Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1879-09-24

(Conttnued from lest leeek.
Rev. J. H. CAwrnoRN, AppomattOx:
l have used the Blue Stem 81 years
and found it an excellent wheat, but
the seasons made it rather backward,
and consequently it was injured by
rust. | then changed to the Bough
ton, a good wheat, if the soil is adapt-
ed to it, not celebrated for big yield,
but one year with another, pretty
fair, Finally, l procured the Fultz,
and find it very prolific wheat. While
on the subject of seed wheat, it will not
be amiss to say I have been farming
Az years, and l have never had smut,
only now and then head $50 little,
that my two sons did not know what
smut was when they were grown,
while adjoining farms were ruined by
1t. If called on to say wherefore, all l
would do would b. to give the circum
stances. make it au iuvariable rule
never to SOW inferior seed if can pos
sibly avoid it. When l have a sorry
crop OF wheat, l take the trouble, at
harvesting, whenever l find good
wheat, to keep it separate it is hauled
In and threshed to itself. 1t is run
through the fan until perfectly clean.
Secondly, l make it an invariable rule
never toprepare the ground too wet
nor to seed too wet. will throw IN
another circumstance For the last
2Oyears l have been using large
quantity of ashes, as much at 25 tons
year. l have. in the course of that
time, used l4O barrels of lime on the
land. | don't know whether these
reasons are satisfactory or not, but
leave them for your readers to Judge.
am IN the habit of sowing clover,
orchard grass, herds grass and timo.
thy on bottoms. There is great di>
verslty OF opinion as to the proper
time to sOw-fsll or spring; and
as we can't tell how the seasons will
be, l think the surest plan would be
to sow halt the seed in the fall and
the other half in the spring, if 1t is
not the custom of the farmer to drag
up all the grass sown in the fall i
have succeeded pretty well for so
years by sowing in the spring, and if
you want to be certain of a stand sow
your clover and grass seed on your
wheat and follow with abou, 100
pounds OF a good supcrphOsphaie; run
drag over the whole, aud a good
heavy roller behind. The drag will
tear up some wheat, but, from nv
observation, the wheat crop is always
benefited, and you will scarcely fail
to secure good stand of grass.
There is also another requisite which
think essential, particularly to obYi.
ate the bad effect of the drought we
are apt to have about the latter part
fully and August, and that is. that
the volunteer weeds should be cut
down BY mower, This will secure
shade, and stop the drain of the
weeds on the moisture of the soil. r
use Allison & Adiison's"Star Brand"
and have found it profitable, but. in
the majority of cases, 4 think fertilizers
too high for thepreseot low prices of
farm produce.
Col. :. W. TIcRLIN, Albemarle:
Fultz wheat is generally seeded in
this section. Iprefer it, and believe
the farmer can afford to sell it lower
than any variety have tried or am
acquainted with. 1t is usually seeded
one bushel to the acre when drilled: if
broadcast more-say FIVE packs; but |
no one will'seed broadcast if their land |
will admit drill. l attach a timothy |
seed sower to the drill when | W ish to |
seed it with wheat or orchard grass |
and clover seeded and narrowed IN
the spring. which serves as a cultiva-
ton OF wheat; narrowing IN the drec-
ton the drill put in the wheat, and
some soils will be better for immedi-
ate rolling ate the harrow. If the
and is seeded broadcast. rolling i'm
after the harrow will be
the more necessary to restore what
may have been torn up.
Whether it will pay to use fertil-
lzers on wheat depends on the season
and the price of wheat. 1t is a poor
prospect to do without it. will use
200 pounds Of fertilizer TO the bushel !
Of wheat Ian acre] costing from SS1 to {
842 per ton, and hope thereby !
% secure good stand of clover and I
grass. and when a stand is secured. !
viii not pillow it up till it dies out. On I
aud MANFRED or fertilized for a crop of '
'obacco, can count on a timothy and
,loyer crop to fallow,and a good pros.
beet for wheat crop. / am not sure
t will pay to use fertilizers on wheat .
It present prices and prospects, but !,
eel sure most land IN this section can
lot de well without them.
dsj. GEo. CHRrsMAN, Rockingham: v