Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1858-12-22

Weld Of 40 or 45 bushels per acre in the rich
valleys of that delightful region.
CulTuRE-TrMg AND NODE or SOWING, Ere
The mass of wheat,growers in Texas, asl
vet, take but little pains and incur as little ex-
Dsnse in lis cultivation rs possible. Little or
no attention is given to the proper mode ol
cultivation, or 10 the varieties oi seed oesl
adapted tothe soil and climate. II is put
enrlessly in the ground, without previous prep.
aration, and left until it ripens, is harvested
and put away, its culture only requiring from
one month 10 six weeks labor In the year.
Taking these facts into consideration, the
Weld of the crop has certainly been remnrka'
ble, and when proper attention shall be bestow'
ed on ITS culture, aud the varieties best adapt
ed to the country shall be introduced, we may
look for largely increased yields.
Wheat is sown from the lst Of September,
to the lst of November, and sometimes
even later. The usual sowing month, howev-
er is October, and majority Of growers put the
seed in the ground from the lst to the 10th Of
that month. Very few prepare the ground be-
fore sowing. IL is usually sown after the corn
is gathered The only preparation is to fell
'hr corn s'a''s, sow !Ie seed broadcast on tH-
GROUND. and plough or harrnw in A aw.
break up ,ho ground helore pa0ting An enc.
irnri.iuF nmcrof the writer's lcqnoin,ancc, /.
uuruas this course, aod pu', lh grain in with
a q-'.'. urIirl."' tt.r -ada 'tr.no open, the ;u'-
faw. deposits the seed aud covers It up, With
the lfili one hand and q horse, $ acres per
lay are soyoo, requiring 3pacb' @! seed pr
ac. This farmers nSwlly sOw' after o1.s,
and ium5g It bra, 10 break the Ground we.! 1s
soon as laa lat cIop is harvested. ills mode
.. ,L,t,.a,on PRODUCES good results hen
sown broadcast, one bushel of seed per acre is
commonly used. After the seed is in the
ground, nothing more is required until harvest.
The culture Of wheat requires one hand to
twenty-five acres, only from one month to six
weeks in the year-two or three weeks IN
planting, etc., and the same time in harvest
ing. The balance of the year may be devoted
TO other pursuits, the wheat crop scarcely n-
tcrlering with other field labors. The com
mon rcd May wheat is chiefly used, growers
maniIrsting but little interest in procuring and
testing new varieties. team not be doubted
that experiments with different varieties Of
seeds would elicit valuable results and dis
cover kinds peculiarly adapted to the charac-
Ter of soil and vlcssitudes Of climate. When
the fail wheat tails from any cause, an early
spring wheat may be sown in February or
March, aud produces good crop, though it is
more subject to the rust than fall wheat.
irs VALUE FOR PAsTURAGE.
The whent grows luxurinntly through the
winter. nforling the fncst pnsturage for stock.
It's value in !hs regard can not well be over-es.
timatcd. Pnsturage is a great bcEei!l in more
dian one respect, aud is absolutely necessary
to the safety Of the crop II attacked by the
killing iro:ts that sometimes occurin the lat
Ter part of March and the early part of April,
after the stalk is in "thc boot" the crop is de-
stroyed Grazing rctarls its top growth and
keeps it back until this critical period has
past. Grazing also causes the roots to grow
and take a firm set in the earth. The tramp
ing of the ground by stock is a grea, benefit to
the earth setting the roots and answering cv-
cry purpose Of rolling the ground, which is
necessary where it cannot be grazed. One
hundred acres will support one hundred lead
of stock from December to the 18th of March,
keepnp them sleek and fat through the most
rigorous winter, unit! the rising of grass on
the prairies in the spring. We thus have as
good beef and as fat horses in February as in
May, without any expense. Intelligent farm
ers concur in saying that will pay we'll to-
grow wheat for grazing alone; but when we
consider that the best pasturnge in the world
may thus be obtained through the winter for
sto,k, with positive advantage to the wheat
crop, it forms an important item in the value
OF the crop.
time AND MODE OF HARVESTING, ETC.
The usual harvesting season extends from
the lst to the last OF May. The proper time
is when the grain is in the transition from The
"doueh" to the hard state. 1t is cut almost
wholly by reaping-machines, of which thee
are various kinds in use The Kentucky llar
vester is mostly used, and is generally prefer.
red. 1t requires two or four horses, and two
men, and cuts from Is to 20 acres per day,
requiring some s hands to bind the straw
Some farmers omit the binding, and thrcsh
the wheat from the swath after it has
lain on the ground some 2l hours. This
saves the labor of several hands at a pressing
season, and is believed by those who pursue
! it, to be equally as good as the usual method.
Manny's and McCormicks reapers are also
used by somc The former requires two hor-
zes and man and boy in its use, and is said
TO cut Is acres per day. An intelligent farm
er who uses it, neither binds or shocks his
grain.
The endless chain.thresher, of which there
is variety of patents, is used. They thresh
and clean from $50 to 800 bushels per day,
with horses and 8 or 10 hands. They are
portable, and easily removed from place to
place, and set in operation without trouble.
There is machine manufactured in Dallas
county, BY Kilburn & Brotherton-an Illinois
patents horse power, which is said to thresh
and clean from 500 to 60U bushels per day.
The Messrs. Wilson of the same county, have
invented and patented valuable Improvements
TO harvesters, one Of which particularly, rakes
the grain from the swath, and deposits it in