Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1872-11-07
Nheat.-GrOWIng.

MANY farmers at the West are diseour-
aged in attempting to make wheat grow
ing as profitable as other grain crops, and
have abandoned this branch of husbandry.
The reason of this encouragement arises
chiefly from the failure to grow wheat
with the indifferent management practis-
ed when the country was comparatively
new and the soil in its primitive state
We have raised this grain with heavy
yield by simply narrowing the seed into
the surface soil without ploughing at alD
among the stumps on newly cleared land,
and have also raised heavy crops upon
old worn land during the past few years,
but the difference in management was
very dissimilar.
Those who get good crops of wheat
upon old land have got to labor for it, but
the improved facilities for harvesting and
the increased value of the grain make the
crop, with right treatment, as profitable
to-day as it ever has been.
In the first place, soil rightly adapted
as to position and condition must be
selected; second, use good seed third,
well put in; and fourth, thoroughly drain.
ed. The lay of land is very important; it
is best where lying high, and shielded on
the north or west side by woods if on
both OF these sides, all the better, as the
forest gives winter protection in prevent
ing snow from being blown off and drifted
up. The field also should be SO situated
that complete surface drainage may be
given, for wherever pool OF water is
allowed to stand for few days, there
will be a bare spot at harvest time
More fields Of wheat are injured by
frost than by insect, and to contend
with this element successfully extra care
should be exercised. 1t is well -estab-
lished fact that when this Grain is put in
with the drill, it stands the winter much
better than waen sOwn broadcast. 1t has
further been proved that when mulched
in early winterwith sprinkling of straw
the roots are protected to great extent,
not from the light coating Of straw alone,
but this coating retains the snow, and dur
ing many trying days blankets the field
and securely shields it.
AS to manure for wheat we have never
found any so good as that from the sheep
shed; this we put on the surface before
narrowing in the grain. \ piece of land
once came into our possession that had
been under the pillow for twenty years
and was considered almost worthless
This was plowed up in the fall about
seven inches deep, and being heavy clay,
the work required four horses; it lay in
large Jumps during the winter, but
through the action of the frost, the most
Of themslacked down in the spring, when
a good coat of manure was put upon it
and turned under. During the summer
we gave it one or two good workings
with the cuItiFator, and in August threw
it up with ridges with single horse pillow,
and about the goth of September gave a
sprinkling Of sheep manure and sowed
one bushel and peck Of red wheat per
acre. From the piece we harvested thir-
ty-two bushels per acre Of clean, plump
wheat The piece was then stocked
down and has since produced heavy crops
of grass
Mr.. r, A. Hunt, of Euclid, Ohio, tells
us that he has made some experiments in
the use of plaster and ashes upon wheat
land, and has had the best success in the
use OF these fertilizers, Mr.. Hunt, on the
18th day of September last, sowed some
wheat on corn land, and cultivated the
same III without blowing, and on every
other plow-land Of this piece he put I'M
leached ashes at .dhe rate of thirty
bushels per acre, and the wheat upon
these lands ripened three days earlier
than that upon the others, and gave a
Yield of one,third more grain. Now this
was fair test; the field was not divided
in the center, one-half coated with the
ashes and the other not, but alternate
plow-lands taken. The grain came on
earlier in the spring where the applica-
ton of ashes was made, kept ahead
through the season, and so distinctly
marked was the difference in growth that
il was noticed 10y casual observers.
In the fall Of 1869 Mr. Hunt, after
sowing a field of wheat on corn ground
and oultiyating the same in, applied to
one half Of the piece old plaster from a
dwelling, pulverized finely, at the rate Of
thirty bushels per acre, and on the half
where the plaster was applied a result
was obtained very similar to that spoken
of above when ashes was used The
wheat stood thicker and returned a much
heavier yield, In the spring of 1870. the
piece OF and upon which the experiment
was made was seeded to clover. and the
crop cyt this year from that land was
FULLY twice as heavy upon the lined part
Is upon The o. r, the former yielding
,9me three tons Of hay per acre. Further
nan this, Mr., II, Says that upon the part
Q which the plaster was applied,
7oNth Of clover WAS made the same sea-
on a sowing, sufficient to lay good
Tath, -Di3o FafHer