The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1861-03-02
porrauarramfE crrs ruE PREMIuM.

The Iowa State Agricultural Society has
awarded to D. B. CLARK, Of this County the
premium diploma and $25) for the ''bsss
e,op Of Spring Whea:, net less than two
acres, and 20. less than s. bushels per
acre." Also. the premium diploma and
soy for s'bess crcp Of oats, net less than
two acres, and not less than 50 bushels per
acre." We rejoice at the success that has
attended the efforts Of Mr.. Clark, and are
cot without hcpss, that this result will
stimulate others of our farmers to enter the
lists, 70 the end that PottaNa.sanle County
may become prominent as enc OF the best
Counties in the Siase-a fac. net generally
known abroad. We publish below Mr..
CLAak's statement of the mode OF cultiva-
ton pursued By him in raising the crops
above mentioned. In communication to
the January number Of the North western
(Iowa) Farmer, Mr.. Clark says: "The
spring opened very dry, consequently
good time for sowing wheat and oats, and q
large breadth Of the former was sown; but
the drouih impeded the growth, and on the
5,h Of June, a hail storm passed over this
section, and blasted, to great extent, the
faint hopes of wheat crop. Still some good
pieces were harvested, and in this respect |
was very fortunate. In the spring sowed
two acres to try for the State Agricultural
Society's premium, and 5 acres fer our
county premium. On the two acres | got
50 bushels and 50 lbs.-45i bushels per
acre. From the acres lS2 bushels and 80
lbs.-37 bushels and 50 lbs. per acre. The
ground on which the crop was raised was in
corn in 1859 we'll cared for. In August !
went through and cut cut all the weeds
with view of sowing it to fell wheat, but
did no. do so. In March 1860, | cut the
stalks, rakei them into winrows and burnt
them, and narrowed the ground. This made
good bed for the seed. On the 18th, and
18th, of March, sowed two bushels of
spring wheat to the acre of the variety
known here as the Goose Wheat. har-
rowed thoroughly both ways, and rolled
with heavy roller five feet long. In June,
went through the wheat and took out all
the weeds that thought would impede the
growth of the crop. The wheat was cut
July l4.h, and l6th-stacked July 25th, and
thrashed Oct. 18th.
"The land on which this crop was raised
is on the Mosquito Creek Bot;om-dsep
black loan. In the same field where fall
plowed whea. and oat stubble and sowed to
wheat, it was not more than half as good as
that sown on corn ground not plowed. This
has proven to my mind the importance of
rotation of crops. This crop is the best
raised in this vicinity, and the only one upon
which n roller was used. If the roller has
made the difference, then q roller is a most
profitable implement upon the farm. My
whole crop, good, bad, and indifferent, has
averaged over twenty bushels to the acre.
"The cost Of this crop, including all, from
the cutting Of the stalks to storing the crop
in the sranary, was $1,000 per acre. Wheat
at this time is worth 50 cents per bushel, in
this market, but before spring, think it
will fetch dollar or more. prepare my
seed wheat in the following manner: to S
bushels wheat, one pound of blue vitriol to
three gallons warm water. l spread the
wheat on the barn floor the night previous
to sowing; then apply the yitriol water,
which must not be put on hot; stir the
wheat with q shovel or something else until
it is all saturated, when it is ready for SOW
ing the next day. Five acres Of cats in the
same field with the wheat produced 1921
bushels--GGl bushels per acre. Sowed 4
bushels to the acre, plowed them in shallow
with two horse pillow; narrowed the ground
smooth and then rolled. Slowed April Sd,
cut July 18th. They were the common
white oats. Cost of cultivation, 1915 per
acre. Oats are worth at this time 80 cts.
per bushel.'