Columbia Democrat and Bloomsburg general advertiser. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1850-1866, 1860-09-22
HINTS ON SOWING WHEAT.

The diminished ravages of insects, and
the promise Of remunerating prices as the
country RECEIVERS from its financial depres.
sion, will doubtless lead to much greater
attention to wheat growing The pros
pect is, that more ground will be sown to
wheat this month than in any former
September since our country was settled
A few hints to those about to SOW wheat
may be useful.
Prepare the ground well. If man and
team labor be not abundant, better con.
eentrate your efforts upon twenty acres.
than to "run over" twenty five. The
yield from the smaller area well prcpar-
ed, will be quite as great as upon the
larger one poorly titled, and you will save
the seeding and harvesting of the extra
five acres. A thorough pulverizing Of the
surface with the plow and harrow, and
with the roller if needed, is of great ad-
vantage to wheat One good plowing,
turning the surface deeply under, is desi-
reable, whether for Summer fallow or
corn land. Let the after plowing and
narrowing be shallow, to avoid disturbing
sods, stubble, and weeds turned under.
All soils liable to standing water in
Winter or Spring, should be thrown into
ridge lands twelve TO twenty feet wide
the wetter the land, the nearer should be
the ridges and burrows. When all is
complete, the dead burrows should be |
deeply aud thoroughly cleaned out with
plow or hoe, SO that all surplus water
will flow off. This is most important
point. 1t is the alternate thawing and
freezing Of water-soaked soils that pro-
duccs winter killing. Water expands and |
contracts greatly at every change of tenn
perature, and thus breaks and tears the |
roots of Winter crops, sometimes killing
the plants entirely, and always injuring
them more or less. On well drained
land, wheat is never winter. killed, and |
seldom fails to start off vigorously in
Spring.
Sow the largest, plumpest seeds. If
possible, run seed wheat over a coarse
screen that will take out all small kernels,
and foul stuff. 1t is better to always SOW
wheat with drill machine. If sown
broadcast, take the greatest care to dis
tribute the kernels evenly. Half bushel
of seed, sown uniformly over the ground,
and covered uniformly, will produce more
than two bushels sown hap-hazard. One
seed, with plenty of room to receive air
and sunlight, will produce more and bet
ter grain than three or four seeds planted
side by side.
Sow wheat early. Nature sows Aer
seed as it falls from the previous crop.
Reason, and universal experience are in
favor of putting the seed into the ground
as early as possible after the previous
crop is secured. This enables the plants
to become we'll established, and thus be
better able to withstand Winter. Early
wheat also gets ahead of many of the in
sect tribes.
Manure seldom fails to pay its cost and
hundred per cent. interest-that is on
all soils not already fully supplied with
organic matters. 1t viii not, of course,
pay to buy manures for new land where
there is already an accumulation Of vege-
table matter. Lime or ashes generally
show good effects on this class of soils.
On older fields, plaster, Peruvian guano,
and bone saw dust, are valuable, where
stable manure is Tree. We do not be-
leve it pays to buy the mineral manurcs
50 industriously pushed upon wheat grow
crs.-Americau AgricA uria.