Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1879-09-17
BY A ssHsss OF lsAblSc FARMERS.


The fultz, smooth Amter and Lancas'
ter, and experimental with divers
kinds sent me from the Agricultural
department at Washington, none OF
which proved satisfactory or seemed
adapted to our climate. The Lancaster
/ have been induced to continue, by
reason Of its popularity with the mil.
lsrs and its higher market value, but
it has almost invariably yielded about
rs per cent less than the Fults and
Amber, and 1 think l shall not SOW
it again. My present years crop Of
wheat averaged 2sA bushels per acre,
and had not one third Of it been Ian
caster, would have exceeded 80 bush
els. Twelve measured acres, the best
twelve contiguous acres of the field,
averaged 4S bushels. Ny wheat has
DO cookie, garlic, rye, oats or filth in
it. / have no regular succession Of
fields in my system Of cultivation.
usually select for corn the field that
affords the least grass, or is needing i'm
provement most 1t is plowed in the
fall, as deeply as practicable, with
three-horse plows, the depth maintain
ed as uniformity as possible, and every
inch thoroughly broken-the slice is
turned at an angle of As degrees, to
best secure the ameliOrating effects Of
the winters frosts and SHOWS. Before
planting corn the following spring,
the surface is made smooth and fine
by narrowing, and, if necessary, rolls
ing, and is kept Gan and light by
constant use of the cultivators until
the crop is laid by. The following
year Tho land is again plowed, in like
manner, for oats. The ensuing fall 1t
is broken up again, with same plows,
ct same or slightly increased depth,
snd with utmost pains to have the
whole mechanical preparation for
wheat thoroughly and perfectly done
What farm.yard manure have is
carefully scattered on the least fertile
portions of the field, at the rate OF 4
to 6 four horse wagon loads to the
acre, and incorporated with the sur
face soil by the repeated borrowings;
and so much manure as l can make
in my stock-barns up to tho 18th
March, as fast as made is spread uni
formly, at same rate, on the least
promising portions of the wheat, thus
stable -manuring lightly about one
third of the field. Over the whole
field finely ground raw animal bone of
guaranteed purity, is sown broadcast
at the rate of 500 pounds to the acre,
and as thoroughly as possible inter.
mixed with the surface soil, and 200
pounds per acre Of some bone or some
aumOniated superpbospbate is applied
with the seed through the drill. l
wsuld put the wheat in the soil at a
uniform depth Of one-inch, ifprsctica-
bic. One half gallon Of timothy seed
per acre is sown after the drill Could
Isow wheat with impunity from Hy,as
early a. August, l would use half
bushel seed to the acre. From 10th
to the 25th September would use
three peeks. l End it most conven-
lent and safest 10 SOW between 25th
September and 10th October, and /
SOW one bsebsl PER acre. Later than
18th October would SOW Eve peeks,
increasing the quantity Of seed as the
season advanced, because the plant
would have less time to grow and be-
come well rooted before frests, and
would, consequently, be more liable
10 be winter killed. Last of March or
LIST Of April SOW and harrow in one
gallon Of clover seed and half 10 a
bushel Of orchard and Randall grass
seed per acre.
ATTORNEY 6 xNEaAL JAS. G. FIELD.
Albemsrls
Ny farm is p miles south>
west OF G ordonsville. The arabic por-
ton Of the farm is Of the red soil, pc
culisr to this portion Of Virgins. |
think Il well adapted to the production
Of wheat. My crop this year, though
to me unsatisfactory, was much better
than ihe crops Of the ncigbborhood, as
Ilesrnsd from the gentleman whose
"stesrn thresher" used The last
winter and spring were the most I'M
favorabls for wheat ever knew. Much
Of the whsss was killed; and that sur
vivsd brsncbed very little, so that in
March ] did not think | should make
more than seed. The crop yielded
eight for one. My crop consisted
OF three varieties. viz: Fultz, Lam
caster aud Keys Prolific. think |
shall hereafter SOW exclusively the
Fuliz. It is true, that in the market
it is at depreciation Of some ten cents
in The bushel;bus it Yields better keeps
better, hsndlesbstter than the beard
Cd kinds, and the straw and chaf are
more vsluabls for feeding..on the farm.
Besides, my farm has little or no low
or vet land upon it, and is better