The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1866-05-28

| mission of surprise and conviction at the
result, so successful but so unanticipated
But so it is, and we feltit ourselves more
than once. There are the little plants
from single kernels, at intervals of 6
inches by 4I, and on looking closely at
them we see peeping out the tiny but
numerous shoots that are to radiate
horizontally, and cover the ground with
strong and reedy stems, so that the field
will look as though it had been rolled
with an immense roller, and every stem
almost glued to the soil. In due time
those horizontal shoots will take an up.
ward movement, having at the time that
admirable and useful curve of resistance
which enables the plant to hold its erect
position, regardless of winds and storms.
How different at harvest from the laid
and injured crops which, owing to
crowding, are compelled to go up at
once vertically without the curve of re-
sistance How small the kernels and
dull and soft the straw of the thick-sown,
compared with the bright and glossy
reeds of the thin-sown, whose plump,
well.developed kernels give unmistaka-
BILE evidence of a more natural aud
proper proceeding.
When harvested and 'traVed," or
shocked, the contrast in the straw is
most striking and convincing. BY this
thin.sowing you get more straw (tested
by weight), as well as more corn, than
by thicker-sowing, besides the absence
of mildew Said Wiltshire man to
me, Just before harvest, as he was closely
examining each plant or bundle of grow
ing stems, We'll, Mr.. Mechie, you might
have written all your life about this, but
| should never have believed If had
not seen it," And it certainly is very
wonderful that the stems from each
kernel should range from twenty to thir.
ty but so it is, and this does not depend
upon the quantity of the seed sown, but
upon the quantity of nutritious matter
in the soil available for the growth and
full development of the plant Twenty
times as much seed would not produce q
crop where there was not available food.
will now describe the whole of the
facts lutte irrespective of mere opin-
ions. On one clover leaf yearly, when |
have drilled my usual quantity-four
pecks of wheat-I dibble in, on four
lands, or half an acre, half peck of
wheat, which is one kernel in each dib-
BILE hole, 81 in. by in. apart. 1t is
dibbled at the same time as the rest OF
the field, sometimes in October and
sometimes in November, SO as to be a
fair comparative trial. The land is
strong clay land. l have not yet tried
so small quantity on the light land,
although shall do so next year. fear,
however, it might not ansW er so well on
light land, on account of birds and other
reasons. The yield from this peck an
acre was, in 1864, SO bushels per acre,
and 2f tons of fine straw. This last
year, 1865, the yield was So bushels per
acre (straw not weighed) In boon
wears the yield exceeded the remainder
of the field by two bushels per acre, and
the straw in 1864 was also more abund'
ant. This year Cd. W shall duly re-
port the results, which have no doubt
will be the sBme; and yet with these
facts so patent lack the courage to re-
duce my quantity from bushel gen.
orally. BY these repeated trials shall,
however, gain confidence, aud probably
drill an acre or two in each field with
two pecks. Last year l thought it i'm
DOsSlDlG UndG GuO Iuih oO" IL SNuAo N1NSA
the bushel, for it went in badly, and
altogether looked like failure.
The peck of thin sown red wheat only
equalled the thicker-sown red IN 1865,
but the white beat the thick-sown white
by two bushels In 1864, both red and
white thin-sowed carried the day over
the thick sown. ALI my heavy land
wheat in 1865 averaged something over
seven qrs. per acre.
don't believe that farmers know how
much they often lose by thick.sowing
They would do SO if they tested, as have
done for years, comparatiyequantities on
q small scale. Every man should thus
Judge tor himself according to his soil,
climate, and other circumstances OF con-
dition, &c.
The frothy straw and light kernels of
a thick k-sown and early laid grain crops,
are a losing affair.
If ever we hear of an extraordinary
Weld, it is usually from a crop so thin In
the spring that its owner thou ght OF
blowing it up but after well harrow,
ing, &c, it brancbed amazingly, and
became the best crop on the farm