The North-Carolina standard., 1845-10-01
MISCELLANEOUS.
From the American Farmer.
SOWING WHEAT AND RYE.


SOWING WHEAT AND RYE. @
AS autumn has again, in the revolutions of the
seasons, come, it is meet that every agrculturist
should set himself earnestly to work to fulfil those
obligations of duty which it may impose; and
while he may be thus engaged, let him see, that
whatever he may have done, shall be nell done,
and done IN season, as he may rest assured, that
success in his calling very materially depends
upon the observance of these rules. In prepar-
ing his grounds for his fall grain; he should spare
no pains to have it deeply ploughed; to see that
there be no baIks left untouched and that it be
thoroughly pulverized by either the drag, or roll
ler and harrow. Although we are not of the
creed of those who believe, that PulvertzGtiOn
possesses the power of panaeea to make sterile
soils produce luxuriant crops we are free to con-
fsss that we do believe it will make any, whether
poor or rich, yield in a greatly augmented ratio,
and this will be the more readily conceded by tho
thinking farmer, when he reflects that in the at
nospGere, the rain, and the snOsO, are to be found
most, if not all of the elements of fertility, and
that by having his grounds In state the best a.
daped to attract and appropriate these elements to
their uses the better chance will he stand OF being
profted by these fruitful sources Of enrichment.
Again, by deep tilh and minute subdivision of
the SOIL the root of the plants have bed prepar-
ed, which, instead of offering any impeachment to
their embedding themselves beyond the reach of
frosts-bsyond tho influence of sudden freezings
and thawings- encourage their expansion, and in
creases the pasture on which they feed. a
With this introduction, we will turn our atten-
ton to see what should first claim our notice.
PrepGrGtion of the Wheat ground. In addi-
ton to what we have already said upon this sub
ject, we will remark, that the sooner ground in
tended for wheat shall be ploughed and put in or
der for the reception of the seed the better chance
will there be of the crop being good one, as the
ground once ready and in good uhh, the farmer
may choose his own time for sowing. And we
would wish to impress this fact upon the mind Of
the wheat grower,-that 10et lands are not adapt
ed to the successful growing of the wheat crop,
as they never fail to exert pernicious influence
upon the plants in the alterations of the weather
during winter and early spring, and that it is i'm
possible that heaIthful vegetation can be carried
On, where the roots of the plants during those Pc
rlods buried in masses of mud and water
Besides good ploughing and fine tIlth, il is essen
tial that wheat fields should be secured by judi
ciously arranged water furrows at intervals of
some sixteen feet apart 50 constructed, and so lev
elled, as that the water, which may fall, will
speedily pass off, and ke conducted to leading
drains around the field of sufficient depth and de-
scent to receive and convey it away 1t would be
better that fields abounding in super0bUndGhce
of moisture should be binddrained but as there s
not now time left for such labor the next best plan
is, to do as we have advised above, provide them
amply with sufficient burrows.
Selection of the Seed Too much care cannot
be laken in the choice of varieties select those
which combine the qualities of early maturity,
good Touring properties, and resistance of the fly;
nor should less care be observed in procuring the
best and cleanest seed which can be obtained it
should be plump, heavy, and free from all extra
neous matters, SO that in sowing it. the earth may
not be filled with weeds also.
Preparation of and pulling tn the seed. To
prevent Smut, all seed wheat should be we'll wash
ed in clean water, so that all the lighter grains
and the seeds of weeds, may be SKINNED off To
ensure this the wheat should be put into hogs
head, in small quantities at time kept stirred,
so that the impure grains, and extraneous matters
may be foated to The top. This process should
be continued until all such are removed, and the
water, which should be drawn off and replenish-
ed occasionally, ceases to be colored by the opera
ton. After this has been effected let brine be
made of saft or ley of ashes sufficiently strong to
bear an egg, cover the seed wheat with it let it
soak for twelve hours, then drain off the soak,
spread the wheat on floor, sprinkle slaked lime,
ashes it and stir up the mass 50 as to coat
each grain with the substance used. When this is
DONE the seed will be ready for sowing. No
moro wheat must be taken out of the soak than
can be sown each day, and care should be taken
to plough it in as sown, not more than about three
inches Deep The hGrrOa0 and roller should fol
low the plough. SEED mus prepared ana put 10,
will besides being exempt from smut, come up
quicker, grow more rapidly, and, of consequence,
obtain much better series of roots before winter
than would such as may be sown without prepa-
ration, and therefore be better able to withstand
the effects of frosts and thaws = a4
Rye This grain, if not already sown should
be put in early this month as possible and with
a view of providing pasture in early spring for
the in-lamb ewes, it would be we'll to give it |
sufficient ferlizing opdressinR, should the ground
not be in good heart. From experience we are
prepared to say, that the eating down Rye in ear
with the product Of grain. -
Preparations of tie Seed. We would advise
that seed Rye be submitted to asimilar soak as
that recommended for wheat, as should it answer
no other end, it would facilitate termination, and
cause the plants to grow off vigorously and en-