The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1874-09-18
On the Culture of Wheat.

| According to appointment, w. J
Jones read the following paper befor
Mt. Zion Grange, on Friday night
Aug dst the 2Sth. His subject was 18th,
] Cultivation of Wheat"
In compliance with the request of tn,
| grange, hereby submit, in writing Wha
| l know about the culture of wheat.
| In the culture of wheat, as in all crops
| the first consideration of the thoughtful
| lafmer is the kind and character of the
| seed to be sown. In my experience, have
1 found the Boughton, or Rappahannock
| ana the Amber, to be best. 1 have found
| the Amber to be harder, and it is not sc
] apt to sprOut in the shock as the Boughton
one year on my farm, the Boughton was
| nearly ruined by sprouting, when tina Am.
| per, under the same exposure, was btfElittle
| hart. The buyers and millers, however
prefer the BOughton. In our nejghbOr.
mood, the Boughton has done best this year
On the whole, however, as q general crop
| regard the Amber as the safer.
PREPARATION OF THE SEED.
AS smut is the great enemy of wheat, 1t is
OF the nrst Importance to provide against
II. have found that this may be effectual-
~ done IN two ways: First, by the use OF
9 s and WteT and snd mg and second by the
salt in water until an egg will float from
the bottom of the vessel, not to the top OF
the water, but say midway; then pour the
water to the wheat, in barrels or tubs, and
let 1t stand Z to 10 hours; then pour off the
water, and roll the wheat in Stacked lime
covered-then sow. Second, dissolve one
pound OF blueStone in a small quantity of
warm water, pour the solution into enough
WateEto thoroughly Saturate six bushels of
wheat; then pour the water upon the six
bushels of wheat in vessels, let this stand II
10 10 hours, then lime and SOW. Either rem
edy Will effectually prevent smut, but pre-
Ter the salt and water, because it is more
convenient. However, before either RENE
dy IS used, the wheat should be passed
through one OF our improved wheat fans, to
ria IL OF all small and defective grains,
10 not regard the lime as preventative of
smut, but as fertilizer, and as an aid
IN sowing. An article lately appeared in
the Columbia Herald AND MAIL, written
by Samuel j. Roberts, one of the successful
farmers OF our county, in which he says
smut mill, as means ofridding it of smut,
and he has found it effective, Salt and lime
are not only preVentatives of smut, but they
are stlmulantS to the young plants. 1t is
easy TO perceive the difference in the APP
pearance and growth of the young plants
s fe n6 See1 6ans PTeePaTed and from
prepared seed are much more vigorous, the
leaves are broader and stouter, and of a
much deeper green color.
SOIL.
We must have good soil if we hope for
success In our wheat crop, or any crop.
And it may not be amiSs, If | here express
my utter condemnation of the abuse we are
giving our lands. Nature committed to our
Keeping, in this neighborhood, a soil of
wonderful fertility, and easy cultivation
We owe to posi- Gritty the sacred duty of pre-
serving the trust committed to us. We have
only a life estate in this soil. When we
pass away, others will take our places who
Will need productive soil for their support
aud we have no moral right, by imprudenf
cultivation, to destroy or inpoverfsh this
inheritance. How well we are keeping our
trust, let numerous red and barren hiIlSides
witness. The cultivation OF cotton is con-
trlDutlng more than all other causes, to the
destruction of our lands; and sound policy
ana moral duty demand that we cultivate
II no more forever. In our greed we are
simply killing the goose that lays the gold
en- eggs.
CULTIVATION
In thorough culture lies the great secret of
success IN raising wheat. And this culture
must De DONE mainly, before the grain is
SoWn. Experience shows that wheat fol-
lows cotton, tobacco, and peanuts, better
than any other crop. This results for the
most part, from the thorough culture said
crops have received. If wheat is to follow
corn, the corn should be thoroughly culti-
vaIeG, ana nave one late extra working, to
prepare II the better for wheat. When l
SOW wheat upon cotton land 1 run one fur
row with bull-tongue, on each side of the
cotton-rOw to level down the ridge, then
SOW ana pillow in with two furrows between
each row with double shovel. In corn
land, the corn should be cut and stacked
Ihe ground thoroughly broken with long
buH-tongues, then SOW, and harrow in with
good heavy harrow. If it is desirable to
SOW SOW IN u !, clover or meadow land, the sod
should be well and deeply inverted with q
SLfong team, heavy pillow, and q good
ploughman; then sow ard harrow thor
oughly.
TINE OF SOWING.
nave found, from the LIST to the 10th of
october, to be the best time to sow. If sown
earlier, the fly is apt to attack it, if later, it
is liable to be affected by the rust.
QUANTITY OF SEED TO THE ACRE.
from three peckS to one buShel should be
SOWn 10 the acre. Perhaps it is safer, and
preferable, to sow one buSheI.
EFFECT UPON THE LAND
" neat Is great stay upon the destruction
OF land, consequent upon abusive cultiva-
ton, especially when following a cotton
crop. 1t Injuries land much less than corn
or oats, and more than rye.
PROFITS.
But the great question, vital to us all is .
does 1t pay? My experience is, 1t does Our
labor is so demoralized, that it is almost
Impossible to have our lands properly Guilt
waited. Then when we take into the ac-
count, the uncertainty of labor, the little
trouble of the crop, with our improved ma
chinery for harvesting, the saving and i'm
pr9Vement of or lands, l think it is de-
cldedly to our interest to grow wheat large
ly. haG in cultivation this year about
one hundred acres. l have now in store
1900 bushels of good wheat, worth at present
prices, $500; but feel that l shall realize
Sl5O0 for il when l sell it, / am satisfied with
this result, and shall repeat the expert
ment, thus proving my faith by my works