The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1850-08-14
4 A From the Prairie Farmer.
Culture Of Wheat. - -.


ing more ready sale than any other crop it has
become the great staple of the country. The
best method of culture, and that which will secure
us most perfectly against the ravages of insects,
such as the Hessian fly, weevil, nudge, &c, and
parasitic plants, rust, smut, and the like, is ex-
ceedingly desirable. The most feasible way of
obtaining such perfect method is by comparing
ideas, practice, and results.
In this section, on the praries, the best crop,
quantity and quality considered, is laised on
newly broken land for this purpose the praires
should be broken up before the 25th of June and
let lie till the 18th of August, then drag we'll
and sow one and half bushels of clean seed
to the acre. On land thus sown good crop is
most generally harvested. IF old land is used it
should be well and deeply plowed in narrow
lands, and making the open or centre furrow
deep one SO that it will readily conduct the water
off. Sow as soon after blowing as convenient
Drilling the wheat is the best manner of putting
it in the ground, but this is seldom practced as
yet. IF sowed broadcast, the wheat being har-
rowed, should be we'll rolled, and after it has
got good growth it should be rolled again, as
this is the best means ofsetting the plants firmly
in the ground, and it also prevents the wind
from blowing the dirt away from the roots of the
plants which they are extremely liable to do, ex-
posing the plants to sudden thawings and freez-
ings These are extremely hurtful to the health
of the plant and often cause its entire destruc-
ton. The rolling serves another important OBJ
;oo ;,,j ;str
| rolling the land after the wheat is up brushes
the egg and larve of this pernicious insect; it
also displaces the flies as they deposit their eggs,
| which they do in the creases or burrows of the
| upper surface ofthe leaves of the young wheat
plant. Districts affected with this great enemy
should Immediately after harvest burn all the
stubble of the straw, as in this manner large
quantities of the pupae of the fly will be destroy
ed, and deep blowing Immediately after this
will bury them so deep as to destroy the remain
DER or at least render them comparatively harm
less. The land should be again rolled in the
Spring to set back the plants that have been
upheaved by the frosts of Winter and Spring.
| Too much care cannot be taken in the prepar-
alton of seed wheat. 1t should be fully ripe be-
fore cut, as wheat that stands until well rpened
converts the gluten Of the plant into starch,
which affords greater amount of nourishment
to the young plant. The wheat should be aceu
cleaned, and before sowing soah FOR twenty -four
hours in strong brine, and then roll in a. slack
lime, or, in lieu thereof, ashes. Although it has
not been demonstrated as yet that the seed may
be so manfred as to grow without any reference
to the soil IN which it may be placed yet it has
been shown with wheat, we'll as with other
seed, that that which causes the seed to most
quickly terminate will secure the most vigorous
plants. Soaking in brine as here recommended
tends to promote this object beside which it re-
moves smut and other foul stuff which may
chance to be in the seed.
The variety of seed used is an important mat
| ter in the successful culture of wheat. Although
no one kind possesses equal advantages in all
places yet in all localities there is some one kind
that is better suited to that locality than other
varieties. Other things being equal, that is the
best kind and best suited to the place which
ripens earliest, makes the best flour and which
best escapes the rust.
For this section the white flint wheat is the best
variety in my knowledge The berry is of
white finty appearance, very solid, with thin
bran; the straw is rather Short very white, and
of bright appearance; has but few leaves on
the stalks; very little liable to rust, and from the
tcnacity with which the berry sticks to the chaF
in its chamber it very seldom shells out in the
harvesting. From the hardness and solidity of
the berry it is less liable to grow while standing
in the shock than most other kinds. 1t makes
a first rate flour, millers prcferring it to most
other kinds.-From paragraphs in the agricultur-
al papers one would Judge that in other localities
there were equally valuable kinds The only
way for the good farmer to do is to test a large
number of kinds, holding fast, however, to those
that prove the most valuable to him.
He should recolect, however, that in order
to keep it from deterioration the soil on which
grows should be often changed and as 4 gener-
al rule it is better to take seed from colder in
preference to a warmer locality.
The greatest hindrance to wheat growing is
its liability to rust, and he would confer great
boon on the country who would discover an anti
dote for this pest. Farmers are very far from
being agreed as to it's cause. My own opinion
is that it is parasitic plant fungus feeding on
the sap of the wheat, where it grows until it
rpens its seed, when the seed-ball bursts dis
trbuting its seed on every side, and which is car
ried by the winds from plant to plant and from
field to field. The state and preparation in
which the plant is has an undoubted nfiu-
ence on its liability to be attacked. Heat and
moisture are also necessary for the growth of the
fungus, or rather of the wheat that it NAV fur
nish sufficient quantity sap to ripcn this fun
gus plant. But it is even more important to
know how to guard against it than to know what
it is. Early sowing and such culture as will ;
secure vigorous growth early in the season, as
well as the early rpening of the plant will in
some sessions and places prove specific against
it.
Wheat for Touring should in all cases be
cut early, while it is passing from its milky to
its doughty state, as at this time it possesses the