Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-10-01

pound Of bluestone in a larg
trough, and filed with water. an,
took off every grain of wheat AM
cheat that rose to the top, and let
remain there until Monday morning
The wheat was in soak somethin!
like thirty~six hours; and in taking
the wheat out, / noticed that tn,
cockerel was rotten, and / wa.
satisfied that it would not come up
so | adopted that plan for the bal
ance of my crop, which was abou
thirty acres, and am happy to inform
you that l have not seen a sprig o.
cheat or cockerel in my wheat treat
ed that way this year My neigh
bors, as well as myself, are satisfied
that the soaking with the quantity
OF bluestOne, for the length of time
above stated, prevented the growth
gof the cheat and cockerel, as well as
the smut, etc.
DRILLING WHEAT.
The McMinnville Tenn Enters
prise, having witnessed the bene-
fetal effects of putting in wheat with
sthe drill the past season, speaks IA
vorably Of the plan, and urges it
upon our farmers. That paper says ::
Middle Tennessee is one of the
best wheat growing regions. Not
only is the yield good when prop
erly cultivated, but the quality is
of the very best. Then the advan-
tage of early reaping gives wheat
growers a decided advantage, en-
abling them to bring their crops
into market weeks before it can be
done in the great wheat growing
region Of the North and Northwest.
Add to this that Tennessee wheat
commands higher price in Norths
ern markets than the wheat grown
there. Besides this the crop is far
more sure here than in the States
of higher latitude, not being so
liable to winter freezes, so much so
that spring sown wheat receives no
attention, the fall sown being so
sure and certain.
With these facts before us our
farmers should be stimulated to give
the subject more attention, and de-
vote moro care to the cultivation of
wheat than is and has been done
heretofore. Wheat should be sown
earlier than is generally done; and
it should be put into the ground in
a better manner than is usually
done. 1t should be sown in fallow
ground if convenient, which should
be thoroughly turned and placed in
a proper condition to receive the
seed. But if corn land is to be
sown the corn should be cut and
shocked, and the ground turned
over and narrowed. Put in any
other way it is liable to perish by
the cold and winter freezes and
droughts.
The drilling in wheat has several
advantages over broadcast sowing.
In the first place, it is necessary that
the ground be well prepared by
deep blowing, narrowing and re-
moving filth. And wheat put in
this way, whether sown or drilled,
every one knows will yield better
and surer crop than otherwise.
But the drilling has advantages
which cannot be claimed for any
other mode of putting in. One of
these is, il is not so liable TO suffer
from winter freezes and drought
For in NC freezing and thawing of
the ground the loose earth, instead
of falling from and leaving the root
exposed, falls to it and becomes
-vaore compact in the little trench or
furrow in which the seed falls when
sown. This alone is sufficient to
Justify the expense Of drilling.
From what we 'hSye witnessed the
past season we are convinced that
wheat put in with the drill is not
only more certain and Sure, but the
WELD is fully twice as much as when
sown broadcast ana put in with
the shovel plow. Ne have facts
before US substapdating this opinir
on. For instazce one farmer cult
waited four azfes of old land, which
had been 2un for fifty years, putting
his seeG,in with tho drill, and the
WELD was fifty bushels. Another
cultivated ten acres Of better and
frBher laud, having been in cult
wilton some eight or ten years,
patting the seed in by sowing it
down and plowingit with a common
shovel pillow, thoyield Of which was
s.xty-nine bushds, being less than
half the yield oflhe other.
We believe Il e average yield of
wheat on common land and put in
in the usual wat in corn land, is
abou,Nsix busheDper acre. Where
as, it has been demonstrated that
when put in by thoroughly prepar-
ing the ground Ind sown with the
drill, thGAyield nay be from twelve
to twenty-five lnshels.
1t is to NC hoped our farmers will
devote more, ATTENTION TO the proper
cultivation Of wheat. 1t may and
it should be mlde the great staple
of the mOuntin counties. Sum
mer drouths ire becoming more
and more common, so that the corn
crop is hardly = be depended upon
as heretofore. This being the case.
more attention should be given to
the cultivation Of small grains an d
grass. Let every farmer test the
advantages of Wheat drilling the
present fall, and Sc for himself
PREPARE GROUND WELL FOR WHEAT
Mr.. B. f. Griffin, of fernando
Miss, writes to the Southern Chilli.
vator as follows:
A word drawn from experience
with view to encourage thorough
blowing, in preparing to SOW wheat
The Department Of Agriculture son