Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1845-10-22
From Ike Southern Cultiuutor.
WHEAT.

In tho course of this month, those who
intend TO plant wheat will be getting their
ground in order, and towards the. end ol
iha month they will be putting the seed
in the ground. Very much of the sue
cess of The crop and of the quality of the
grain will depend on the manner in which
the ground shall be prepared for the re-
ceplion of the seed, and on the proper SO.
lection and preparation of the seed itself.
In the former parlicular-the preparation
of The ground-the practice of Southern
planters has been very especially careless;
SO much so, lndeed, as to have occasioued
the remark that if, in those States where
wheal is main crop, the ground were
prepared aud the seed sOwn in manner
as slovenly as by many Southern plan
ters, nothing a, all would be made. The
grea, defect in our practice in preparing
for this crop, as we'll as all others, con
sists in our shallow plowiug, This is TO
be rcmedied by subsoiling, about which
there has been so much said in the sCul-
.,ivator.' Then, as to the soil itself, the
defect, in most paris of The South, is the
deficiency Of lime aad potash. Every
wheai grower ought, by all means, TO put
on his VII land. where this defniency
exists, a, least ten bushels Of lime, and
the like quantity of ashes, 10 The acre
These both contain essential ingredients
of both straw and grain, as has been re-
pea,edly shown by analysis. Aud where
they are literally supplied 10 soils def
cieut in them. other things being properly
attended TO, there will be produced large
heads of whea, filled with large, plump
grains and straw of strength sufficient to
hold such heads up. If the lime and ash
es cannot be applied when the wheat is
sown, il will answer as well-some say
belter-to defer it till winter. When the
land is poor, the American Farmer says,
3. the cheapest as well as the best manure
tha, could be used would be Guano, in
the proportion of $50 TO 300 pounds to the
acre. to be mixed with about Ten lines
that quantity Of mould, aud one bushel Of
plaster. The whole to be mixed together,
sown broadcast, aud lightly narrowed in
at The lime of sowing the grain, or any
time durins The winter omilting she
use Of the harrow in the latter case, of
course.
Where Guano canno, be had, the A.
merican Farmer recommends as very
excellent substitute, The following mixtures:
mTake 9 bushels of ground bones, 2 BUSH
els OF ashes, 10 bushels Of rich loan or
mould, / bushel Of plaster, 2 bushels of
salt, and 20 gallons of urine; mix the
whole together we'll; let the mass remain
for few days, when it will be fit TO sow.
The quantity here named is intended for
an acre, and would, we have no doubt,
tend 10 increase the yield thirty three per
cent. In the crop of wheat, besides great
" improving the succeeding crops of any
rotation which might follow, aud leaving
The ground in meliorated condition"
Where are we to get the bones! you
ask. Yes. there the difficulty in making
use Of this prescription. We in:lhe South
are moi poor enough yet TO begin to save
bones, but we soon will be, going on as
we do now. Let any one, however,
think for moment of the quantity of
bones he might save on his plantation if
he were to Sc, about gathering up what.