Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1862-09-17
Cultivation of Winter Wheat.

cultivation OF winter Wheat.
BIZ J. HOLMES, %cHITTENDES Co, VT.
Wheat, Z of the greatest staples of tn
country, if rightly managed may be mad
one Of the most profitable Of cur cereals, up
on almost any soil Twenty years exper
fence has demonstrated to me that We hard
y reed fail Of success, il the following
mode of proceeding be strictly followed.
SELECTION oR-sEEp.
Select none but the best seed Of bearded
wheat. The White ehaf is preferable, j
being worth some ten cents more per bush
eli in Eastern markets. Prepare a strong
brime-do not depend upon old beef Oh
pork brine, and wash as long as any filth
or immature grain rises TO the surface
By this process We shall expel from two tc
three quarts Of foul seed and shrunker
grain per bushel, from what would be call.
ed an extra" article. Seed prepared il
this manner will send up none but the most
hardy and vigorous plants, consequently
will be less liable to winter kill, and as
like produces like, We may look for an az
ticle in the increase equal if not superior
to that which was sown. Add three
quarts Of dry fresh-slacked lime to every
bushel Of wheat /; mix up thoroughly tive
days, or two weeks. previous to sowing
This is tmpOrtant-neglect the Inns and
nine times out of ten you will have more
or less smut, which will depreciate the val
us of the wheat.
PREPARATION OF GROUND, SEED, ETC.
The ground, if rich and strong enough,
Lay be sown after peas. otherwise. after
summer fallow. In either case, manure on
the surface, and plow OF drag in with the
wheat. ! prefer to uss about fifteen loads
to the acre thus prepared; then, after SOW
ing thinly, to plow it in. The seed, by
coming in Immediate contact with the ma
nure, receives q thrifty and vigorous start,
which it otherwise would not attain. This
! think is highly important to insure sue
ocss. | have never used the drill, but il
its stead Ide's cu~ltivator which answers a
good purpose. If you harrow in the seed,
in no case roll afterwards, as the Unequal
tiles Of the surface will prevent the snow
from blowing of, and tie plants will be
less liable to be affected By frost. But if
covered with a drill eF c~ultiyator this pre-
caution Is unnecessary, the seed being deep
er, and the roots less exposed. When the
ground is settled in the Spring. 60 over
with a heavy roller; j. covers many expos.
roots and often adds five to seven bushels
per acre. Have the ground well pglyeriz.
ed previous to sowing; it is useless to SOW
on lumPy and badly prepared soil. In
case there is no manure to be had, cover
the surface Immediately after sowing and
before the wheat starts, with q light layer
of straw the wheat in q short time will
come through, and prevent it from blowing
of. The straw will act as a mulch, and
the ground being shaded will retain the
moisture; and if the soil Is not very poor
you may expect a good paying crop. Two
and a-half bushels salt per acre tends to
prevent rust, making the straw strong and
gives the young wheat a dark color. If
any one deabts the truth Of this statement,
| hope be viii make the experiment, and
my word ioI it, be viii at once adopt the
know of no better msie to pre-
the ravages Of the nudge than early
and even this sometimes fails
The last week in August, or the first in
September, l would prefer. but this depends
upon circumstances; if the weather is dry
and hot, I would rather wait until October.
Some years since l made an experiment to
test early and late sowing. One piece was
'oWed the last week in August; one the
asst week in September, and one the mid
lie eff October, on the same kind Of soil
and treated in every respect alike. There
no difference in the time Of ripening
or in the quality of the grain, but the eat-
-sest sOwcd produced the longest heads,
consequently yielded more per acre. do
rot SOW plaster On wheat, as it tends to rust. !
md increases the bulk of straw but not of