The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1859-04-06
From the Valley Farmer,

spring Wheat.
ED1roas VALLEY FARNss II have
been requested several times to give YOU
my views relative to raising and man.
aging Spring Wheat. intended las,
Fall to have done so, before Fall plow.
ing was past but j: slipped my memory.
l have raised spring wheat for many
years, and after selecting from various
kinds, | have found the Rio Grands,
(dearded) Canada Club, and Fife, smooth
headed, the best for my purpose.
venture the assertion. that a wet season
VI a dry one, if properly managed, a,
the proper time, half a crop will always
be obtained.
have lived half q century, and ]
disremember any season SO wet as the
past has been, in North West Missouri.
Myself and two sons had SO acres and
threshed 534 bushels, or between 16
and II bushels to the acre. We have
the three kinds. and each raises one
kind. SO as to keep each kind separate.
Here, you see. we raised half crop in
one OF the wettest seasons l have expe-
rienced. In good season in Wiscon-
sin, l raised as high as 36 bushels to the
acre, and am sure the same can be done
in this Platte purchase, in good sea-
son. properly managed.
While we raised of these kinds, this
season, the amount above mentioned.
almost every other kind was an entire
failure. Scores of acres never were
cut at all. Our Canada Club, this year,
rusted some. but the Rio Grsnde and
Fife. had not speck of rust. Straw
was bright. cut green. and our stock eat
it as eagerly as hay.
l prepare my ground in the fall, BY
Plowing as deep as possible-8 to 1a
inches-the deeper the better, and leave
it to winter as rough as possible. so the
frost can penetrate every part of it. I
SOW the seed in the Spring. at the ear.
liest time possible, in February, if the
ground is dry and in good order. If
the ground is too rough. or in holes, as
is frequently the case, I run a harrow
over it, to make the surface perfectly
even, and. if lumpy. run roller over
1t. l SOW on the smooth surface IL
bushels to the aero. then harrow two
or three times, no more, however, than
to cover the seed good. I do this with
harrow, tho wood work made of scant-
ling, 3 by 3, with the edges all shaved
off so as to make the wood work as light
as possible. This harrow is a double
one, with hinges in the middle, has six
beams, three in each half, with FIVE teeth
in each beam, making 80 in all. made of
three-quarter inch bar iron. Two light
horses will haul this harrow over 15
acres in a day. The teeth are put in II
inches apart, every way, 90 that by
every tooth does its own execution. no
tire se53td IN auJut 1u. anu 1rst,t ur rwu
iuches-deer enough. ....
l have seen wheat put in with large
harrow. drawn by three yoke of oxen;
with shovel plow. and put in on corn
ground; plowed with shovel plow and
the seed brushed in with the top of
scrub oak. When harvest came on
saw everything but the wheat and then
heard the remark, cannot raise wheat in
Missouri. Were I to farm in the same
manner would not raise any, certain
should not expect.
TINE OF CUTTING WHEAT.
Hundreds of bushels of wheat were
lost the past season by not cutting in
time. In wet seasons like the past,
Spring wheat wants watching daily
When the head of the wheat is saturated
with rain, and the scorching sun pour
ing down upon it. three days will ruin
it if not watched and cut down. 1t
wants cutting the very day it is out of
the milk. Go into the field, squeeze the
kernels between your fingers, ana if the
milk is not visible, cut it down immedi-
ately. In good season. it is well to
let it stand until it is in doughey state.
such that you can but just squeeze sides
together. All wheat wants cutting in
the doughey state.
f as.- as .. slsu D. BONHAM.
Andrew Co., Mo-, Jan. Is, 1889.