Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1857-09-13
HINTS ON WHEAT CULTURE.

of our readers that we not likely to make it too
| frequently the subject of remark.
1t is a reproach TO our agriculture that while the
very frequent experience Of some of best farm
ers gives crops Of thirty and forty bushels per acre.
| the usual products of our lands, without a large
direct outlay for fertilizers, hardly more than a
fourth of these quantities. The ready is the
difference in the quality of the land. As a general
| thing this is only an excuse The very lands now
| so productive, have been, within the memory of ma
| ny now living, poor the poorest; and of those
now so poor, who will undertake to say that their
natural constitution makes them incapable of the
| highest degree of improvement? There are, no
doubt cases of this Sort but they exceptional
generally there is nothing wanting but the proper
| use of the right means When land holder finds
that on all his possessions he has not so much as
garden a favorite lot which pays the cost of the
manure put upon it, and that weeds do not grow ear
his kitchen door or his pgpen, he may give up his
land in despair. Otherwise let him not excuse his
Incidence and want of spirit, by charging the fault
upon his land without giving it at least very fair
trial. Nor is it fattering TO vanity, that even
our best farmers, on the best lands, come so far
short, generally of what these grounds are capable
of producing. Well attested cases of fifty bushels
to the acre. have on a small scale, and frequent
cases of forty to the acre, on considerable fields
| They show sufficiently what can be done. But such
crops very rare that plain enough the most
| successful cultivators cannot command them In
|
forty-eight bushels is not unusual according to Mr.
Colman and he mentions a well proved case of ninety
bushels to the acre. But there as well as here how
very far below the lowest of these numbers are the
average crops of many of the best farmers. The
truth is that the great body of cultivaors do not
work up to the knowledge at their command; and
the intelligent do not understand the subject
of wheat growing, so important matter should
| be understood. We plead the numerous enemies
with which the wheat crop is plagued, the cause
| of much uncertainty and failure, and with some
reason. Sometimes, during the present season,
no known remedy has been of any avail against
their ravages in certain localities But taking the
average Of the ten years past, we think it will be
admitted that the growing of wheat has not been
Improbable, and that the certainty as well as the
quantity of the crop has been in almost exact pro-
portion to the skill Of the cultivaor in the improve
ment of his lands, and the proper manuring and
| cultivation of his crop.
1t is mere folly TO undertake to cultivate wheat
! upon poor land insutfciently MANFRED Land not
capable Of yielding fifteen bushels to the acre,
should be MANFRED, or let alone for improving
| crop.
Wheat requires clean culture it cannot be grown
| to advantage any grass sod, except well man
| aged clOver-falloW. well turned clover sod that
has been moved or judiciOusly grazed, is the best
preparation for crop. The pea-fallow is thought
by many equal by superior, to the clover Its
value for the wheat crop will depend, in measure,
upon the which 1t is managed so large mass of
vegetable matter put in with a shallow ploughing
may keep the surface soil Orous as TO do the
wheat a serious harm. If not very thoroughly
turned under with a deep furroW, it is better per-
haps do as is done by some experienced cultiva-
tors in Virginia. and so put in the wheat and the
vines, TO leave large portion of the latter I'M
covered on the surface. In either case, the land
should be heavily rolled A firm seed bed seems
essential to the We-being of wheat. Deep plough
ing is not to be objected to- but it is important that
the earth be well compacted with the roller, when
the seed Is sown.
Any grass sod, other than clover in its second
year, should be planted in some cleansing CROP
which will give the sod time to be Thoroughly rotted
The best Of cultivated crops for this purpose is
without question: tobacco. The neat, careful Guilt
vaton the thorough shading and destruction of all
grass and weeds, leave the ground in state of per-
feet preparation for the wheat. The shalowest
working of the surface which is sufficient to cover
the seed is all the labor required for putting in the
crop; or a drill alone will do 1t, without any other
preparation.
