Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1878-08-08
AGRICULTURAL.
MORE ABOUT CUL7ITA TED
WHEAT.


Lancaster Intelligencer:
President Cooper, from the commit
tee appointed to visit the farm of LIE.
vi w. Croft, West Earl township, and
report upon the results Of Mr.. Croft S
plan of cultivating wheat, reported
that on the 25th Of June four members
of the committee visitad the Croft
farm, where they were courteously ie'
ceived and handsomely entertained
by Mr.. Croft and family. The com
miStee viewed some 50 acres of wheat
cultivated by Mr.. Croft and found it
to be in excellent condition, and were
unanimous in endorsing Mr. Grofs
system of cultivation. The wheat
stood straight up, the heads were
large and full, the straw was strong
and clean, and there was no doubt
that the increased crop will more than
pay for the increased labor Of Guilt
walton. Mr.. Cooper said he was par.
ticularly impressed with the fact that
Mr.. Grof's cultivated wheat was not
so near ripe a some other wheat
in the same neighborhood which had
not been cultivated. He thought the
cultivation of wheat retarded its ma
turing, and he believed it would be
advisable to select early varieties
where the system Of cultivation is
practiced. lie thought the cultlva-
ton Of wheat retarded il maturing,
and he believed it would be advisable
to select early varieties where the
system Of cultivation is practiced.-
lie thought Mr.. Grolfs wheat fields
would produce from 40 to As bushels
to the acre.
Nm. McComsey, as one Of the par
tv that visited Mr.. Grotf's farm, con-
Cured in what the president said.-
He believed the advantage resulting
from cultivating wheat was a fixed
fact. But while cultivation will in
increase the yield it will retard the
maturing of the grain. Mr.. Groi's
wheat looked decidedly greener than
any other in the neighborhood on the
day the committee visited the farm,
but was much more uniform in size of
the heads than any he had ever seen
the heads were larger and the yield
would be increased. From the back
wardness shown in maturing, it would
seem to follow that earl y varieties
should be sown earlier. Mr.. Croft
had sown the Amber variety which Is
late one, and had sown it late. lie
feared the crop might run some risk
in ripening. lie felt bound to say
that when he last visited Mr.. Croft $
the comparison between his wheat
and others was not SO marked as 1t
was when he saw it in May. Then
it seemed there could be no possible
doubt of the advantages of cultivation
but later in the season those advant-
ages were not quite so APPARENT
The present season has been more Ia
vorable for the wheat crop than any
other within period of 80 years, and
for that reason he thought the ad-
vantages of cultivation were less per-
coptible than they would have been
in less favorable season. This year
nature had done all that was necessa-
ry for the production Of an abundant
crop. He was fully satisfied that the
cultivation of wheat was great adj
vantage, and in time would be uni
versally adopted, though it might
take several years to fully determine
its true value.
Henry NJ. Engle said there was a
very general impression that cultiva-
ton retards the ripening Of crops, but
he doubted whether it did so to as
great an extent as was supposed. He
did not know that it would be advis-
able to SOW the seed early, as had
been suggested. One Of the best au-
thorities says that the ground should
be thoroughly prepared in time, and
that the seed wheat should be sowed
late enough to avoid the fly, and ear
ly enough to avoid mildew. When
the mercury rises suddenly from a
comparatively cool temperature to 80
degrees, as was the case now, wheat is
apt to rust and ripen too rapidly. He
thought that cultivation would retard
the ripening sufficiently to prevent
this. He favored the early varieties