Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1857-08-06
Agrltnltural,
On TRE HILLS NEAR MARIINsvILLE-(
July 18th, 1851.

OK TIE HILLS NEAR MARIIEsVILLE-f
July 18th, 1857.
To The Editor Of he Be,nozt Chronicle:
The great and all absorbing question
with farmers, is the wheat crop; the second
question asked BY ne:gbbors, is 'how is y"or
wheat The corn crop may fail. Oats and
grass may fail. Congress may act the fco'
generally, and our State Treasures. may
embezzle the peoples money and Try &c c"n-
ceal the theft, and if the whea: crop Should
prove abundant, all is well, compara'i. e.y;
but if this should fail as it has tor the .ast
two or three years, nothing but complaint
is heard, and distress anticipated.
Nov submit to my brother farmers
whether we have not, Ike the Irish with
the potatoes. ..Plsced our dependence t0n
much on this cTnp-have tried 10 rrolase
too much of it, We have skinned cver TIE
surface of our iand too often, and laXsd IL
energies too seVeTely-and the consequence
is prostration and barrenness; and although
its failure may not produce famine and death
as in the case Of Ireland, upon the failure
OF the potatoe crop, yet the consequence
are exceedingly unpleasant, and in some
cases at least disastrous, and are if possible
to be avoided for The future. The dsstruc-
iion o! this crop will ultimately prove
blessing to the Farmers of old Belmont. in
stead of curse, if we are wise and improve
our advantages. This however Will not be
the case if we turn our attention exclusive
ly to something else-grass growing and
cattle raising, for instance, till the market
becomes glutted, and cur stock becomes ar
improbable burden cn cur hands; and then
turn our attention TO something else With
which we are uuacquainted and for the
prosecution of which We are unpreFared.
and find in turn tina: il has been overdone
A diversity Of production is our true pglicy-
The scarcity of any of the prime neces-
saries of life, must OF necessity enhance
the price. Then while wheat continues to
command from cne 10 two dollars per bushel.
we want to be in the market. When beef
is worth from 10 to Is els. per pound, it Is
pleasant 10 have few cattle 10 dispose Of
And when wool is worth 80 to 60 Cts, it Is
an easy way of getting cur harvest money.
if we only have enough to sell.
Then sir, hold that we must continue
TO produce wheat. Weeyil or no weevii, not
only TO supply cur tables, but cur pockets
also, for in these fast times you may as well
be hungry as meneyiess, almost. Now 20
prove that We can produce whest, and good
wheat, and plenty Of it in spite of tie
weevil. | shall gise my experience Ex-
perience you know, keeps a dear shoul.-
But some people will learn in 20 other, but
dear as it is | prefer il TO the Une kept by
theory.
Last fall broke up as deep as possible,
without snb-soil plow, field OF stiff lime
stone upland soil, from which ! had ius'
taken crop of barley which had been
seriously injured by the weevil. After piow-
irg, carted all the manure from the yards
and stables on it. Giving the lhiGuest land
in the fed he0vy top dressing-tiat pari
of the field not manured ,hss always been
considered too rich for wheat-the manure
was narrowed in with the wheat at sowire
time; on the iard thus mdnureJ the whpal
c9me up thrifty and vigorovs, tie frosrs ot
the severe winter did not affect it, through,
cut the spring it maintained the same luxu.
rent appearance, it headed from ten days t.
two weeks eTlier than the balance OF The
field, SO it was in ripening. Where thf
manure YVES applied, if you are 2crsevsrira
you msy find weeril, but it requires strict
search, but not so strict as ii does to fad
and uninjuFed head Of grain where no man.
ure was applied. The same is true OF a
field belonging to one Of my neiehbors.
Then sir, this proves that it is poss; e
to raise wheat liz spite of The wecvil-anC
with the blessings OF Providence, | am 60.
ing 10 do it. 1t also proves that to be able
to grow wheat profitably, il is necessary t,
Keep stock 10 make manure, and am going
TO do that too, or as the girls-dear crea
tures-used to tell us want mere than
one string to my bow. VERDAYT.