The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1862-07-12
FARMERS DEPARTMENT.
Buckwheas-Its place in our Agriculture.

Buckwheat-Its Place in our Agriculture
Buckwheat fills place in our list of crops
that no other plant can. It has the name
of the lazy mans crop from the little prep.
sration the land needs for its cultivation,
and the ease with which it may be grown
This is perhaps the chief objection to the
crop; it fayors slack husbandry, and yields
remunerative crop so long that some lands
have been entirely run out by cropping with
it. You can skin land more effectuallY with
buckwheat than with any other crop. On
this account, and some others, the crop is
not a favorite one with many of our best
farmers. It is said to poison the land for
corn, and the cases are pretty numerous
where corn following buckwheat has failed.
commended. The seed also remains in the
land for year or two after it is sown, and
makes its appearance among subsequent
farmer who loves clean seed, this is Sc
rious objection. It can be remedied by fol-
lowing it with .hoed crop, or by stocking
down to grass.
Buckwheat may be sown where other
crops have failed, or could not be planted on
account of wetness of the land, or lateness
in its preparation. It is usually sown from
the middle of June to the middle Of July,
the latter month generally being preferred,
where the object is to get grain. If sown
too early, there is danger that the grain will
not fill out well in the hot weather of August.
If too late it is liable to be cut off by the
early fros!s.
Theyield is generous, even on soils where
other grains would not pay. Butwe doubt
the policy of growing this or any other
grain without manure. There is no crop,
not even turnips, to which Peruvian guano
is so well adapted. and on which it shows
such marked results. We have seen heavy
crop on exhausted land with only bag to
the acre. From ten to fifteen bushels to the
acre is common yield on rather poor,
though not exhausted, land. With the gu
ano the yield is frequently doubled. Where
this is the case it makes very handsome
profit on the manure. But it is only in spe-
cial emergencies and where there is def
cheney of farmyard manure, that guano is
to be recommended. The like benefit will
not accrue from its use the second year upon
the same land.
1t is an excellent cleansing crop, where
land has become foul with charlock, wild
worm-w wood. Canada thistles, and other
weeds. 1t grows so rapidly that it gets the
start of all other plants, and keeps it. 1t
completely shades the ground. 1t is for
his reason that it is SO often sown upon
'wales. and brush pasture recently cleared,
where there are many coarse clods. The
roots and sods are kept moist by the shade,
and decomposition goes on rapidly. 1t is
we'll adapted to newly cleared lands full of
vegetable matter.
Buckwheat stands high among the plants
o be turned in for manure. 1t natures SO
apidly that two crops can be turned under
n a season, or crop of clover, and
rop Of buckwheat following. It does ad-
nirably well to precede crop of rye. 1t /
nay be sown any time before the first of
his month, turned in the last of August,
nd the rye sown soon after. It is claimed 9
y those who have tried the experiment for :
everal years, that crop of rye may be ia :
ZEN from the land every year by this pro- !
ess, and the soil all the while improve. =
Two to four peeks are ample seed for an r
ere, the less quantity being used on rich +
and. For feeding, it is nearly equal to In +
ian corn. John johnson, who is authori-
y in fattening cattle, prefers feed of one
alf buckwheat, to one wholly of corn, at /
be same price. 1t is used extensively for j
attening poultry and swine, both whole, and !
round with other grains. A very COM a
1on provender in New England is oats, 6
orn and buckwheat mixed in equal parts and {
round. This is mixed with potatoes for &
wine. and with hay for working horses '
imsrican Agriculturist. s