The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1867-09-11
LAUnENs DISTRICT, s. c.,
August 20, 1867.


HoN. r. F. SIMpsoN-Dcar Sir: Your favor Of
the 25th ult making inquiries concerning certain
experiment in growing wheat, I had made, came
duly to hand, and would have been answered at
once, but for the hope that, by o short delay, l
might be able to furnish more fully the informa-
tion sought. l.had stored the crop off the land
experimental upon separately, with the view of
threshing it when tho work was over with the corn
and cotton. Last week started the hands to
threshing the premium wheat, as we called it, and
gave them instructions sufficiently plain to avoid
the risk of mixing it with the other wheat, and
stepped out doors to avoid the DUST but shortly af
| terwards found, Notwithstanding, that by blum
der, they had gotit mixed up. cannot, therefore,
giyeyou the yield, nor answer the inquiries you
were pleased to honor me with, satisfactorily as
desire. The land sown was about 81 acres,
branch bottom, cleared abo1t12 years the quality
of the soil generally good and we'll drained. The
soil is o sandy loan and has been manured two
years since it was cleared. 1t was in corn last
year, and the land was prepared by plowing down
the ridges with the common bul-tongue plow. The
grain was then sown, one and half bushels, red
May wheat, to the acre, and plowed in cross-wisc
with the same plow. On the 9th of March o Top
dressing of 100 lbs of Ford's Superphosphate of
lime, per acre, was applied broadca think,
ordinarily, the land would make from 10 to Is
bushels Of wheat per acre. Several farmers who
saw the growing Drop, the present year, pro-
nounced it tho best they had ever seen grow in
this country, and expressed the opinion that the
best aero would yield thirty bushels. / think,
myself, tho best acre did make, at least twenty
FIVE bushels. In instituting the experiment my
theory was this 1 thought by seeding heavily, so
as to subdue the growth of weeds, and then sus-
tanning the crops by manures, SO as to bring it 10
the fullest physical development it must necessa-
| rily make large yield; and by applying concen-
trated manures as top-dressing, after the frosts
have abated, when the soil is left in an open
porous condition, ready to absorb whatever nuri.
ment may be supplied, and the period of active
growth has set in, you escape the waste from
teaching rains, during the comparatively dormant
season of the plant, and realize the good effects Of
your manure until full maturity / used the su.
pcrphosphate of lime, because did not fear injury
in applying it to the growing crops, bul should
anticipate harm from Peruvian Guano, applied in
tho same way. 1 have not tried the latter, bu
would not hesitate to do so when composted with
rich loan, lot manure, coal dust, or whatever
would tend to neutralizo its caustic qualities and
would prefer to use it as top-dressing the 1st o.
March, and should expect better results than whcr
put in with the wheat in the fall.
Having made this experiment with no thought
of ever reporting it, OF that others would manifcs
any interest in it, have not been so particular ir
preserving the details, as perhaps, would have
been. But, such as it is, give it to you, ant
trusting, if there is anything of value in it, your
practical Judgment will both eliminate and develop
it for tho good of our poor country.
Very respectfully,
Your ob't serv't,
A. C. FULLER.
4
SPECIAL, CONVOCATION.