Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1865-09-12
AGRICULTURAL.
FARM WORK For SEPTEMBER.

The following, from the Maryland Farmer
and Mechanic for September, will be found
highly interesting to farmers and others who
are engaged in the production of grain, fruit
and stock:
1t is now once more imperative push for
ward the operations for Fall seeding; and
how important those operations are and how
necessary it is that they should be conducted
with skill, and energy, every farmer we'll
knows. In these times of change We must
bestir ourselves in every way to meet man.
fully the emergency that is upon US. We
must cultivate less land and improve it more
highly. We must substitute machinery tor
farm labor wherever that is possible. We
must get rid at once and forever of our old
slovenly, careless and thriftless mode of til
lage. We must plough deep and harrow
vel, and plough and harrow and roll again
until the soil is perfectly broken up to the
depth Of at least eight inches. We must
subsoil wherever the quality and texture of
the surface and of the underlying..soil admits
of it. We must limit the extent of our hoed
crops, grass down oftener, lime more, and
place greater dependence on the ferterllzing
properties of clover turned under We must
turn our attention more to the collection,
manufacture and preservation of manures J;
must keep reasonable amount of stock pro-
portioned to the extent of the farm and soil
it. In short, our true remedy for existing
evils is to raise, if it be possible, threefold
the ordinary product per acre, on one-third
the usual quantity of land put under the
plough. Other nations are now doing this,
and surely by adopting the same method We
are capable Of doing the same.
The first thing that claims attention this
month is the preparation of the soil for
WHEAT
As to SoaJ Preparation. best soil for
the production of wheat is strong foam, and
| the best preparatory crop is heavy clover ley
turned under some three or four weeks before
seeding to wheat. The usual course is to
lime the corn land; follow the corn with oats
we'll MANFRED, and then break up for wheat
an1 grass down. Many farmers have sue
ceeded we'll with this rotation, but it is a
very exhaustive one, as three cereal crops
| follow each in succession. Much better would
it be to interpose clover crop between the
cat and wheat crops, turning the clover I'M.
der the second season and seeding down TO
wheat and the finer grasses.
Culture of Wheat.-Plough deeply. II
wheat succeeds oats the proper mode is to
break up the cat stubble Immediately after
harvest and harrow 1T we'll Let the land
then lie until about the 10th of September,
and then cross-plough and harrow. AS soon
as the season for seeding arrives-and in this
latitude we prefer, as a general rule, the last
week in September to the first week in Octo-
Der. But as soon as the seeding season ar
rives, harrow again so as to freshen the soil !;
mark off into lands and either drill in the
seed or scatter it broadcast harrow, cross
harrow, and grass down to Timothy or any
admixture of the finer grasses cover the
grass seed with very light harrow and finish
all off with the roller.
As to Monures-If man ures are to be ap-
piled directly to the wheat crop, as is fire.
quently the case, composts are to be preferred
to the richer barn-yard nanures, as the latter,
when we'll kept, are too forcing in their ma
ture and incline TO bring on rust at that crit
ical juncture when the grain is passing from
the milky state into that plastic condition from
which it gradually hardens into ripeness =
Bat whatever the manure used, 1T should con-
tain all the elements in which the wheat
plant delights and that are found in its ashes
when analyzed. These are lime, iron, mag.
nesia, phosphoric acid, sulphuric acid, potash,
soda and chlorine
Every acre of wheat of thirty-fye bushels,
exhausts that acre of soil 313 lbs. of phos-
phoric acid, lb. sulphurio acid, 9 lbs of
lime, 128 lbs. of magnesia, ] ID. of peroxide
of iron, 80 lbs. of potash, 24 lbs of soda
and all these substances are found by analysis
in the ashes of the grain and straw of wheat
To what extent the land is farther exhausted
of the same substance by teaching, evapora-
ton and all the waste consequent upon cuiti-
walton, it is difficult to say; but the annual
loss must necessarily be quite serious
Where, however, land is under grass, the ex-
haustion is comparatively slow, and if the
cropping is not too severe is partially compen-
stated for by the additions returned to the
soil in sod and decayed grass, when subse-
quently turned under. We say, then, that
to secure good cop of wheat, two things are
necessary. First, all the organic and morgan
ic substances that are essential to the growth
of the plant, must be present in the soil in
adequate quantities and second, that the
soil must be completely broken up and tho
roughly titled.
Preparation of ,Seed.-1o prevent smut,
wash the seed, first of all in cold water, and
then put it, about bushel at time, IN a
pickle of salt and water, made strong enough
to float an egg. Stir the wheat well, skim
off all light grains and foreign matter, and
then, after draining the wheat, spread it on
the barn floor to dry.
Time of Sowing. From the % of Sep
TENDER to the 10th of October is generally
regarded as the best time for sowing wheat
in this latitude. Were it not for the danger
of the fly, which is again becoming quite
prevalent, the earlier period we have Eoted
is to be preferred.
Wheat to spring up evenly and terminate
quickly and vigorously should not be seeded
in greater depth than from two to three
inches.
Quantity OF Seed to the Acre-The gene
raj custom has been to SOW a busheI and a
half of wheat IN tho aora h,,t tb;s .s,,oa.;.~