Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1850-09-11
A RICULTURAL
From the American Farmer.
CULTURE OF WHEAT.

CULTURE OF WHEAT.
Wheat.-This being the grea. market croT
of most farmers-being the crop whence
they derive their principal amoun. of mo-
ney-lts importance is Of vital interest, anC
should always command the most profound
consideration. All things connected with
it, from the selection of the seed. to the sale
of the crop, form matters for serious reAec.
tion. The physical condition Of the soil
whether wet, or sound, the state of lis fer.
tliiy, the mode and depth of ploughing, the
ineness of its liI'h, the manner and depth Of
putting in the seed, the character, of the
manure, where any may be used, the quan,
ity applied, and the mode of application
are all subjects of deep concern, and should
be pondered on well.
There is another matter involving deer
interests, which we fear is bu, too seldom
attended to,-we allude to the time of cut.
ting the grain.
Our readers will admi. with US, ,ha, as
the wheat crop approaches the period Of its
maturity, there is no single day within .w {
weeks of its becoming ripe, when it is no
environed by imminen. peril and danger O
being destroyed, in whole, or in part, by
that dire aud insidious enemy, the rust. Sc
far as our information extends, in relation
to its ravages the presen. year, all its mis-
chief was done within the three days imme'
diateIy preceding harvest. Anticipating the
danger of such contingency, we took the
liberty of advising our friends in our June
and July numbers, to cut lheir grain some
days before it was dead ripe. Fortunate has
i, been for those who took our advice fol
while their crops have escaped unsca!hed
many of their neighbors have sustained
losses, equal TO one-fourh or e-lhird o
their entire wheat crops; both in grain and
in straw.
Wheat, and other grains, may be Gu, from
z to 10 days before being dead-ripe, with
evident advantage to the grain in weight and
IN quality, and in the quantity Of the -four;
while the straw, for purposes of feeding, is
better in quality, and more in quantity.
Experiment upon experiment, have estab
lshed the truth Of these averments: then
why should farmers hesitate 10 embrace
practice, which offers the only practical plan
of avoiding the devas.alions of the rust-a
disease utterly incurable, when it comes,-
and which laughs a! and derides every pre-.
ventive agent?
The Smut too, as we regret to have learn
ed has done very considerable injury; bu
as this is disease perfectly con.rollable by
wheat growers, sincerely hope, that, in SOW
ing this fall, they will avail themselves o
the simple preventive remedy which we shall
hereafter prescribe, "a remedy among many
others, which, for half a century, has prov.
ed infaIlibe. Though simple, 1. is effectu.
al,-and we, therefore, most earnestly trust,
that the little extra labor it may involve
will not deter any one from resorting to it
for if whea, is worthy of being grown, i. il
thrice worthy of being SO pu, in, as to offe
every barrier against the effects of any dis.
ease, which may be within the reach of ths
grower.
Ploughing for Wheat.--lf the land to b'
sward, we would turn the furrow at least
inches deep; roll, SO as to compress ,h'
furrow slices, then harrow, and cross har
row, until we had completely puverized lh'
soil for we hold that much of the success
Of the whea! crop depends upon The dep'l
and fineness Of the surface soil II shoulC
be deep enough to encourage the roots t.
seek depth offering security agains. winte
killing, and fine enough 10 obviate all i'm
pedimenls i'll their descent.
Whenever possible to be done, the lant
should be subsoiled, as we'll as ploughed
the former operation, in our opinion, will
any time, add 20 per cent. to the productive
capacity of any sound land, not wet; we
land, before being subsoIled, should b.
drained. The day is no. distant, when al
intelligent farmers will as soon think of pu,
ling in their crops without ploughing a
without subsoilng.
When wheat may be seeded in Corr
ground, it should be either ploughed in will
the seed plough, or put in with the eultva
tor, and in either case must be done viii
care and neatness.
Observation-Disclosures we sowcd upon {
clover-ley or upon grass-sward, we shoul(
be careful to give dressing Of nutritire ma
nure. We do not say heavy one, Still
we would give dressing. We are free se
confess that we have not the dread enter
tanned by most wheat-growers, Of manuring
wheat. We recollect many years ago 'ha
a neighbor of ours, seeded two acres in
wheat, on lot of rather heavy loan, which
had been in early Potatoes. The potatoes
had been literally manured in the rows
after taking off the crop, he manured again
with heavy dressing Of nigh'soil, cross
ploughed as deep as strong team would
permit, narrowed, and cross narrowed, un-
til the ,il.h was perfectly fine, then sowed
2 bushels of seed to the acre, ploughed it in
8 inches deep, run wafer furrows and finish
ed by rolling. On these two acres, he grew
lOl 1-2 bushels Of as fine whea, as we ever
saw, being al the rate of 81 Ii bushels pei