The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1874-09-24
Farm, Gard.en and Household.


finished early in September. Two plow-
lngs of an oat or barley stubble should
be given, that thescattered grain which
has sprouted may be killed. It is
mistake to suppose that oats are pro-
lection to the young wheat. On the
contrary they are weeds, and rob the
young wheat plants of their nourish-
ment to their injury. A cloddy surface
will do no harm if there is mellow
bed below for the seed. In good time
these clods will crumble down, and
until then they are a protection to the
plant.
A few loads of good well-rotted ma
nure narrowed into the surface, or COW
cred with very light furrow at the sec.
ond plowing, is better than twice as
many loads spread in the winter as a
top-dresslng. Strong plants at the
start are what we want. If there is food
at hand, the roots from the sprouting
seed find it and make a rapid growth,
when growth is safety. Strong fibrous
roots spreading far into the soil, are not
30 easily thrown out by frost, as weak,
puny short roots which have no hold.
Thousands of young plants die for want
of food in poor soil, long before any
frost touches them. The manure and
seed should go into the ground togeth-
er. Top dressing in winter is an after
expedient, useful when nothing better
can be done. But it is better for the
crop that it should not need it. Where
no manure is at hand, 200 TBS. of Peru
Wan guano per acre, will give the wheat
or rye fine start. 1t may be followed
later by top dressing.
The selection of seed is important.
Changes of seed should be made with
caution, and the whole crop should not
be risked at once. Experiment wisely,
that is, cautiously. The fine white
wheats require rich soil, and strong
limestone land. The harder red or
amber wheats are safer on gravelly
land, or where the soil is not SO rich.
A great improvement may be made by
choosing the best and heaviest seed
each year from local sources. Above
all things avoid weeds. Sow clean seed,
portion of the field at least A stock
of clean seed may be raised from this
for another season.
The quantity of seed depends much
upon its quality. Six pecks of plump
seed that has not been broken in
thrashing, and that is free from weeds,
is better than two bushels taken at ran
dom from the bin. On rich clear ground
wheat will lodge, that is too thickly
sown. On poorer soils two bushels per
acre is little enough.
Smut may be prevented by cooking
the seed in strong brine. Pour the
seed slowly into the brine in a large
tub. All light, imperfect grains will
float, and should be removed. Stir the
seed, and then scoop it out on to the
barn floor, and leave it for an hour to
dry ora few handfuls of finely Stacked
lime will dry it at once. Picking the
seed is so great an advantage, and so
little trouble, that it should never be
neglected, even where smut is not
prevalent.
Experiments made in England showed
that three inches was the best depth at
which to SOW wheat. Before the sprouts
appeared above ground, there was
abundant growth Of roots, and a larger
proportion of plants escaped winter
killing. Even sowing can only be done
by the drill. All the seed is then cov-
cred. This is not the case in broadcast
sowing. If the ground is too rough or
stony for the drill, it is lesson for an
other year, to be remembered and acted
upon in time.-AgriculturiSt.
Feeding Bran.
Mr.. r. says that bran makes rich ma.
nure. There is no doubt on this point.
think, says farmer, if was dairy
farmer, and could dispose of the milk
at a paying price, I should aim to feed
at least a ton of bran year to each
COW, and half ton of corn meal. am
not sure that it would pay for the first
year or two, but it would be profitable
in the end, provided the manure was
carefully saved and applied. The great
objection to such system is the fuc.
tuations in the price of bran. Some.
times we can buy it here for SIS pei
ton, and sometimes we must pay $35
per ton.
EYES," said the Deacon, "I take il
the dairy farmers understand their own
business. They will adopt the system
which long experience has taught them
is the best and safest"
That is all true, and 1 would be the
last man to assume that I understand
how TO manage dairy farm as we'll as
dairy farmer. I was only saying that
it seemed to me that farmer, who had
a ready market for all the milk he
could produce, at fair price, could
easily manage to enrich his land. Will
us here in the wheat growing section
the great trouble is to make profit OF
our live stock. If we could do this, i
would be an easy matter to make oul
farms rich.