Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1878-10-02
FARM AND FIRESIDE.
From the southern Planter and farmer ]
FROM GEN. G.. S. MEM,

OF SHENANDOAH Co., A:
1 read, with much interest, Col.
Knights article, from the fact that 1t is |
coroboratiye of my experience, as tol
the yield where wheat was sown
moderately thin. l never witnessed
such results from half bushel seeding,
but the best crops l have ever mace
were where one bushel was drilled in. /
thinkthe condition Of tie land,it fertility
and the time Of sowing, should control
the amount OF seed TO be used. should
not like to SOW at any time less than
one bushel when drilled, or five pecks
sOwn broadcast. The season OCCASION
ally might suit less quantity, the re-
silt be very gratifying, as in Col.
knights case, but the crop has too
many risks to tun from drought,
fly, freezing out and other causes to eX-
pect every grain to tiller and mature
properly. As tie season adyauces,theI
quantity ofsccd should be increased, but
never bIiond five pocks when drilled, as
the young plant is more liable to
damage from the causes above. 1t Is
the experience OF every farmer where a
strong, well-tillered growthis obtained
in the fall, that he can safely rely upon
good crop to follow, provided the land
is strong enough 10 continue the growth
and there are not too many plants IL
the ground. l have seen many fine
fall prospects blghted by its being too
thick; the land not being strong enough
to bring it all into head.
Il am satisfied that one bushel cut OF
five can be saved in seeding, and the
crop increased. If this should be the
result, what great saving to the State.
There are several varieties wheat
sOwn with Us, and they all have Their
ADVOCATES. The Clawson and Wicks
are sown to a limited extent, but the
majority Of our farmers think the white
yanaties do not suit us. When a good
crop is made, the berry IS dark and
flnty. and does not look Ike the white
wheat east Of the Ridge or Underwater.
The red wheats are the Fultz, Ian
caster and Keys Prolific. The latter
has lately been introduced, and has
proved to be wonderful production. 1t
Is very much Ike the old Mediterranean
that was introduced into the Valley
seine thirty years ago, 1t is a tall and
vigorous grower, with long boards, and
the heads haye a purple appearance
when ripe. The berry is long, plump
and bright. write this much about il
because my neighbors will SOW a great
deal Of 1t this fall. My preference is
for Fultz, and l certainly can't go back
on the best wheat friend l eyer had.
Last year my crop made from twenty
five to thiry-three bushels, averaging
twcnty-nine, upland and corn Land in
Guided. l have just threshed eleven
hundred and sixty-seyen bushels from
forty-acre field that the November
flood went all over, Of as bright amber
wheat as l ever saw, and which q
Richmond miller could not object to.
Not one gram Of smut have l found in
my entire crop. which is exclusively
Fultz. Ii is the only variety that ever
made me thirty bushels or more on a
ior,y-acrc field, therefore l think it isl
the variety for general sowing in cur
Valley. Shall SOW my entire crop Of it,
only getting my seed from another
neisLborhood. When this cannot be
done. l sow bottom wheat on upland
and upland on bottom. There is
another very important question which
sholld be discussed. Is it injurious to
Craze wheat: have been opposed to ii
all my life, but it was generally done in
this county this spring, and l think
proved to be a positive injury.
FROM Col. JNo. D. HUTCHINSON,
KING AND QUEEN Co., VA:
Ny opinion is, that On rich land, with
carly seeding, Col. Knights theory is
correct. l have made only one careful
experiment to test the merits Of thick
and thin seeding. When the Fultz
wheat was introduced into this neigh
lcIhood, the man who had most Of ii
to sell. contended that 1t was economy
to buy It at double the price OF other
varieties, because it was more prOduc-
tive, and one-half bushel per acre was
enough TO SOW. To test this, laid OF
carefully, with compass aud chain, one
acre, applied two hundred pounds blood
guano, and sOwed upon it One-half
5ushel Fullz wheat. l then laid of
another acre by the side Of this, and
equal il all respects, applied two hun
bred pounds Of tie same fertilizer, and
sowcd one bushel BoughtOn wheat.
When the wheat was threshed, the
yield of Boughton wheat exceeded that
OF the Fultz by one bushel. Ny opinion
at the time was that i'll had sOwn one
bushel Futz instead Of one-half bushel,
The result would have been very differ
ent. l have since that invariably seed
ed at the rate Of one bushei per acre.
This experiment does not affect the
opinion expressed IN the beginning; ;
the land was not rich, --and the sowing
was not done carly.
FROM Il. PERRIN GRAVES. Esq.
ORANGE Co., Va:
You will please excuse my apparent
neglect Of your request. Many engage
ments, and sickness at the time, caus-
cd it to be overlooked. The wheat crop
il Pamunky neighborhood (mne) this