Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1876-12-07
T He I'll Err AID
A Large Yield of Wheat

n Large ieiu Oh w neat
Many -four Montgomery County
farmers complain That wheat raising
does not pay. IL is true that many,
owing 10 their methods of cultivation
and preparation f,r seeding, find
their wheat returns insufficient to
pay expenses of seeding and harvest.
ing. To show what intelligent farm
ing can do, we subjoin The following
facts, furnished US by Mr.. A. A. X.
Sawyer OF this city, who has sue
ceeded in getting the heaviest yield
OF wheat per acre that we have
Picard of in this coilHtry. Some six
years ago, Mr.. Saw yer came into po-
session OF what is known as the "old
Frederick Scherer farm" situated
about two miles southwest of town.
1t is one among the oldest settled
places in the county, and was con-
sidered pretty well "run down"
The tract in question upon which the
wheat was raised was clay side hill
part sloping off into sort of sandy
bottom. When Mr.. Sawyer took
charge of the farm this tract was
considered worn out and almost
worthless. 1t had been in cultiva-
| ton since 1878.
Mr.. Sawyer first seeded the tract
in clover about six years ago. 1t re-
manned 10 clover three years, be in
the meantime having cut one crop
of the clover, the remaining time
using it for pasture for about $50
head of hogs. In August 1873, about
"a acres of the tract were plowed,
turning over the second crop of clo-
YER. The ground was then thorough
ly pulvcrized by narrowing and roll
ing some five or six times. The
wheat was drilled about tho 10th OF
September, two varieties, the Bou-
ton and Indiana yellow, were sown
The yield was q q bushels 10 the
acre average. The clover reseeded
itself, though Mr.. Sawyer thinks
that in most cases it will not reseed
so as to be thick enough for immedi'
ate use for pasture, and if such is
desired it is better TO put on some
seed. The land was again used fol
pasture till the latter part of July,
1875, when the second crop of clover
was again plowed under. The
ground was again pulverized with
harrow and roller, and about Sept
10, 80 acres Of the tract were sowr
with drills. The tract sown included
about five acres of the sandy bottom
above mentioned, which had mover
been in clover
| The varieties sown were Bouton
Fultz and velvet chaff. The aver
age yield was 80 bushels per acre
Owing 10 the wet weather 10 harvest
q large amount of wheat was lost OF
the ground Could all have beer
saved, the average yield would Rave
been fully % bushels per acre. The
tour acres of bottom which had never
been in clover only yielded about Il
bushels yer acre, which reduces th'
average materially below what i
really was on the clover land. 0
the several varieties, Mr.. Sawyer
found that the Fultz led, yielding
40 bushels per acre: Mr.. Sawyer IL
of the opinion that instead of break
ing wheat land the second time, al
is the custom with many, it is better
TO employ the labor thus done il
pulverizing the ground after tho frs
breaking and keeping out the weeds
The lsnd should be well anc
Thoroughly plowed about five inches
deep, and then completely powdered
and pulverized and settled down be
tore seeding. Mr.. Sawyer, by exer-
cising the brain little as well al
the hands, has succeeded in gettiDe
as much wheat from one crop al
most farmers do from three, anC
with no mole labor or expense, anc
as soon hs the wheat is removed ht
has an excellent pasture, itself worth
"a much as IN average crop.-NeUs
/ HNSb0r0, III.