The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1871-09-16
farmland HOUSEHOLD.
On the cultivation of Wheat.

ANY one who has paid any attention
to the wheat product of the United
States, comparing the yield per acre in
past years with what it is at present,
cannot fail to be struck with the fact
that in the best wheat growing regions
of the older States the product of grain
per acre for along time steadily declined,
but that recently, through more judi
cious cultivation, the average yield,
taking into consideration the area under
cultivation, has gradually but slowly
increased, although it has not yet reach
ed, except in rare instances, the agreeable
product of the original soil. A quarter
of a century ago the average product
of wheat in Maryland did not much
exceed seven bushels to the acre. Since
then the average in good seasons has
risen to fifteen bushels, thus more than
doubling the crop. A similar decline
and similar improvement is observable
in the reports from all the older States
since fertilizers have been more literally
employed, and better system of cult
walton has taken the place of the old
slovenly practices. But we are far from
having reached the maximum yield
There are occasional instances of the
yield reaching thirty and thirty-fve
bushels to the acre. But these instances
are few as compared with those which
indicate returns of ten, twelve and four
teen bushels. The same results are
observable in the Western States. The
best wheat growing regions there are
losing their former fertility, and the
wheat fields from which the heaviest
supplies are drawn for sale in the Chi
cago and St. Louis markets are those
that have been newly opened to wheat
culture. In short, the great wheat
granary of the United States has been
steadily moving further westward, and
the cost of transportation to the eastern
markets has increased in proportion to
the distances of the fields from which
the wheat crops are drawn.
The advantage to the older States lies
in this-that they are occupied by a
dense population; that the best wheat
markets, whether for home consumption
or for expectation, are in their midst
are easily accessible both by rail and
water, and the cost of transportation is
light, whilst the wheat offered for sale
brings the highest market prices. All
these circumstances are in favor of the
wheat growers of the older States, and
even now tend to counterbalance the
heavier agreeable yield of the newly
opened Western States. But there is
no earthly reason why the product in
the Atlantic States should not be equal
to that of the best Western soils -
Lands are never exhausted except by
careIessness and improyidence. When
farmers take everything off their land
I ev."n to the straw, and put little or moth
inc hack .non it, of course by constant
cropping Gro the LAM will wear out. But
the lands of England an. Germany ana
France have been under tlllaooe AZ. "a a
thousand ycars-we say nothing OF lHe
lands of China-and since science has
been brought to bear on the cultivation
of the soil, the what crop in numerous
instances has been brought up to forty
five bushels the acre, and the average,
except in bad seasons, has rarely fallen
below twenty-five. The climate IN Eng
land especially, is Moreover, greatly
against the farmer, whilst with ns it is
Internationally good. 1t is, therefore
but fair to say that if we pursue then
methods and lime and fertilize as llber,
! ally as they do, that our crops should
be at least equal to theirs.
And, now, what have we to do to
bring about this result? In the first
place we must steadily pursue o system
of cultivation and system of manaripg,
which instead of robbing annually the
soil of part of its plant food, should
add to it more than has been carried of
in the crops. We know by the analyti-
cal tables that have been SO frequently
| given in our pages that the essential
constituents of q good wheat soil are
| potash, soda, phosphate Of lime, car,
Donate of lime and silica. We throw
out the silica, for THAI ia superabun-
dainty found 10 almost every soil. we
have then to look principally for potash
soda, phosphate of lime sud carbonate
of lime. If these are present In good
| quantities and the soil is not too light,
the wheat product is bound to be good
| in a good season and under clearly and
thorough preparatory tillage. If these
are deficient in quantity, or if any one
of them is missing, the crop will be light.
Under such circumstances w1as& II TO be
done? One of two means may he
re&orted to-First, limingand moderate
maanring until the land will bring good
crops Of clover. This crop turned
! under will. in rotting, give to the soil
| all the constituents that a crop of wheat
reqn Tres, for strange to say, the constIt-
| uents of the ash of clover and those OF
the ash of wheat, both stem AID grain,
run parallel with each other. HehGs,
as every good farmer knows, clover
| turned under is an excellent preparation
for wheat But this process would TAKE
several years to accomplish. The quick
err method is to supply the same constit-
uents, either by composts made on the
farm, or by the use of commercial fer
tilizers. The best mixture of the latter
kind is a combination of soluble super
phosphate of lime, which is better known
by some as bone dust, potash and soda
or their equivalent of unleached wood
| ashes-and small per centage of am
| monia. From two hundred and fifty
pounds to three hundred pounds to the
only restore to the wheat crop the con-
stitnents it lacked, but would leave a
! residue for the next crop.