The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1869-06-17
For the ,Ander,on Lntszliqeneer.

tice communication upon the subject of Rust
in Wheat, by Mr.. Larkin Newton. Mr.. Newton
thinks he has discovered the manner in which
Rust is developed, but he does not say what Rust
is-Hhsther it can be arrested or how. This last
is, Of COURSE the important point, for at present
Rust is the great drawback to the successful cul-
ture of wheat in this section Of country. And
here let me say, that no experienced farmer need
have better soil than this section of country Affords
for it is suited to growing any and all crops suited
to man, and, in my experience, have never met
soil which yields 80 quickly to the application Of
solid manure.
Rust is what Botanists call hchea. 1t is para
site, and belongs to that beautiful subdivision of
the vegetable kingdom called by Linn@us-Cryp-
togamia Like all other vegetables, it belongs to
certain attitudes, and wherever it finds solid
footing, there it will stay and multiply. Examine
it under the lens, and you will find it to be an OBJ
long polypod, deeply imbedded in the lamina Of
the leaf, and its roots bearing different arrange
ment on the under surface This polypod, in dark
or meist weather, increases in sizs and in SUM-
shine the sac bursts longitudinay, the spores are
dispersed by the shock Of the bursting Of the sao
and tho consequence is that where you had origi-
nslly one spot Of rust, you now have thousands Of
active, living plants or spots. And this takes
place in few hours. Now, you must bear in
mind that this parasite is indigenous 10 this eli
mate and that like all parasites, it selects what is
weak and unhealthy in creator vegetation to live
on. What, then, is the condition Of our wheat
that encourages the growth Of this parasite Our
wheat is thin-blooded, and every Doctor will un-
derstand what mean by that, and why it produ-
css just such consequences. And this condition
of eur wheat is produced by poverty-stricken
mode of tillage. I watched closely tho agricultu-
raj operations of last Fall, and when I see sur
face tillage of three or four inches expected to
mature wheat crop, am only the more aston
ished that the yield is what it is per acre.
The wheat crop has to contend throughout the
Winter and Spring with very heavy rains, and
that in a country which is hilly and undulating.
The consequence is, that when the crop starts to
grow vigorously in the Spring, the most precious
part of its earth-covering is carried down into the
valleys, and the wheat at its most vital part is e1
posed to the hot sunshine. 1t loses half its roots
and it cannot possibly stool until it makes new
supply of roots.
Again. Should hot sunshine continue some
days after hard ran owing to this shallow plough
ing the wheat sits on hard, hot subsoil, its
spongiolets immersed in water, to the destruction
or injury Of its roots, for every man knows that
too much heat or too much moisture at the base Of
plant ruins its constitution.
To prevent rust, then, you must prevent this
parasite from inhabiting the wheat-felds. Topre-
vent that you must make your wheat vigorous
and healthy plant; and this, the great desidera-
tum, can only be secured by two means:
l. In the first place, incorporate sufficient
surface, say from eight to twelve inches deep; and
if the ground is cold, ridge so as to warm, using
nothing but solid manure in growing crops, and
recolecting the sound advice Of the old couplet-
"If you wish good tree to have,
YOU must bury the old leaves in the grave"
2. Change the seed every year until sound
system Of tillage has been established.
There is another disease attendant upon wheat
in this section called freing. This is supposed to
be produced by too heavy application of guano,
or any other of the artificial manures. If twenty
years close study be any test of these phosphaes-
guano, bone.dust, vitriol, &c., &C., as to their
powers Of vegetation, as we'll as their fertilizing
Qualities, think may say know little about
them. have grown successfully every kind of
annual seed, as well as every kind of grain and
farm seed, in boxes filed with these manures
alone, and in all cases bloomed the ANNALS and
matured the other seeds precisely as if my boxes
were filled with soil. But for stiff clay soil the
most effective remedy is application Of vtriol,
diluted in half water, and applied with the
syringe. The application Of these other msnures
to the soil reminds me Of An hungry man who
takes draught of whisky-it allsys the hunger,
but the system is the more deteriorated. Nor canI
believe the hreing Of wheat is the consequences or
proceeds in any way from the use Of these, but
simply think that it is the rust in its first stages,
and that it can only be dealt with as / have indi
Gated rust must be treatsd.
know may be told that We had better adhere
to the theory and practice of our fathers; but l
think the immense area Of old field is a testimony
to the great wrong that our fathers have done US.
Previous to the war, from which period suppose
we may soon date new era, there were bu. two
classes Of men interested in farming-the planter
and the overseer. The first ambitious for money,
and the latter ambitious fer fame. The planter
knew nothing Of farming, and, as matter of
course, thought everything went well as long as
he received large income from his plantation.
The overseer, keeping in view his character as
farmer in the eyes Of his employer, left nothing
untried The consequence Was, he ran over the
estate, sought out the best land and worked there
on until it refused to produce any longer, and so
on until the end-a plantation oil old fields. And
yet this very land teens with abundance, and on
ly requires careful, scientific kindly treatment to