The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1872-09-26
Sowing Wheat.

As the time for sowing wheat is approaching,
a few hints may not be out of place.
locality and Soa-High, dry spots, from
which water can escape readily-and which do
not become "soggy" during the protracted rains
of spring, should be selected. Elevated knolis
and northern slopes are best. Wheat grows
better in cold than in warm climates-and
northern slopes have cooler climates than
plains or southern exposures. Stiff soils are
better adapted for wheat than light sandy ones
limestone soils standing first on the list, ana
stiff red lands (clay) next. An excess of yege-
table matter in the soil is considered preluai-
eial, favoring sotness and succulency OF the
stems, and inducing thereby tendency 70
"lodge" or fall down.
Ptsporat;on and Manuring. g.-The best prepa-
ration for wheat is a clean falloso, that is,
ploughing the land at intervals TOR few
weeks, for several months before seeding down.
These ploughings are best done with ploughs
which run deep without turning over the SOIL
long rooters or shoves for instance. Such
treatment brings the land into the finest t'Gh,
and at the same time, by giving free access to
the air, produces changes in the soil which
makes its ingredients promptly and readily
ovailabze to the wheat plant. The fine growth
of grains after cotton ii dne in great measure
to o similar condition of the soil, brought
about by the protracted cultivation of that
CROP. The entire absence of weeds and grass,
under this arrangement, is very desirable as
diminishing the danger of the ely"
1t is worse than useless to SOW wheat on
Door land-it is crop which pays under the
best treatment only. Cotton seed is one of the
best manures for this crop within reach OF the
Southern farmer. Not less than fifty bushels
should be applied to one acre if the land Is at
all poor; they should be ploughed in to mod
crate depth, deep enough for the seed TO Keep
moist and decompose readily. We have often
seen good part of the cotton seed applied to
grain, lying on the surface of the ground-it Is
impossible for such to have done all the good
they might have done if properly buried. on
the other hand, the roots of wheat ramify
largely near the surface; it is not desirable
therefore to bury the cotton seed too deep.
Preparation of the seed for sotcing-Soaking
the seed in solution of blue stone is 80 abso-
lutte q preventative of smut, it is surprising
that any farmer should neglect it. It deslra-
bic any way to put the seed in water before
sowing. to "hoat off" the light and imperfect
grains and it is very little trouble or expense
to add some blue stone to the water. One
pound to enough water to cover five bushels is
sufficient. Put the seed in the solution in the
morning of the day previous to that in which
it is to be sown; in the evening take it out and
put in hamper baskets over the vessel to drain
next morning roll in plaster preparatory to
sowing.
Tine of sosoing.-With latitude and elevation
the time of sowing varies from the middle OF
October to the first of December-the latter
date towards the Gulf, the former towards the
mountains. The early sowings run the risk OF
the "Ay;" where the land is perfectly free from
any green stuff, the danger is regarded as less.
The seed should be sown when the land is dry.
Precautions against Rust.-High dry lands
and drills running north and south to admit
sunshine are the best pFeventatives we know.
We have seen good results reported, from
broadcasting ashes or salt on the wheat just
before it reaches the stage when rust attacks it
but we do not regard these as we'll authenti-
Gated. But these are worthy of trial on the
general principle, "try all things, hold fast to
that which is good. ."-Southern CuItioator.