Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-07-24
Wheat Culture.

Wheat requires, more than other grains,
good preparation of the land 1t re-
quires deep soil and will permit of no
water standing in it. This is from the
nature Of the grain, which is dainty, vet
hardy, standing the winters well; but it
wants good Judgment in the soil, deeply
mellow, thoroughly mellow, porous end
breathing, letting the water down and the
moisture up. If the soil is clay soil, or
one that packs close, hugging the plants
snug all the better; this is the experience
with this grain. If, further, the fertility
Is old, this is what the plant requires. 1t
requires well prepared nutriment, though
it will feed upon coarse material, rank
manure, but it will be at the expense of
the quality Of the crop--there will not be
the bright straw or the plump berry. l
have had the same experience when sOwn
upon sod
All this points to carefully prepared
soil, and the fallow meets this also a corn
field, or where roots have been raised, or
a clover lea where the soil is not only en-
riched, but also made mellow by the
crowd of the roots. The clover roots, when
well decomposed, form a good pabulum,
and available, as they are we'll distributed
through the soil.
Stubble turned down, and but one plow-
ing given the land, is in general not salts
factory, though have known good wheat
follow barley, but because the land for
barley is better prepared than for oats and
other spring crops. All seems to be
pointing, as a principal thing, to the con
dition Of the soil. Peas leave the land in
a friable condition, without abstracting
much from its richness, if indeed any, as
the stubble and debris Of the plant, as well
as the root, afford considerable material
for plant food in this respect, and in 9th
ers related to clover when the crop is ma
tured, as when left for seed. Some of the
very best Of wheat | have known has been
raised on such land, heavy crop of peas
being removed, and then a single blowing
given, leaving the land in fine condition.
Especially was this the case when the
spring crop was grown on sod which turn
ed up mellowed and rotten, and in clay
which was sufficiently compact.
Fertility comes next to properly-pre-
pared soil, and ripe, as we have said.
With the fallOw there is of course the best
chance to use manure; get it well mixed
with the soil and rotted, making indeed
soil of it. But those who have no falloW
may still do something on other good soil.
Harrow we'll the land if stubble, and give
a chance for the seeds to sprout. Then
turn down and apply manure. Nothing
so good as well-rotted compost, or any de-
composed material Spread evenly over
the surface and harrow well in. Here
will be a comparatively clean and mellow
as well as rich seed bed. Grain sOwn will
start at once, in a fair season, and start all
and uniformly, and establish itself well.
The manure applied will mostly do this.
Even if the land is not an ash-heap," but
slightly harsh or lumpy, have known it
to do well, get a good growth we'll rooted,
and a fine crop following. The soil had
the strength and there was depth of loose
ness below.
Unless pains be taken, there is no use in
attempting to grow wheat; it won't admit
of luck. There must be richness, and
there must be preparation of soil. The
past winter was very severe test. The
fall was bad, the winter was bad, and the
spring was bad; the weather following
was favorable, and gave us fair head and
a good berry A few fields well put in
and on good soil, fenced by woods on the
north and west, had good yield; others,
without the protection of the woods, did
well: but in such cases all were on dry or
drained soil, and were put in we'll. Wheat
will stand good deal if it has all the ad-
vantages of thoroughly prepared soil,
of the right kind, and with sufIi-
cent richness. Drilling in the seed
is preferable; and on rich ground rather
late sowing, say middle of September.
This will give good covering and estab-
lish we'll the plant without causing it to
shoot up And even if the fall is quite
unfavorable, and the winter and spring to
match, as we have just experienced, there
will sill be good set, in good, rich,
warm mellow SOIL without water stand
ing in it. 1t is not likely we shall soon
have another such winter, including
fall and spring. We are more likely to
have warm, growing fall, in which case
it would be imprudent to sow early.
The last of September would then be
the time, and even later has succeeded.
But the course between must be aimed at,
and that will put it about the middle Of
the month Where the land is not strong,
and no manure has been giSen, little
earlier sowing would perhaps be prefera-
BILE Where there is waste straw, this can