The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1872-06-11
WHEAT CULTURE IN CALIFoR-
MIA.
SIX Hundred Square Miles In One
Wheat Field.

Wheat Field
A,correspondent of the New, York III
5uns gives some interesting facts in regard
to the culture Of wheat in the Californian
country, and some statements in regard to
the coming crops, which seems almost in.
credible to the hard working farmers Of
the Middle and Eastern States.
Between Stockton and MERGED, lie about
six hundred square miles Of wheat, In one
vast unbroken and undivided field. The
method Of cultivation Is graphically de.
scribed. .-Nfs.
The fields are plowed with what are
called gang plows, which are simply four,
six or eight plowshares fastened to q stout
frame Of wood. On the lighter soil eight
horses draw seven gang.plow, and one
such team Is counted on to put In GAO
acres Of wheat In the sowing season; or
from s to 10 acres per day. Capt. Grey,
near MERGED, has put in this season 1000
acres with FIVE such teams-his own land
and his own leans. A seed sower Is fast.
ened In front Of the plow. It scatters the
seed, the pillow covers it-and the work Is
done. The pillow has no handles, and the
plowman Is, Ia fact, only q driver; he
guides the team; the plows do their own
work. II Is easy work, and. q smart boy,
ifhis legs are equal to the walk, Is as good
plowman as anybody-for the team
turns the corners, and the pillow Is not
handled at all.
On the heavier soil, the process Is some.
what different An eight horse team
moves a four gang.plow, and gets over
about six acres per day. The seed is then
sown by Q machine which scAttersit 40
feet and sows from 76 10 100 acres in day,
and the ground Is then narrowed and
cross.harrowed. When the farmer has
done his winter sowing, he turns his
teams and men into other ground, which
he Is to summer fallow. This he can do
from the first Of March to the middle Of
May; and by It he secures a remunerative
crop for the following year, even II the
season sdry. This discovery Is Of ines
Unable importance to the farmers on the
drier part Of these great plains. Expert
ence has now demonstrated conclusively,
that il they plow their land in the spring,
letft lie until the winter rains come on,
then SOW. their wheat and harrow 1t in,
they are sure Of q crop; and the summer
will have killed every weed, besides.
In the rainless season the farmer gets
his teams, his grain wagons, his threshing
machines, and his sacks and men intot the
field, and cuts, and threshes and puts the
grain in sacks, often at the rate Of 100
acres per day. When the grain is put
into sacks il is left on the ground until the
harvesting is done, and there Is leisure to
hand it to the railroad. 1t does notsweat
nor mould, and there Is no fear Of rain.
When the ground Is cleared, six.horse
teams are hitched to twenty.ioot brush,
which is drawn over the field at the rate
Of forty acres day, scattering the grain
which was left in harvesting, and some.
times when these leavings are small, q
little more grain is added. Then the field
is ploughed two or three inches deep, to
cover the seed, and from this comes
second crop, sometimes better than the
first.
From these two crops the yield is enor.
NOUS The San Joaquin Valley will
send to tide.water this year, 10000 tons
Of wheat. Mr.. Friedhnd, the great grain
buyer Of this State, is reported to have
estimated the probable export Of the
whole State this year OF 100000 tons.
This means that 800 ships OF 1000 tons
each will be needed toearrY- Callfornia's
crop to the far away markets and itneans
that $4,000 cars, each carrying 10 tons
ofgrain will beneeded to move the surplus
wheat Of the San Joaquin Valley to San
Francisco; or 800 trains Of so cars each,
or a single train more than 100 miles long.