The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1861-04-12
agricultural.
Sowing Spring Grain.

Farmers are now thinking about sowing
their grain-they are planning and contriy-
ing how they can use the land, that was
planted last year TO the greatest advantage.
Grass seed in most cases is TO be sown with
grain-and many farmers mix their grass
seed with their grain before sowing, first
wetting the grain little that the red top
and herdsgrass may stand better chance to
be evenly spread.
Wheat Is grown TO limited extent in
our old fields. Ii may not be 4 leading crop
in New England, yet we hope that farmers
here will not wholly abandon ii because that
in years past the midge and other yermin
have been Troublesome.
Good wheat is now grown in many OF our
towns in Massachusetts-andt there seems to
be no very good reason why old lands may
not continue TO produce as well as new
lands, in case We pay proper attention to
cleanse the seed ON sowing, and cultivate the
gronnd in thorough manner.
Farmers should understand that the new
lands ut the west are not exempt from little
deprciators, and that wheat Is not 80 Ger
tain crop as oats or rye in any part OF the
country.
We have visited Western New York with
in few months, and there, in the famous
Gencssee Valley, where the soil seems ex'
cecdingly rich and we'll adapted to wheat
being strong clay, and deep enough fOl
any vegetable growth-the midge is 80
troublesome that farmers are forced 10 inter
init and let the soil rest from its labors in
order 10 starye the maggot. After a year
or two the land is again put TO wheat, a.
the midge dies out when its iayorite food i
gone.
On tho other hand we see that as gooC
wheat is now grown in Europe as when th'
land was new. For hundreds OF years oui
English ancestors have grown wheat on the
came fields. The Ilessian fly has had home
there, and other ycrmin have paid them
visits, yet wheat Is their reliance for bread.
Farmers here will not think Of making
wheat their chief crop, because they can do
better-and If we may take hint FROM the
Gcncssce Valley, We can starye the midge as
well here as there.
Rotation oi crops is q capital practice
where lands are free IRON rocks, and easily
plowed. Therefore few acres OF wheat on
n hundred acre farm may be grown on TO
tation plan, ~ as 10 starye the midge before
ScNosu Coufcc VI Wucat WOelu COulc rOunu
70 aid him 10 live.
Farmers are now paying cash and very
high prices Tor Hour. Ii we can grow n lit
Tie on each iarm, we may reduce the price
for all purchasers.
IL seems unreasonable TO charge e;ybt dol.
lars for barrel Of -four, when Wbea, l. A.
plenty at the west that no market i found
for il there.
English farmers object TO sowing two
wheat crops in succession, and as they can
not grow Indian corn they 20 largely int
the culture Of turnips, potatoes, and othel
roots. But here we can do better, for wher
wheat Is not the chief crop il need not b
grown on the same plot oil land moro thai
once In half dozen years. The famou
maggots, therefore, would be dead before b
could hope to get another grist Of wheat 3
work upon.
The ground for wheat should bs YER
thoroughly narrowed before il Is sown
Writers may state what they will in regar
to deep plowing, but spring wheat has d
time to send It's roots down ten or twelv
inches to obtain sustenenee, since il has bu