or discoored
seed avoided. We have known some
farmers cast their wheat for seed, that is,
,hrow it some 80 or 40 feet, or the length
Of the barn floor, and as the heaviest kerr
neIs will go the farthesi, this point is Sc.
lected for the seed. Others select their
seed by taking the sheaves and striking
them few blows across block or barrel
by which the ripest and best seeds will be
shaken out to be used for sowing. Bu,
whatever course is adopted, let it always
be rendered, that as general rule, the
more perfect the seed, the better in every
respect will be the crop.
CHANGE OF SEED. We have known the
very best effects resu. from a change of
seed ; such as wheat grown on oak lands,
to be sown on beech and maple lands or
from one district Of the former to another
The farmers Of the counties OF Madison,
Cortland, and those on the high lands of
the south part of Onondaga, wore for many
years in the practice Of getting their seed
wheat from the limestone districts Of Cay
uga county, and the course was most
beneficial one. The object at first was to
escape the smut, but experience showed
that the crop itself was much improved
IN quentity as well as quality and OIL.
though by the use of lining seed wheat,
smut has been mostly eradIcated from the
district named, the beneficial effects of
change OF seed are still apparent. Let
those who doubt the importance Of a change
of seed try the experiment of ordering
some pure Genesee wheat, to sow side
and side with some that has long soils,
and mark the result.
PROPAGATION or SEED. Next to hav.
ing good seed, in our estimation, is the
preparation Oft previous to sowing. This
should never be neglected. Washing it
assists materially IN freeing it from all foul
seeds, destroying the ova Of insects that
may have been deposited upoc it, and the
alkaline solutions which should always be
used, act most important part IN aiding
the termination Of seed. Among the ex-
perlments which have been made 10 test
the effects of various washes or sleeps,
the Solowng from Young's Annals OF Ag-
riculture, and which have been frequently
repeated and varied, but with similar ei-
elcis, may DO considered the best aud most