American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1865-08-30
The 5arniers department.
The Cultivation of Wheat
BY CHARLES Z. HESTER.

age in the new, Except in new land, J
we must conclude that there is some
mismanagemeht with regard to the
crop-and if so, what is it ? In the
first place, | am convinced that our
usual rotation by making wheat fol-
low the oat c,op, is wrong and ex-
hausting.
In Europe, two white straw crops
are rarely if ever taken in succession.
Their average, with attention to the
production and collection of manures
and their proper application, is con-
stantly increasing, and why should
not ours do the same with equally
good management? 1t may be de-
MED by some that the wehat-growing
properties Of our lands are impaired.
OF such | would merely ask, why
they do not grow the finer kinds of
white wheat as formerly? The an
swer | think would invariably be, be-
cause we cannot. And does not this
most conclusively prove that our
IanuS nave ueterlOrdbeu
| alluded to the proper applica-
ton of manure. |, do not think that
wheat is the crop to which barnyard
or stable manure should be applied
directly. 1t has tendency to pro-
duce an over-luxurient growth of
straw, to the injury of the grain
vet we all know that we can get
neither straw nor grain, when wheat
is taken after oats, unless we do ma
nure, and that pretty heavily. This
goes far to prove that the one should
never be made to follow the other.
l cannot conceive why this objection
able feature in our rotation should
have worked itself into such very
general favor, except its conveniences
and apparent profitable occupation
of the land between the corn and
wheat crops. Instead of making oats
a preparation for wheat, l would sug-
gest sowing cloverseed with it, or
dispensing with the oat crop entirly
and taking barley in its place, also
to be sown with cloverseed, with this
latter crop clover succeeds remarka-
bly, welD and then plowing the clo-
yer sward for wheat the following
year. If the land s in high condi-
iion, the first crop of clover might be
made into hay or pastured, and the
second growth plowed under for the
wheat crop: but if the land is not
fertile, and it is desired to increase
its productiveness, l would advise
turning under the growth of the
whole season. This would leave the
manure to be applied to the corn crop,
where believe it would be more ben
efcial than to the wheat, as applied
under the sualsystem or it might be
used for top-dressing the grass lands.
Clover is an excellent crop to pro-
ceed wheat. The heaviest crops of
wheat | ever succeeded in raising,
were sown on clover sward. In
blowing under clover l prefer waiting
until it has perfectly matured. Many
prefer plowing when it is in full
bloom, but this does not coincide with
my experience. 1t is true that there is
apparently greater amount of veg
etable matter upon the ground at the
time of towering, but it is too sappy,
and disappears very soon after being
turned under, in consequence OF a
too rapid fermentation taking place
The objection may be raised to
plowing down crop of clover, that
it is an expensive mode of manurin2
but this | think is incorrect; for the
expense should not be counted at a
higher figure than the interest on
the cost of land with the valce of
the cloverseed added ; and it is in-
possible to manure as cheaply and at
the same time as effectuslly in any
other manner.
Thaer, in his work on the "Prin-
ciples of Agriculture" after enumer-
ating a number of crops suitable to
be grown before wheat, concludes by
saying, Lastly, the best way of OBJ
tanning good crops of wheat, is to SOW
the grain on broken up clover land; !"
and he farther recommends that the
clover should be plowed month
previous to sowing the wheat. This
recommendation comedies with the
practice of many of the farmers in
England, who prefer sowing wheat
on a stale furrow, under the impress
sion that land which has become
somewhat compact in consequence of
having had time to settle, is more CO.
genial to the growth of wheat, than
that which has been recently plowed.
1t is also thought important not to
have the ground to finely pulverized,
as the grain is supposed to stand the
winter better when the land is some
what cloddy On the surface. This
as also the opinion of many of the
most successful wheat-growers in the
interior of this State, and it also CO.
incides with my own experience
The reason for prefering a cloddy
sufaee is, that it does not SO readily
form a crlist after showars and the