Des Arc weekly citizen., 1868-09-29
Preparing Land for wheat.


 A wheat grower of Orleans county, N. Y, makes the following suggestions in communication Ito the Country Gentleman
 In growing wheat there are few things of more importance than a preparation of the ground for the seed. Not only should it be well plowed, but thoroughly worked with the harrow and wheat cultivator or gang blow. The blow or cultivator must be used when the ground is hard. Summer fallows broken up early in the season, when the land was rather wet, may be dried down hard, and need blowing to again work up fine and mellow. But when land has been recently plowed, and is not baked, the harrow and cultivator will put it in fine condition.
 There is great advantage in the fre- quent use of good harrow. It works land down into that fine, mellow, rather compact condition, that, while it is not in the least hard, is the very best state for wheat. It is much better than the loose, spongy condition, some- times produced by too much blowing. When tough sward is broken up after dry weather has set in, in the summer, narrowed once or twice, and then cross plowed in August, the sod net being thoroughly rotted, will in pieces of various sizes made up of mass of dry roots and stems, be mixed through the soil, keeping it in light hufry condi- tion, not easily worked down, and in which wheat is more liable to injury from freezing out. Dry stubbles also often blow up loose and huffy, and liable to the same difficulty. The best remedy for this is frequent narrowing A good 4S-tooth harrow will work down such lands into proper. state better than anything else. Then, if after laying Q week or two, the land needs moro working, put on good wheel cultivator, and work it up four or five inches deep, when another thorough narrowing will make it in fine condition. A good roller will help work down such land, but the effect is not equal to that produced by the har- row. It leaves the, soil looking very smooth and fine on top, but don't put it in as fine and good condition all through, for the roots to penetrate, as the harrow.
 When any sward is broken up deep enough to furnish good seed bed in the soil turned up, there is seldom any advantage in bringing the sod back to the surface. A thorough working with harrow and cultivator frequently makes better preparation on the sod than can be secured by cross blowing. This is especially the case when clover is plowed under rather late, or any sward is broken up after harvest Then, as the sod will not be rotten enough to work fine, it is far better at the bottom of the furrow. It is also of some benefit there, holding the soil well together, while it prevents baking down on the subsoil and, when plow- ed in the proper direction, leaves room at the bottom of the furrow for the surplus water to work off.
 When a summer fallow is broken up early, and is so rotten it can be worked down as fine, there will be less diff ference. Then cross blowing once or twice-twice is best--with sufficient narrowing, will make the land in good condition. Still, in such cases, the more narrowing the better, for there is nothing like good harrow to put land in the best condition for wheat. With shallow blowing, say four or five inches deep, this course is often the best. But when broken up from seven to ten inches deep, as nearly all good wheat land should be, once blowing is generally the best.
 August is the best time to manure for wheat. After land is brought into fair condition, so a good cultivation and narrowing will make it all right for the seed, then apply from twelve to fifteen loads of well rotted manure per acre. This manure must be spread very fine--it should be so thoroughly broken to pieces and distributed that none will impede the cultiyator or harrow. When well spread it is not only more benefit to the crop, but saves time, as it costs more labor to be fre- quently stopping to clear q clogged cultivator or harrow, and spread the punches thus drawn together, than to thoroughly do the work in the first place.
 Manure, well routed, does the most good when applied in this way. If not we'll routed, it must be plowed in, as coarse manure cannot be well worked in with the harrow and cultivator. If partly rotted and plowed under four or five inches deep, with rather nar- row farrow, turning less to the bottom, and leaving more between the furrows, it will do very well. Then large portion of the manure is near the sur face, where 1t will soon benefit the young wheat. A leading object in surface nanuring is to give the young plant good start, secure good growth and strong root in the fall, and thus put wheat in the best condition to stand the winter and spring, and to finally make good crop. It is also a great help in securing good seedling to clover with the wheat. Coarse
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