The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1880-07-21

Since our last article, we have received
reports from, altogether, 70 counties, and
find the average of wheat 80.97, of oats
6297, and of hay, 5191, with 100 as the
standard. The reports for corn continue
very favorable, of tobacco not favorable,
on account Of scarcity of plants, and of
those planted, some are lost by dry
weather, and of second crop of clover
very unfavorable. a large amount of
peas have been seeded this season, the de-
mand for seed peas being large, and in
many instances orders have not been filled.
We are glad to see the farmers increasing
their use of peas, by which lands will be
improved, and wheat crops increased
When this is read, it will be rather late
to seed peas, but we will make sugges-
ton, and farmers may make memoran-
DUN of it for another season. IF the land
is not good enough to produce good
growth of peas, use combination of
ground bone, or ground South Carolina
phosphate, and kaihit, say 200 lbs, of
each, or if the land is old and worn, use
300 lbs. kainit. DIR. Ravenel uses such a
preparation for peas which he calls cash
Element" and says it always produces
large growth of peas. He uses the ground
South Carolina phosphate, though we do
not know the proportions of the two fer
tiizers. Col. w, A. James, Richmond,
sells such preparation. DIR. RaVenel
burns off his peas as soon as they get dry
enough, to avoid the labor and difficulty
of turning them under He gets by this
process all the mineral matter of the peas,
phosphoric acid, potash, etc, and loses
the nitrogen, except what is contained in
the roots which no doubt is very consid-
cradle, probably third, and perhaps
more of what is contained in the whole
plant. Mr.. Edmund Rufin was accus-
toned to SOW his wheat on the peas, then
run over the field Peg Roller" large
log, with good size pegs inserted all
around it, somewhat like the old affair the
farmers used for threshing wheat before
the invention of the thrasher The roller
pressed the wheat in the ground, the peas
fell upon the wheat, acting as mulch
and protection in the winter, and the
plan is said to have acted well. Others
have tried dragging the pea-vines out
straight with heavy drag, seeding the
wheat, and then passing roller over it.
This is said not to answer very we'll, on
account of difficulty of Strengthening the
vines out sufficiently to get the wheat in
the ground. The usual plan of turning
the peas under with heavy plough and
chain, is the one generally adopted, and
altogether we suppose is the most salts
factory, but if the growth was a very
heavy, one and time was pressing, we
should be disposed to try Mr.. Rufin's
Peg Roller, particularly if the land was
light; in which case it is rendered too
spongy by turning peas under.
QUANTITY OF WHEAT TO SOW PER ACRE
This subject has been much discussed.
We suppose the average quantity seeded
now in Virginia is l bushel with the
drill and II bushels broadcast, a guam
tity in view Of winter killing, we are
disposed to think, too little. The ten
dency of late years has been to thin seed
ing, induced we think, from some very
successful trials Of thin seeding. We are
confident that we saw this year, fields
with II bushels to the acre, with too
little wheat on them, although we had
last winter exceptionally mild weather.
We have been told good deal of late
about the success of thin seeding in Eng
land, with the cultivation of the wheat ;
but we were surprised recently, at state
ment in MooreS Rural New Yorker, from
DR.. ]. B. Lawes, that the average guam
tity seeded per acre in England was two
bushels per acre, and that wheat was not
cultivated, except here and there as ex-
periments The late Mr.. Hill Carter, a
skillful farmer, concluded, after long
experience, that two bushels was the
proper quantity. He gave this advice in
an article in the Southern Planter soon
after a visit he had made to England
1t is to be remembered that in England
wheat is scarcely ever winter killed. We
think } bushels is little enough by the
drill, and IL bushels broadcast, for the
larger grained wheat, and for the smaller
grains rather less. 1t is not, however.
universally admitted that less wheat is
required by the drill. Some intelligent
farmers do not admit it.
TIME TO SELL WHEAT.
We believe that wheat should be sold