Daily globe., 1879-03-17
HOW TO RAISE WHEAT.

HUW lO RAlSE WHEAI.
Fifty Million Bushels Of wheat-Fifty
Million Dollars In Cash-A Few Facts
About the Cultivation of Wheat Which
1t is Claimed will Add Fifty to One Hun
dred Per Cent. to the Crop.
The great error of Minnesota wheat cul-
ture is the ambition of the people to be con-
sidered as large farmers, or to put in larger
area Of wheat than can be properly attended
to. If forty acres of land was the limit of
the government bounty instead of 16O, and
the other 12O acres sold to give the farmer a
team and six months provisions, it would be
far better for the State and the farmers
themselves. AS it is now, the land is half
cultivated, seed is wasted, slovenly, slip
shod plowing, narrowing, harvesting and
stacking are the rule, and half crop the
frequent consequence. do not design in
this article to attempt to discuss all these
branches of wheat culture, but simply to on
large little upon single topic which was
discussed at the weekly meetings of the far
mer members of the legislature and others
during the winter, with view to in
ducing further progress and further expert
ments. And here by way of commencing
experiments, and new departures and answer
ing those who object to anything new, allow
me to remark that we should still be carry
ing wheat to the mill in one end of sack
and q rock in the other end, or threshing our
wheat with fail, if some one had not ven
tured to strike out on new venture.
It is claimed that wheat should be cult
vafa6 iHo how
to ten inches high to ensure the largest
yields. beg leave to advocate this theory
and give to the farmers of Minnesota the
evidence, that they may give the theory q
test IN the coming crop by trying it on few
acres.
The first witness will call to the stand is
the editor of the New York american AqrS-
cultM7sst, the leading agricultural paper of
the United States. In the January (1879)
number in answer to "a. b." Clay county,
Mimi, he says:
ITO grow more than fifteen or twenty bushels
of wheat to the acre without manure, you
probably need to prepare the land
better and to cultivate the growing crop.
As you only raise spring wheat, begin by
plowing the land thoroughly in the fall, then
plow again early in the spring (if you did not
plow last fall plow twice next spring. and
thoroughly pulverize with the harrow. Sow
the wheat in drills twelve to sixteen inches
apart. using three pecks of seed to the acre;
then cultivate the growing crop with some
such implement as Travis wheat hoe. SINH
lar practice to this has doubled the crop in a
number of cases that have come to our no
tice.''
1913 BUSHELS TO THE ACRE.
In the same number quote again:
I'VE have received many accounts of unusual
yields. due to drill cultivation and superior
seed, but the reports'of the competitors for the
wheat premiums offered by Messrs B. K. Bliss
thi Sons 1;n excel anything else We have seen in
feld stearns county, Minn., 525 pounds from
one pound Of seed. Second, A. Monquin, Da-
Wis county, ILL.,, 1851 pounds. Third, David
Brothers, Denver, Col, 342 pounds. Fourth,
A. g: Hiekerson, Plumas county, Cal, 316
pounds. Calculating according to the areas of
the plots, one of these experimenters got at the
of the number less than ffty,fve. One COM
petitor planted his seed in drills eight inches
apart and two feet between every
alternate row. Reckoning only eight inches
between the drills, this competitor states that
his plat occupied only 1-S4th of an acre, and
that accordingly his yield was at the rate of
3s4 bushels per acre. These results were, of
course. due to the superior quality of the seed
to q considerable degree but largely doubtless,
to the methods of cultivation adopted. Most
Of the prize-winners planted the seed in drills
eight to sixteen inches apart, placing the ker-
nels four to six inches apart in the row, and
then cultivating the crop as they would
choice corn-feld. The ground was carefully
prepared and the whole treatment the best.
The unusual yields are indications of what
wheat-growers may expect when they aoopt the
methods which these and similar experiments
teach are the ones that lead to success
FIFTY BUSHELS TO THE ACRE IN PENNsY1-
vANIA.
Since the discussion of this subject at the
legislative meetings,a gentleman interested
in the subject has written East to
inquire further into the subject and elected
the fact that in Pennsylvania they use what
is known as Groff's combined seeder and
cultivator, and with horse, plow between
the rows of wheat planted in drills as above
and succeed in raising forty-five and fifty
bushels to the acre.-rarely realizing less
than fifteen bushels in excess of the yield
obtained in the ordinary way. This culti-
vator is device costing less than $40, which
is attached to an ordinary seeder. So that
any farmer who has the ordinary drill may
try this experiment. at a small cost. A sim
liar idea was brought out in the legislative
farmers meetings, where one gentleman
stated that he had used an ordinary drill on
his wheat after it had attained few inches
of growth dragging or cultivating it in this
Way-and had largely increased the yield by
this method of culture.
NARROWING WHEAT WHEN SIX INCHES HIGH.
AS narrowing is method of cultivation
it would seem to be sufficiently analogous to
the above methods of cultivation to Justify
its adoption where the wheat plows or cult
vators are not to he had. Important testi-
mony was ELECTED on this subject at the farm
er's meetings alluded to. Hon. L. B. Hodges,
who has had thirty years experience as Min
nesota farmer, is thus reported in the Znde-
pendent Farmer, by its editor, Major New
son, of st. Paul, who reported the conversa-
tions at those meetings in the March number
of his journal:
Mr.. Hodges stated that some ten or fifteen
years ago, he had had some experience in har-
rowing wheat after it had come up. It was the
first week in June, when he had occasion to
cross his field with a harrow, expecting 1t would
ruin the wheat, tear it out, etc., but he was
obliged to make the trip so the harrow went
over the wheat and back again, and when he
got back the second time he found no wheat
left, it was app rently all torn out. The trail
was dark and clearly showed the soil. The mat
ter passed out of his mind, and he did not 90
over the same ground for several weeks after.
when, to his astonishment, the ground over
which the harrow had passed and repassed. -
the same trail,-was dark and green with wheat.
plants rank and thrifty. It shot ahead amaz-
ingly and looked the best of any il his field
This incident, accidental in its nature, set him
Co thinking. He saw at once that the extra