The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1878-07-05
VOL. XXII---NO. 26.
farlMers' Column.
"SpeeG the PLOsU."
Cultivated Wheat.

Mr.. Levi w. Croft, of West Earl town
ship, Lancaster County, has adopted new
method of cultivating wheat which APP
pears to be successful, and has attracted
I much attention from farmers. The Intelli-
9encer of the 9th inst, describes some fields
sown and cultivated in this manner, as fol-
| lows:
The fields are three in number and about
ten acres EACH At first view the results of
the new mode of cultivation are not as APP
parent in the distinction of the rows as
might he expected, but glance at the tall
and erect standing grain and the we'll filled
heads that would weigh it down were it
not so stiff in the straw, tells the experien-
ced farmer that remarkable yield of wheat
is before him. Closer examination of the
field shows the rows in which it is planted
and the spaces between the standing grain
very distinctly. The first field was sown
III last September. 1t is about ten acres in
extent and of rolling land sloping to the
cast. 1t had previously been farmed in
wheat and the year before in corn and to-
bacco. Last year there were put upon the
whole field 500 pounds Of phosphate and
about 25 bushels of tan bark ashes. The
wheat of the amber variety, was sown Z
| bushels to the acre, with Mr.. Adam L.
Groff's patent The body of the drill is
| that of the old fashioned implement; the
tubes are placed eleven inches apart, and
the grain in rows four inches apart. An
attachment across the mouth of the
tube scatters the grain and constitutes one
OF the patents. The shovel enclosing tie
tube is notably wide. The growth of the
wheat consequently in ridges four inches
wide, and during the fall and early spring
the alternating strips of bare earth, IL
inches in width, arc very noticeable.
About the middle Of April the first cul-
tivation of wheat occurs. This is done
with the improved cultivator. The tubes
are removed from the drill and the harrows
attached, the combination forming another
Croft improvements. Each harrow the
four consists of group of three sharp
teeth, the middle one projecting, and so ar
ranged that they pass over the rows of the
earth between the wheat, narrowing it
thoroughly without touching the growing
grain. The horses walk in the outside
rows, just before the extreme right and
left hand hooks. The second cultivation
of the wheat took place about the begin
ing of May Immediately after this the
clover seed was soWn, and the young cloy-
er now is very well set in the ground, eff
fcctually disproying to the new method
that it prevents the free growth or sul1i-
GENTLY early planting of the clover.
The next field is of the Clawson variety,
and was sown thicker, 2l bushels of seed to
the acre. The third was sown earlier in
October and is also of the Clawson seed,
sown about Z bushels to the acre. Meth
CT of these is superior TO the first, and this
experience has not demonstrated the adj
vantage of thick sowing. Indeed it was
the opinion of most Of the visitors that
sowing of u bushel, or at most five pecks,
to the acre would have been still more ad-
vantageous. Across the road is IL little
patch Of four acres of cultivated wheat,
sown much later, shorter in the straw, but
we'll developed i'll the head. -Four quarts
ofclOver seed to the acre here, sown after
the second cultivation, produced beauti-
full crop of clover, well set and REGULAR
This patch had been twice in corn and was
seeded without any fertilizer. A singular
fact. is that the upper row of this patch is
several inches taller and notably better
than the others, attributable to the ircer
play of the all and sun upon it. If this be
proper-and it is the most reasonable-ex-
PLANTATION Of this phenomenon, it is strk-
ing argument in behalf of the new mode,
sides the beneficial effect of keeping the
ground around the roots we'll worked up,
free from weeds and lOosened for the mois.
ture to penetrate it the intervening spaces
allow the air and sun to play through the
grain to the great advantage Of its better
growth.
a neighboring field Of ID. W. Rancke,
was visited, and the grain there, which has
been cultivated in like manner, was found
erect, long in straw, and if anything better
headed than Groil's, She entire fields present
an appearance of a wonderful growth, and
while nearly every other tract of wheat on
the way is more or less lodged, that which
has been cultivated stands perfectly erect,
and from its appearance the expectations are
that it will average yield OF from 45 20 so
bushels per acre. Last year single acre
treated in this manner yielded 81 bushels,
and next year Mr.. Croft proposes to put out
five fields in wheat.
The theory of the new mode is as rea-
sonable as its practical results are satisiac-
tory, and while intelligent farmers vary as
to the extent of the improvement involved,
all agree that it is decided improvement,
and next year we may look for an applica-
ton Of the new mode on very extensive
scala