The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1878-08-15
TOPICS FOR FARMERS.

The Cultivation OF Wheats-A c0r
respondent Of the Germantown Teh-
graph SAYS: 1t is evident to every
farmer, however limited his experience,
that corn witout cultivation would be
a very poor, unremunerative crop, both as
regardsg grain and fodder. Samplesof this
are sometimes seen where the lazy or
shiftless farmer has permitted the ex-
pertinent to go on raising corn with
grass or weeds, the latter always FREEDOM
mating. If it be so with corn, why
should it not be so with other grains?
We know that cultivation blesses our
gardens more than good soil or early
planting; then why not mellow up the
wheat and oatfelds with the hoe and
harrow? 1t might.not be so beneficial as
in the case of Germ, tobacco, or potatoes,
but the great principle-the stirring,
mellowing of the soil, permitting free
access of air and moisture to the tender
r~ootlets of the plants all the same.
In England the wheat is hoed in the
early spring, whole bands of women and
children being employed in that labor.
1t is there the largest crops of wheat
are produced we believe. 1t is true that
California and Australia have some
times shown a larger local acreage, but
we think English farmers succeed bet
ter than those / have mentioned. TAX
ing all the years together, their averages
are larger.
An enterprising farmer of West Earl
Township, this county, Levi W. Croft,
succeeded last year in raising sixty-one
bushels of wheat per acre, by cultiva-
ton of the spaces of ground between
the ridges of wheat, and his promise of
yield the present season is even greater.
This great yield being doubted by many
good and experienced farmers, numer-
GUS committees of various agricultural
societies, oranges, and farmers clubs
have this season paid his farm a visit,
and extensively and carefully examined
his growing and cultivated wheat. The
writer of these lines was n of a com
mittee that performed this service on
the 31st day of May last. They found
one field out of three in full head, and
it then reached up to the rims of their
hats; and as this committee will average
about six feet in height, the wheat-stalks
were not far short of six feet at that
time, and they would stretch something
more by harvest time. The heads were
four and four and a half inches long
and what was most observable and made
it peculiar and different from a neigh.
boris field not put out in this way, there
were few short heads OF stunts. The
two other fields cultivated in the same
way were put in later, but I have nc
Z doubt they would be equally good al
harvest time.
The middle spaces are sixteen inches
wide, the wheat lows or drills are about
four inches, thus differing from the com,
mon methods, where the grain is scat
tered in one almost continuous line
About two bushels of seed per acre were
used, sowed the last of September
Cultivation is commenced as soon as the
+ ground is ready in the spring; the last
this year was about the last week in
April, after which grass seed was sowr
Glover and timothy. To this part Of
the experiment the committee paid par
ticular attention and were we'll satisfied
that it would be no detriment to the
grass.
This farm is situated in an excellent
farming region; the soil is rich and Ger
tainly we'll adapted to the production Of
this cereal, and can DE reached within
three hours by taking the cars at Down
ington to New Holland.
How Much Wheat Shall We Sow
Now that the harvest is about completed
the thrashing of the extensive crop ii
going on, and q considerable amount
of new wheat is put upon the market
The prices are ranging low, and to those
who have held the crop of last year
expecting an extensive European var tx
lift the price of breadstufs in Thu
country, the prospect is a good deal dis
couraging. The question will occur tt
every farmer as he rolls his wheat off tt
market at so small a margin above thu
cost of production, chow much wheat
will 1 sow this fall?" There was /,
strong feeling among farmers every
!, where one year ago that wheat woulC
range high and a very large acreage wa
sown. With the large increase in pro
duction and no increased foreign de
, mand it is not strange that wheat com
! mands only a low price. Farmers vii
not look at the matter fairly and weigl
, the question carefully before decidin,
i upon the amount of seeding, but tn,
J tendency will be to act upon the thought
well l sowed a large acreage last yea
! and it only just pays for growing a
!, small wages, and no profit. | will rails
enough for my own. bread next year
: and let somebody else bread the worl,
at these prices" Already such ez
, p~ressions are very common, and tn
prospect is there will be a great diminu
, ton in the acreage for wheat in 1875
! No matter what we may say agains
i these sudden changes of purpose, tn
growth of special crops goes by tids
: waves, and the wheat wave is going t
e ebb.
!. Our advice is not to go into raisin
!. wheat because the majority are goin
out of it, but rather to keep up a goo
balance of crops upon the farm. Their
n is no doubt but that very many farm
suffer from this overproduction {
! wheat. A very large proportion of th
: crop for this year was stubbed in afte
wheat, a practice that cannot be TO
e lowed-without serious consequence
:. hence it is sensible to believe that a les
acreage of wheat the coming year wi
certainly be an advantage by giving th
land a rest from this overdraft upon tn
soil by following wheat after wheat. ]
d land is adapted to wheat we should ce
d tainly say raise a reasonable amount, n
matter what the price may be this yea
Current prices will not be a ~criterio
r for 1879, and those who keep a fa
:. balance between grain, hoed crops, 70
age crops and pastures will find, in tt
/: long run, they are gamers. Then so
n wheat, of course, Just IN ordinal
Is amount, without regard to the prices
to-day, only looking well to n poin
= and that is the decrease in the cost
production to the lowest point possib
d for the growing of the best kind of a Gro
ID Home and Farm Breyitles-
WHEN there is danger of staining Il
lHe handsfrom preparing fruit or vegetable
y rub them with fresh lard.
lie DIR. STURTEvANT says: Zone
the best results which could happen
-z.l1 h.