Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1857-04-16
THE GROWING WHEAT,

w could not well nave more uniaYOrable
weather than the present cold, dry state of
the atmosphere, for the growing wheat
Upon all land where the plants are thrown
out by the action of frost, freezing and thaw-
ing, the roots, being exposed, are particu-
larly susceptible to injury from drying winds,
particularly if continued long enough to re-
duce the light surface-soil to dust, which
blows away, so as to prevent the roots from
recovering their hold upon the eaYh, even
after the recurrence Of rains. Such we con-
ceive to be the present condition Of vast
area Of wheat-sown lands in all the North
ern States, where the crop is more frequent
ly sown upon clayey soil than upon san
dy one, and where the greatest of all the
enemies Of success is a surplus Of water
standing on or near the surface, which is the
cause Of what is called Winter killing
really Spring killing. For this there is but
one remedy, and that is thorough draining.
Wherever that is not done, we fear the
wheat now growing is generally injured
From several points we condense the follow
ing notices Of this important crop:
A Staunton, Va. -, paper Of q late date says
the wheat crop never looked worse in that
part of Virginia than it does this Spring, and
the same complaint is prevalent throug hout
the wheat growing districts Of the South
Some fields look as though entirely killed at
the roots.
In Illinois, much of the wheat was sown
late in the FALL and did not get good start
so as to endure the hardship Of the winter :;
and it is feared it has been injured this
spring. Some Of the farmers in the central
part Of the State have declared that their
crops were entirely ruined, while others,
particularly those who drilled in their seed,
declare their crops are very promising. In
Sangamon county, Notwithstanding some
fields are ruined, the quantity sown is so
large that it is hoped the general crop Of
the county Will be q full average one.
One man in Mclean County is reported
as having GOO acres Of wheat that looks so
bad that he will have to pillow it all up ; and
the prospect in all that county is very poor
The counties in Illinois where the wheat
is most injured, we should judge, are Nor
gan. sangamon, Schuyler, Hancock, Full
ton, Mclean, and some others in the CEN
trail part Of the State On the other hand,
news from Perry county states the number
Of acres sown as nearly double that of any
former season, and that it looks remarkably
we'll.
In Wisconsin we should Judge the farm
ers are well pleased with the prospect Of
the growing wheat, since it emerged from
it's snowy covering.
In Michigan. too, there seems to be some
thing encouraging. The jackson (Mich.)
Patriot says: eve have visited portions
of the country since the snow disappeared,
and we never saw the wheat look better
If present appearances continue it will be
the best crop we have had for years"
In Indiana, on the Wabash, there is
good deal of complaint Of winter killing,
except where the seeding was done very
early.
In our opinion, the crop will be deter
mined before the middle Of April, and we
fear unfav orably.-N. Y Tribune