Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1868-10-30

, / faIkNdIul III ebalA OAOAOh EAOhG
and imperfect Development This le
me to examine it closely and frequent,
during the progress Of the season, to SCI
if could discover the cause or reasons o
its unthriftiness l discovered at eacl
examination that many of the plant
were decaying, and by the first of April
that thousands had rotted of at or neal
the surface, Moreover, | could find moi
a living plant with more than four blades
and these were exceptional, the rult
being from two to three blades 10 the
stalk These blades were all Of then
narrow and pointed, standing erect, anC
showing no tendency towards branching
out. On the 18th of April | examined
another small lot Of rich land, which
had sown after completing the regular
seeding of the previous autumn. This
lot had been nicely prepared, and tn e
wheat drilled into the depth of three or
four inches. One of the tines of the
drill near the, center had crack in it.
by means ofwhich some of the seed was
scattered on the ground along the track
of this defective tine; the driver using
double lines, took central position be-
hind the drill, and walking after it, trod
on many of the scattered grains, which
caused them to take root and flourish.
The result Of my observations may be
summed upas follows:
The wheat regularly drilled in had
from three to five blades all standing
erect, while that which had been covered
bv the driver foot, not more than half
an inch deep, had from eight to fourteen
blades, all extended aatupon the ground,
broad .leaved and vigorous, while the
drilled plants were distinquishable by
their sharp-pointed, grass~like blades,
standing upright | afterwards exams
ined other fields which had been cults
waited in various ways, and without an
exception found that the wheat which
had been covered, how lightly soever, was
sure in the month of April, to exhibit
more branches and a comparative supe>
rioritv over all other wheat Of greater
depth Of covering. From these observa-
tions, | am satisfied that, when the land
is reduced to proper .tiReneSS, and the
wheat is barely covered, say not more
than an inch deep (half an inch would
be better), is the best mode of seeding
wheat which has yet been tried. But as
it is generally sOwn, especially in
Eastern Virginia, on rough, unrolled
land amongst the clods, it appears to
me the very worst and most costly mode
of preparation that can be adopted. Let
every farmer test the matter for himself
Let him this fall select piece Of ground
far enough off from his homestead to Sc
cure it immunity from the depredations
of fowls. etc. and there make an experts
ment after this manner: with grubbing
hoe, open a trench nine or ten feet long
graduated, in Depth from one inch at the
beginning to nine or ten inches ut the
end; then drop a grain Of wheat every
three or four inches upon this graded
bottom; then cover up evenly with the
surface of the trench. Let him also open
another drill as nearly resembling the
mark of the drill tine as possible; then
let him drop the wheat exactly as was
done in the trench as to distance cover
it with fine earth from half to three
quarters ofan inch deep, thus just hiding
it from the birds Let it be examined
after rain, and if any of the grain is un-
covered, let it be again very slightly COW
cred as ut first then leave 1t to itself
except to pull up any large weeds which
NAV spring up 10 Obstruct its growth
and when all has been completely and
accurately done, wait for results, and
report them to the Southern Planter and
Farmer
The manner Of seeding first mentioned,
with shovel Plow simply, or with the Plow
followed with harrows, without proper
examination, would be considerably deep
seeding Narrowing in wheat on land
previously well prepared used to be con-
sidered deep seeding. Let all, who now
think SO, examine the field after the first
good rain, and again examine it the fOls
lowing April, and my word for it, they
will find the greater portion of the good
wheat WAS covered very shallow at seed
time
Why, let me ask, is taporooted clover
thrown ont by frost? 1t certainly cx,
tends its main root far below the reach
Of frost Again: How is itthat the tim-
othy plant, which is shalIOw-rOoted, and
has to be sown in the fall on the surface,
and put in by the first rain, is never cast
out Of the earth by frost? Does it not
appear that the Shallow-ro0ted winter
plant rises up with the frosted earth, and
returns with it when thawed? Admit
this as true, and observe but to a limited
extent, and you will be convinced of the
fact that thousands are lost every year
in Virginia, by excessively deep seeding
|. l. HITE.
Arlington Depot, Nelson county, Va.
REMARKS BY THE EDITOR.
The above communication of Mr. Hite
is worthy of serious and attentive cons
sideratiOn.
The practice has been common, if not,
general to cover wheat at a greater depth
than formerly, and that, too, without dis
elimination in regard TO the earlier or
later stage of the season at which it is
sOwn.
Is it not worthy of strict inquiry,
whether the continued and successive
failures of the wheat crop for q series Of
years past may not be assignable in part,
at least, to the questionable practice of
sowing too deeply, generally, or, at any
rate, too deeply at or near the close of the
sowing season? 1t is certainly worth
while,to institute some such experiment
as that suggested by Ms. Hite, in order
to test the truth, in ali its bearings as to
time, circumstances, etc, upon this ques~
ton Of such vitalimpOrtance to the farms
ing interests Of the State.
The practice of deep seeding has prob
ably arisen from an impression that, per
Sc the best calculated to secure more
certain and larger product it is at least
the means best adapted to counteract the
influence of the IIessian fly in diminished
production, Fifty years ago this subject
was Canvassed with much earnestness in
the publications. of the time, as the best
countcrvailing force which could be op~
posed to the ravages Of the fly, then much
more annoying and destructive than at
present
In SINNERS AmeYicaH Farmer vol. >,
. l25, we find letter copied from the
Richmond Enquirer, over the signature
of King William Farmer, on the hab~
its of this insect, and urging decided obs
icctions to the practice of grazing which
had been proposed as a means of cOun~
teracting its ravages. The concluding
paragraph OF Iuls lclutI Icdun tHuS-
have no doubt that il we would SOW our
wheat earlier, and cover il at least three
inches deep, our crops would be better
guarded against the fly than they ever
can be by grazing
In a letter of William Merriwether, of
Amelia, addressed to Dr. John Adams,
then Secretary of The Society Of TTr.
giai1 for Promoting agriculture, dated
A.. a1-t 1918 a., tI,lrr,- q, & l,,,, ..,,,-