The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1871-10-05
On The Cultivation Of Wheat.

Any one who has paid any attention to the
wheat product Of tic United States, comparing
the yield per acre in past years with what it is
at present, cannot fail 10 he struck with the
fact that in the best wheat growing regions of
the older States, the product of grain per acre
for Il long time steadily declined but that re-
Gently, through more judicious cultivation, the
average yied-taking into consideration the
area under cultivation-has gradually, but
slowly ncreased although it has not Yet
rcachcd-cxccpt in rare instances
product Of the original soil. y quarter of Il
century ago the average product OF wheat IN
Maryland did not much exceed seven bushels
to the acre Since then the average III good
season, has risen TO fifteen bushels. thus more
than doubling the crop. y similar decline and
n similar improvement is observable in the re-
ports from all the older States since fertilizers
have been more literally employed and a
better system of cultivation has taken place OF
the old sloycnlv practices. But We are far from
having reached the maximumyicld. There are
occasional instances of the Weld reaching thir-
tv and thrtv-fivc 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 arc observable
i'm the Western States. The best wheat grow
ing regions there are losing their former tertll-
itv. and the wheat fields from which the heavl-
est supplies are drawn for sale in the Chicago
and ST. Louis markets arc those that have been
newly opened To wheat culture. In short, the
great granary OF the United States has been
steadily moving Westward, and the cost of
transportation to the eastern markets has in
creased 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 dense population ;
that the best wheat markets, whether for home
consumption or expectation, are III their midst
are easily accessible by rail or water, and The
cost of transportation is light, whilst the wheat
offered for sale brings the highest market
prices All these circumstances are i'll favor ot
the wheat growers of the older States and even
now tend To colintcrhalancc the heavier acrca-
bic Weld of thcncwly occupied Western States.
Rut there is no earthly reason why the product
in the Atlantic States should not he equal TO
that of the best Western soils. Lands are new
cr exhausted except by carclc>-ncss and i'm
providence When farmers take everything
oil their laad, even tn straw, AMI put little or
nothing back upon it. of course by constant
cropping the land will wear out. But the lands
of England and Germany and France have
been under tila.c for !: thousand ycars-wc
say nothing OF the Lands of Chlna--and since
science has been brought To bear on the cuti-
yation OF the soil. the wheat crop in numerous
instance, has been brought up to turty-tiyc
bushels TO the acre, and the average, except III
bad seasons. has rarely fallen below twenty
five. The climate, in ENGLAND especially is,
moreover. greatly against the farmer whilst
with lis ii is uncNccpti"nahIy good. 1t Is.
therefore, bur fair IN say that if VIZ pursue their
methods. ami lime and irrtiizc a> literally rs
they do. that our crops should hc at least equal
to theirs.
And now, what have we to do tobring about
thi, result? In tie iir>i place We must stc;I'll-
lv pursue It system OF cultivation and q system
OF manllr!n~ which. i,!>lc.Id ut rubbin@ annu-
al, .hc soil of II par! oi il, plant food. should
add 10 j. more ;han h;i, bcc! carried oil i'll the
crops. We know by the analytical table that
have beer 80 frequently given III The pages OF
the Nrrylud E;umU that the essential con-
<tituent, of Il good wheat soil are potash, soda,
phosphate of lime, carbonate of lmcand silica
We throw out the silica, for that is supcrabun-
dantlv found in almost every soil. We have
then To look principally for potas h. soda phos-
pfate of lime and carbonate OF lime. If these
trc present in good quantities, and the soil is
not too light. The wheat product is bound to be
rood in :. good season and under clcanlv and
thorough preparatory tllagc If these are de-
fcicnt in quantity. or il amy one of them Is
missing, the crop will be light. Under such
circumstances what is to be done? One or
two means may hc rc>ortcd to: lst. Lining
and maturing until the land will bring good
crops of clover This crop turned under WILL
in rotting, give to the soil all the constituents
that Il crop of wheat requires, for strange to
say. the constituents of the ash Of clover and
those of the ash of wheat, both stem and grain,
run parallel with each other Hence, as every
good farmer knows, clover turned under Is all
excellent preparation for wheat. But this pro
cc-, would take several years 10 accomplish
The quicker mciho'l is to supply the same con-
~lilucnl> either hy compo,ls made ON tho i;!rm
or hv the Use of commercial fertilizers. The
hc,; mixture OF the latter kind is IL combina-
ton of soluble supcr-pho,phatc ot lime, which
(, better known hy some a. bone dust. potash
and soda-or their equivalent of unirachcd
wood :!Slcs-and Il small per ccn'agr OF ann
mona. From two hundred and fifty pounds to
three hundred pounds To the acre of the above
mixture would not only restore 10 the wheat
crop the constituents i: lack., hit would leave
Il residue for ;hr next crop .'i"yl'@" f"1a'r
TREAT ANIMALS klSnIN.-lt is a pity cv-