The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1873-08-16
6he farmer.
On the Culture Of wheat.

The harvest of the year is no sooner En-
ished, than the farmer is called upon to
look ahead and make preparations for the
ensuing crop. In large portion of the
States, il Is one of the three great staples,
Cotton, Tobacco and Wheat, which are
emphatically relied upon to furnish the
cash for the main expenses Of the year.
Much ink has been shed upon the sub
iect Of the cultivation of the Wheat Plant,
but the whole may be embraced in very
small compass, that to secure paying
crop, three things are requisite, LIST, the
land must be in good heart, or be supplied
with such manure as win put it in prop
err condition to pay the cost of the labor
required for the crop-2d, the land thus
conditioned, must be properly prepared,
by deep ploughing and thorough pulveri-
zation-and Sd, good seed, properly got
ten in. These may be subdivided into
many branches, and we will, without much
circumlocution, state the main propositions
which are to be considered in the discus
sion Of the subject now on hand.
The So2.-The best soils for wheat are
those in which there is just proportion
Of clay, to give proper adhesiyeness to
sustain the plant-hence cldyey loans,
wherein are to be found admixtures of
clay, sand, vegetable and animal remains,
are undoubtedly the most suitable for the
growth Of wheat, and to its successful ma
duration. But soil not naturally of this
character, but partaking more of sandy
loan, will produce good crops, if aided by
a green crop, such as clover or peas, or by
manures suitable to the wants of the plant.
Clover Is acknowledged on all hands to be
the best preparation, and the very best
manure, for a crop of wheat. As remark
ed by Prof. Voelcker, "the clover plants
take nitrogen from the atmosphere and
manufacture it into their own substance,
which, on the decomposition of the clover
roots and leaves, produces abundance Of
ammonia. In reality, the growing Of clo-
yer is equivalent, to great extent, to
manuring with Peruvian guano; and in
this paper Of mine / show that you obtain
larger quantity of manure than in the
largest dose Of Peruvian guano which a
farmer would ever think of applying"
And he further asserts, that there is
more certainty of growing good crop Of
wheat through the instrumentality Of clo-
yer than through the direct supply Of nj
trate Of soda" This is strong language,
but it is from high authority, and we could
add innumerable evidences all tending to
the same point, but we deem it unneees-
sary, as no practical intelligent man who
has tested the question, or theoretical wri-
ter who is acknowledged as an authority,
win gainsay the conclusion arrived at by
Prof. ". But as in the mouth Of two or
three witnesses every fact is to be estab-
lished, we will re-publish from papers up
on this subject given in former volumes of
the Farmer, the following remarks, show
ing that as preparation for wheat crop,
there is nothing superior to the turning in
of crop of clover. DIR. Lee, in an able
paper upon this subject, published whilst
he conducted the Genesec Farmer, says
'sThere are II pounds of ash in 100 lbs.
of dry clover. IF this crop be taken from
field for number of years, without ma
king restitution, it viii be found quite
exhausting, Notwithstanding the power Of
clover to draw its organic nourishment
from the atmosphere. An acre Of stout
clover, when perfectly dry, has been known
70 weigh 1894 pounds, containing 2s4
pounds of ash. This is some 80 pounds
more than is removed from an acre in a
fair crop Of wheat. 1t is useful to study
the mineral elements Of this plant in con-
nection with those Of wheat. In 284 lbs.