Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1878-09-18
FARM and FIRESlDE.
Grow, ,ha southern Planter and farmer.
from the Southern Planter ana FARMER
The Proper Quantity Of Wheht 10 De
SOwnP Per Acre, Tine Of Seeding anu
Best Varieties, sc.

FROM Col. RoBT. BEVERLEY, W
FAUQUIER:
accord entirely with Col. Knights
views as to thin seeding Of wheat. l
have been nearly forty years cultivating
wheat, having begun at sixteen years
old, long before the introduction OF drills,
and have never seen a crop lost or
diminished yet by thin sowing, either
broadcast or with the drill. In 1850,
after the introduction of Peruvian guane,
saw crop seeded in Prince William
county, broadcast, on excessively poor
land, that had not for years brought five
bushels to the acre; with one hundred
and eighty pounds Peruvian guano and
by a somewhat similar mishap as stated
by Colonel knight, the old negro seeds
man sowcd emily one-half bushel to the
acre Of what was then called Mediter-
rancan wheat (about the same as our
Lancaster now. When it came up
Mr.. John Hill Carter, the owner, and all
his neighbors, thought his guano was
thrown away, the wheat was so thin
1.-TWO bushels to the acre being not I'M
usual seeding them. 1t branched or
stooled beautifully, and was the finest
crop of wheat ever saw on dead poor
land, making twenty-six bushels to the
acre. OF course. the guano (then the
real Chincha Island pure Peruvian
guano) made the crop, but his neigh
bors who used as much Of the same
guano, but sowed one and a half aud
two bushels of wheat to the acre, did
not get over sixteen to eighteen bushels
to tie acre. Since then, drills have
been introduced, (Which, by the way, is
the best agricultural implement yet in
vented in connection with the wheat
crop, and l have been experimenting
in thick and thin sowing ofwheat both
with a drill and broadcast ever since,
and have come to the conclusion that
three pecks of small grain wheat, as the
Fultz, or four pecks Of large grain
wheat, as the Lancaster, is the proper
quantity to SOW. If our drills were so
constructed that they would deposit the
grains regularly, two inches apart in the
rows, eight inches wide, one-half bushel
to the acre, or less, would be sufficient
but there is no drill we yet have that
don't let down frequently two grains at
a time, and all Of them as near as TIVE
inches apart. l think if wheat could be
deposited regularly two by eight inches
it would be sufficiently thick. My ex-
periments, which have been too numer-
Gus to recite, and which would make
this communication TO long, all lead to
that conclusion.
The Fultz and Lancaster varieties of
wheat are preferred in this section, in
fact, scarcely any other is sowed new,
aud l think the Fultz generally preferred
over The Lancaster, because the yield
per acre is rather better, and because
the straw and chat are much better FOR
stock. My experience is, that the
great mistake most farmers make is
covering the seed too deep IN the ground
both with drill and broadcast. Wheat
should never be covered more than half
an inch deep. because it tillers or stools
from just above the germ, and if that is
two 10 four inches Under ground Cat the
latter point clever seed won't vegetate,
but will lay dormant in the ground for
years. the wheat will not branch at all
bat come up one sickly, straight spirc,
and never do well. Every farmer has
observed that the wheat in the horse
walks, or turning courses in the lands,
IN following, always come up and look
better in the fall, and generally make
the best wheat. Why ? Because the
land is packed and neither drill or pillow
covers it too deep there. If you de-
post it four inches in the ground It
cannot tiller or branch from the crown
otthe germ that deep under ground, but
must form fbrous roots near the sur
face iflt branches at all; that takes
time, and deep sOwn wheat rarely
branches till spring. if at all; hence
wheat sowed broad cast and covered
with the one-horso turning plow.
generally from two TO four inches deep.
rarely branches and makes much crop.
do not wish to be misunderstood. but
mean to say, as far as my experience
goes, that One-half to one bushel good
seed to the acre is enough, according to
kind OF seed and whether it is broadcast
or drilled. That it should never be
covered over one-halfaa inch deep, and
that, ifpossible, it should be cultivated
in the spring-say first Of March, with
a heavy two-horse harrow (Which NAV
seem to tear the wheat up, but don't
hurt iD on stiff land, or with a light
harrow (say Thomas), on light land,
and Immediately after the harrow SOW
your clover and orchard gross seed-the
narrowing making a good, mellow bed
for it. l think by the above plan YOU
will get good stand of grass and a
good crop ofwheat, but at seventy.five
cents bushel for wheat and presen.
prices Of labor. agricultural implements
and fertilizers, youwill not make any
money out Of the wheat.
FROM JUDGE ISAAC II. CHRISTIAN.
CHARLES CITY Co.. VA:
Complying cheerfully with your re.
quest 10 state what is my experience
and observation on 'the quantity Of
seed wheat ner acre for our snotio,, Al.