Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1860-11-30

A e rio uI t air al.
The Wheat Crop. Cost; Preparation Of .s,, !,

The Wheat Crop: Cost; Preparation Of sod .
While bread is yet, as it ever has been. the
'staff of life" if is pretty certain that wheat
is not holding its place as the staff of farming.
!, There are many reasons for this. Wheat is
always an expensive crop. 1t means hard
work, and good deal of it, that must Come
either out of ones own muscles, or out of bis
pocket. 1t has been calculated that If we in
elade the interest on land worth so dollars
an acre, the wheat crop can not be put on
and realized at less than $11 per acre. Per-
haps, through accidental losses, of various
kinds it is usually more; and if the land have
higher cash value, the cost of the crop rises
in proportion. Of course it is ,notSprofitabfe
to raise wheat, unlesss the Asetage of ne
crops run clearly above this cost .e-.-.--,v..-
1t is certain that largevtracts of country
have bten continually and injudieiously CROP
: ped witlkNAbeat, until the soil is exhausted.--
: As sample, in l775, good land in Albany
B, county, \. Y, gave 20 to 40 bushels of wheat
per acre; in 1895, only 16 go bushels per
acre; in 1915, II TO l6 bushels; and in ls4s.
the average yieltl of wheat aelds of the county
was but y bushels. But again, the price Of
labor has advanced; frosts, storms, insects, and
rust conspre TO make the crop doubtful one;
the newspapers interest, it is alleged, especial
ly the daily press of large cities, over-estimates
| the breadth of wheat every year put in the q
! ground, and SO discourages many from under
taking the crop; and the "corn exchanges"
screw down he price to the lowest pfaetica-
| bic figure, almost forb 'dling the husbandman
| to realize fair return for his TOLL
| This is formidable list of discouragements,
real and factitious, general and partictiIar-
| And yet it is profitable in many and large
sections of the country still to raise wheat
In some parts, the soil has had rest and chance Y
for resuscitation, while the pests have bad cor
responding time to starve out, or at least to
have their forces considerably weakened Into
such sections the wheat crop is properly re-
turning. Altogether, there are many farmers
who have, with good grounds for the attempt,
or at least with fair hopes of success, put ,.
in within a few weeks the seed for next !
summers wheat fields; and for their benefit, we y,
hope, we have been at pains to gather and re-
cord few facts. l
Practical farmers already know well the
differences required in the times and mode Of ,
preparing light and heavy soils for wheat.-ir4 9
The heavy, clay soA gives the largest and best (
crop, if it can be put in when in the best or
conditions; otherwise it offers the most chances
of failure. If not undcrdrained, and with its
natural tenacity quite uncorrected, the landhq
must be both broken up and seeded and har-of
rowed when neither too wet nor too dry.--1v
Lighter soils require less labor, and being more
warm, they forward the crop, and more surely gf
put it beyond the reach OF Insects. .,-ra,
The Country Gentleman very properly calls.
4fo,, to, h. IL
is usually uf1cceRsry1 except
where the land is aceedy, and the sort of weeds
those that propagate by seeds, and SO can be
killed out by the SECOND plowing; while, III
fact there is some danger of making the top
Of such soil too light and powdery for the
proper roofing Of the wheat-plants II tho 2
weeds in soil are those propagating by thd
roots, turning them under once deeply and
thoroughly is best. They are then left to de-
cay, unless they arc of unkillable sorts, as the
Canada thistle. -. r-T
"Green following" is an excellent pise. 10 tl-e
crop can be at the right time removed or turn
I'd under. Such is the case with clover, peas,
etc; while corn and the heavy grasses are too
slow growers, and pat off the wheat-sowing
But unless some green esoy bs
turned under, the light soil will demand lnSl
lure; and the more substantial the kind Of ma
lure The better. The Journal already quoted
for covering manure, and for
he wheat itself, light gang -plow, without
'nbsetfueft of the harrow, SO as to leave
he surface ridged for catching the SHOWS in
winter, and for mulching the roots of the
plants, which will grow mainly in the furroWst
by gradually crumbling down sai
Whatever the kind or the time of putting
N, soil not too wet, in good heart, and care
'nIly cultivated in accordance with its peculiar
character, is Indispensable to a good wheat
;rop. Soil too wet, or containing too much
muck TO be corrected eeeRoRie,slly BY alffS8
inc, SALT and perhaps gravel or sand, mast
,c avoided. Plow deeply, if the subsoil will
bear upon being freshly turned up; if not, il
hould be deeply stirred and prepared during
previous years of summer cropping. With
vet or compact ground, in fact, in that OF. ol-
most any sort, understanding will prove .
great aid toward paying wheat-cr' ps.