Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-03-19
FARMING IN EAST TENNESSEE
WHEAT CULTURE.

wheat looks unusually promising IN
Knox county and in other parts of
East Tennessee. The winter has been
mild, and no wheat appears TO have
been injured, but has spread and till
cred freely, covering the ground with
healthy, vigorous plants. There is
room for greatimprovement in the gen.
eral cultivation of this important staple.
especially in fertilizing the land by the
free use of clover and gypsum. Too
much of our soil IN Tennessee is more
or less damaged by running it in corn
and cotton, with no seeding to grass or
clover. This mistake in farm manage
ment reduces our average crops of
wheat, oats, corn and cotton full one
half, nearly enough to cut off
every dime of profit in South
ern agriculture, if we pay
fair prices for the labor of man and
beast. There is a great deal of stiff
clay over lime rock in East Tennessee,
which, with little improvement with
Glove and land plaster, forms the very
strongest wheat soil, and should be
mainly devoted to that crop. The de-
mand for wheat in Great Britain in
creases from year to year, while the
rapid extension of the dairy business IN
all the Northern States tends To lessen
the annual production In those States.
The average price Of wheat for the next
ten years in Tennessee is almost certain
to be higher than in any previous de-
cade since the country was settled.
Hence it Will pay to study all the ele-
ments that unite to form the largest
yields of this grain in any soil.
Sixty years experience in the Southern,
Middle and Northern States has shown
that clover is the cheapest and best
renovator of depleted ground that any
one has fully tested in general practice.
Acting on the established truth, every
farmer should avail himself Of the bene-
fits of this plant, not in a trifing five
cent way, but on scale that will more
than double the value of his landed
estate and of his yearly income. Clover
seed to be sown in England and on the
continent of Europe is a far better crop
than corn, Of which we export from
this country over sixty million bushels
a year. Few farmers in Tennessee get
a cent pound for their corn, or fifty
six cents a bushel; and few can
purchase clover seed at ten cents
4 pound. One may sell clover seed
from an acre to pay big rent with no
cultivation, have a good crop of hay or
pasturage and a growth of roots in the
ground to fertilize it in addition to all
the rich manure formed by grass and
hay. Glover draws its main aliment
from the atmosphere and the deep sub
soil. Its roots descend from twenty to
thirty inches in search Of plant food.
Clover and orchard grass, properly
cared for, will enrich any of our COM
mon Tennessee land, and make n good
interest to the owner. Oats are gener-
ally a quick-payIng crop, but they are
hard on land, unless it is uncommonly
rich. Tillage, whether in small grain,
cotton, tobacco or corn, is easily car
ried to excess, and TO the
damage of the soil cultivated.
Every farmer should understand that
restitution to the ground plowed is a
necessary principle in America, as it is
an Europe or Asia; because blowing
dissolves agricultural salts which rains
wash away if no crop takes them up.
Suppose one puts salt enough on an
acre of wheat six inches high to kill
every plant. In year, so much oi
this salt will ne washed ont Of the
ground, even without blowing, as TO do
no harm to the next crop. Tillage en-
riches the soil temporarily 10y consum-
ing fertility; that is plant-fOod not
soluble without blowing, becomes dis
solved in rain water, and goes mainly
where ever the water goes. Ifthat en-
tiers the roots of corn, it feeds that
plant, but if it falls into a creek
or sewer, it is likely to run into the sea.
Nature never plows, and rarely impov-
erishes land. But man needs much
bread for people living in cities, towns
and villages, which can only come
from titled earth. Restitution to the