The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1874-08-15

CULTIVATION OF WHEAT.
THE SOIL.

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THE SOIL
A dryish, sandy loan is preferable
one in which neither sand nor clay pre-
dominates, so as to be easy of tillage.
A stiff clay soil is not easily pulvcr
lied fine, loose soil, as the Western
prairies, is too loose, and sandy soil
is not we'll adapted to its growth, but
on all these soils, with proper manage
ment, good wheat may be raised.
PREPARATION OF THE GROUND.
If the land intended for wheat has
been in oats, pillow early but not deep,
and pulverize thoroughly. If the
waste oats have terminated and grown
much after blowing, pasture them off.
for they make good pasture, and are of
no value, but rather detrimental to the
growth of wheat. If there come no
rain to pack the ground after blowing,
put on the roller when the ground is
dry, and roll well. There is no danger
of making the seed-bed too firm. If
the seeding is after corn, potatoes, or
truck, treat the land in the same man.
ner.
MATURING.
Then put on the manure: five loads,
of forty bushels each, of strong COM
post to the acre, or ten loads compost
made from common barn-yard manure,
well rotted, or their equivalents in
other fertilizers. Where the potatoes
and other crops have been MANFRED in
the Spring less will answer.
FLOWING UNDER
Plow under the manure shallow
two, or not exceeding three inches
just deep enough to make mellow earth
to cover the seed with the drill, leaving
the bed below firm for the roots. This
6rmness of the seed bed enables the
young wheat to start much stronger
than by leaving it loose or mellow, and
as the size of the crop depends very
much on the start it gets, there is much
gained by this method
PATENT MANUREs DRILLED WITH WHEAT.
When patent manures are used, 200
pounds to the acre, drilled in with the
wheat. will produce more than 400
pounds sown broadcast. This shows
the advantage of a concentration of
fertilizers to the roots of the crop.
MANURE APPLIED TO THE SURFACE.
Some farmers now apply their COM
posted manure to the surface of the
ground after the wheat has been drilled
in with good results; and where they
are unable to get their manure on and
pillow under in good season this method
has been adopted, but the crop is not
so certain as when plowed under shall
low; and these results come from the
fact that the nearer all our fertilizers
are placed to the surface of the ground,
where the main body of the roots grow,
the better
GREEN CROPS.
Green clover powed under and rolled
well answers as very good substitute
for manure. A crop that would make
one and ahalf tons dry hay to the acre,
turned under in its green state, and
we'll rolled, narrowed and drilled with
wheat, will make good wheat ON good
land in on ordinary season.
TIME TO SOW.
This depends very much on soil and
climate. In the vicinity of Salem, N.
j., from the 5th to the 10th of the tenth
month (October) is best. Seeding at
this time escapes the fly, and yet has
enough warm weather before Winter to
give it good start. Sometimes earlier
seeding is better. In higher ATTITUDES
and shorter seasons the seeding should
be done earlier The proper time to he
determined in each locality by expert
ence.
WESTERN PRAIRIES.
On the Western prairies, Winter
wheat has been failure. The reason
assigned there is that the high winds
in the Winter blow the earth from
around the roots, and they perish-be-
come Winter-killed If this is the only
reason of failure, and it is the only one
l have heard assigned when there, the
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SEED BED SOLID AND SOW EARLY
Make the seed bed firm as described
above and drill in early the last of
Summer, or very early in the FALL and
then roll to pack the surface, and in
that strong land growth of blades
would be produced before cold weather
that would defy the prairie winds to
each the roots. Instead of this course
farmers out there have pulverized
and seeded too late in the loose
so that when Winter comes the
49,. as but loose hold of the earth
own out.
>AUsE OF FAILURE.
- course is in accordance
) advocated by the apos-
age, and until it is aban-
{. prairies they must fail
go, although the land is
-7ley and Spring wheat
It in many fields when
ner, those crops lay
of their extraordi-
4ize crops are not
They cost more
rs they may be.
i>< IN followed con-
Aeriority Of the
and from the
plendid white
~ bought up
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