Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1873-09-18
Seeding Fall Wheat.

THE failure to reap remunerative crops
OF winter wheat on the prairies of the
West does not lie in any organic difficulty
in the soil, but almost entirely in the La
blllty to winter killing, which on the old
SOIL IS the rule and not the exception
This Is due TO mechanical alterations in
the virgin soils, and the want of drainage:
| therefore, any plan which will obviate
tins VIII, in just such degree, render the
soil again fit for this crop, as it always is
| i'll its natural state when first broken.
If drainage could be accomplished be
fore the soil, through repeated blowing
when too wet, has lost its porosity, there
Is no reason why it should not continue
to raise crops Of wheat so long as its fer
tility remained. The fact that the more
arenaceouS or sandy soils do 50 con
tlnue to produce good crops, is sufficient
proof that the want of drainage is the
primary disability. TO point out some of
the methods of obviating this difficulty is
the object of this article.
1t has been heretofore stated in the
Western RUrdk that the soil might be
brought back, to a certain degree to its
former condition by allowing the land TO
ne Tor some years IN pasture or meadow
II good clover sod can be turned over
and thoroughly prepared for the seed,
leaving the drainage open through the
dead burrows, wheat will winter all right,
unless the season be an exceptional one.
Where the seeding is to be done on old
lana, following other crops on a fallow.
the land should be plOwed in such a wav
as VIII enable the dead burrows to most
easily and quickly carry off the superfu
Gus water; in which case, if the seed he
sown early enough to insure a good root
and surface drainage be kept omen be-
tween the dead burrows and the low places
Iii the field, the freezing out will not be
excessive. In blowing, the width Of the
lands must be governed by the Law of the
Ianu, but, IN any case, they should not be
NOR" than four rods wide; and, the soil
be adhesive and level, two rods is better.
Inc dead burrows should not be seeded,
but should be cleaned out thoroughly, so
as 10 leave the water way perfectly free
ailef lhe seed has been covered One G.
the best plans for accomplishing this is
by means of a large and strong shovel
pioW, with wings passed both WAYS in TIE
dead burrows, and drawn by "a strong.
slow, steady horse. If these directions
be carried out, there is 10 reason why
winter wheat should not take its regular
place IN the rotation on prairie farms.
Again, where wheat is to be s0Wn
among growing corn, the same plan of
pi0Wing in land should have been adopt-
ed, and after sowing and covering with a
double shovel plow, or one of the nipple
ments made especially for seeding in such
fields, the burrows may be opened in the
way heretofore indicated; but after the
corn has been hUsked on the hill, we
should much prefer losing the fodder to
allowing cattle 10 feed thereon, unless it
be at time when the soil is dry and I'M
frozen, OF the earth covered with snow
Next 10 allowing the soil to be poached
when wet we consider the slipping of the
Gouis of cattle and horses on the frozen,
or worse, partially thawed soil, crushing
and breaking the crowns Of the plants,
10 be most injurious. If the stalks can
be left on, in the spring, until the ground
lee settled, and the wheat have made some
growth, So much the better, since they
viii protect the plants from The freezing
and tAawing so detrimental during the
early spring, If the stalks, when cut, be
allowed TO lie on the ground, they will be
no hindranCe TO the harvesting of the
crop, since the harvester will pass at such
a height that the remains will not discom-
mode the reaper To any serious extent
Western Rural