The most common cleansing crop is corn, but it is
by far inferior to tobacco. If rich enough for wheat
the crab grass grows luxuriantly after the work
ing ceases, that it is hard put the wheat in prop
erly. If not rich enough to produce grass, it is
not fit for wheat great deal of the wheat crop,
however, is soWn upon the cOrn-feld and it is upon
these fields that the purchased fertilizers are chiefly
useu. Nueat growers OF very r6llaDlG Judgment,
have adopted the practice of putting in the seed up
on corn land with the drill, with no previous prepa
ration by ploughing. Others stir the surface with
harrOws, only enough to procure the covering for
the grain. rhey avoid turning under the grass, and
leave firm bed for the crop to grow upon.
The practice of drilling in wheat with a machine
is one Of the most important advances which has
been made in wheat culture. The saving of seed,
the increase Of the crop the security against winter
killing, and great economy in the application Of
fertilizers, advantages so important and so well
ascertained, that no who sows twenty-five acres
should fail TO use the drill.
The introduction ofthe drill culture will be followed
do not doubt, by the practice of spring cultva-
ton, with implement to stir the intervals between
the rows Of wheat The of the roller is of great
importance in the spring. to close the seams left
open by the action Of the FROST and settle the plants
well in their bed But the stirring Of the interme-
diafe space to the depth of a few inches in such
manner not to disturb the plants would admit the
influence of the rains and atmosphere with undoubt-
ed advantage to the crop.
As to the time of seeding, the rule is certainly
to early. There is great advantage in having
the seeds soon enough in the ground, to get the
plants well rooted by winter. Ii may be well borne
in mind, however, that while the enemies of this
crop generally, to have taken counsel together
for its destruction, the fly especially has for
al seasons, been aecumulating upon us, and may be
of course expected again in force. 1t is desirable,
for this reason TO postpone the seeding till after about
the 9th of October Earlier seeding less essential
with advantages now have, than it was some years
ago; because, lst the drill is almost an insurance
against winter-killing; and ID the use of guauO is
almost an insurance against rust. We would take
chances against and frost with drill and only
fifty pounds Of guano, sowing by the middle of De-
tObeT, rather than to SOW twenty days earlier with
them. As to the 1y, the latter seems TO be- with
out question, the safer time The impression that
the later wheat is subject to the attack of
fly in the spring that early, has not been sus
tanned by our observation of the past crop. The
field which had most fly in the fall, has been that
which suffered most from its raVages in the spring.
This, we say, is our observation we should be
glad to learn how far it comedies with that of 9TH
ers.
We would not, therefore, in this latitude, SOW be-
fore the 9th of October but would have everything
in readiness to get through at the earliest possible
time after this The fallOW should be in readiness
weeks before, that it may become well settled by
seeding time The corn should be cut off and set
up and every preparation should be made in advance
which may expedite the work Of seeding when once
begun.
In conclusion, the wheat growers of Maryland and
Virginia, have had this season unusual oppOruni
ty of becoming acquainted with the character and
habits of the several enemies which beset this CROP
In SEINE districts they have been very destructive
while in others they only to have given notice
of their intention 10 again. 1t is TO be sup
posed that there has been picked up by intelligent
obserbers many hints which might throw such light
upon their ways, would enable US, in a measure,
to prevent or circumvent them. Why will not our
friends furnish us with any information they may
have gathered ?-AmerjcaR Farmer.
RIVER BOUNDARIES BETWEEN STATEs.-In an opin-
ion published in the Monthly Law Reporter for
August, contained in letter from the Hon. Caleb
Cushing, Attorney General, to Mr.. McCleland, late
Secretary of the Interior, he decides that when a
river is the boundary between two nations, its nau-
raj channel continues to be the boundary notwith-
standing any change Of its by gradual accre-
ton or decretion Of either bank; but if the course
bo 1brDyjy, into , No. b,J ;rr,,,t;,r