Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1876-12-21

Grain sown upon level land Is, of course,
more likely to suffer from drowning out
than that sown on an undulating surface,
but 1t is always safe to provide water
courses on all kinds of land, in order to
secure a uniform stand of plants over the
entire field.
1t is not every plowman who possesses
an eye sufficiently well trained to detect
slight variations in the contour of the sur
face OF field, consequently mistakes will
often occur IN locating the bitches or fur
rows opened for water courses, and they
can only be rectified after the commence
ment of fall rains. 1t is now time to at
tend to such matters. and it is far better to
destroy a narrow strip of the grain in
making such bitches than to have large
patches drowned out by ponds of water.
A few hours or even days in large fields
spent IN removing surface water or pre-
venting its accumulation later in the sea-
son may save many bushel of grain in
the next harvest. A hint should be suffi
Client in this matter, for every farmer
knows just the spots in his fields requir-
ing attention, also where the grain has
been killed out in past winters, and is
likely to be again.
In addition to the loss of grain through
winter killing in the low, wet places, that
great pest of wheat fields, chess or cheat,
is usually more abundant in such spots
than elsewhere in the fields. Chess, being
a more hardy grain than wheat, withstands
water and cold better; and when the lat
ter dies out the former has more room
to grow, and consequently spreads
rapidly, and often takes entire possession
of these otherwise bare spots. This pc
culiarity in the growth of chess has led
many farmers to believe that the wheat
had actually turned into chess. In the
rich, high soils best fitted for the growth
of the wheat plant chess is crowded, and
in great part smothered, and makes so lit
tie show that the casual observer is likely
to overlook it when it is actually present
in abundance; but once let the wheat be
killed out and the chess tillers rapidly
| fill up the place made vacant
1t is seldom that the soil over a large
| field is of a uniform fertility. and there
are usually more or less poor spots where
| the young wheat will show at this season
that there Is something wrong at the root,
either because the soil is too hard to admit
of the penetration of the small fibers, or
nutriment is not within their reach A
few loads of manure scattered over these
| spots Will not only protect the plants dur.
ing winter, but generally secure vigor-
Gus growth next spring. If manure can
not be had for this purpose, almost any
coarse litter, such as straw. chaff, leaves
or even light vegetable mold from the
woods, will answer as protection as well
as add something to the fertility of the
soil. Winter grain, growing upon bleak
exposed hills and knobs, is greatly bene-
flied by slight mulching applied soon
after the ground begins to freeze in the
fall and early winter; and if every farmer
would give proper attention to such mat
tiers as opening the bitches and protecting
and manur1ng the grain on the unfertile
and exposed spots in the field, the average
of the crop would be largely increased. 1t
is the uniform heavy yield over the entire
surface of the land occupied by a crop
which tells at harvest time, as well as when
the farm accounts are made up for the
season.-N. Y. Sun.