The Weekly Kansas chief. [volume] (Troy, Kan.) 1872-1918, 1881-09-15
for the. tfarnler.
OF WINTER WHEAT.

We extract the following article upon this sub
ier; read at a recent meeting Of the New York
Agricultural Society:
la preparing land for wheat we should be gov
eIlir, by the quality of soil and the condition IN
which il is found. IL the soil he free from all
aoxions weeds and grasses, and of quality ca
silly made fine. an inverted clover ley with a
second growth Of clover, after a crop Of hay has
been taken Off is the cheapest preparation but
a sail that breaks coarse aud hard needs time to
pulverize by the action Of rain, air. and sunshine.
No land can he in condition for wheat till the
seed bed is made fine AMI inflow. But do not
wish to have the soil worked for seeding over
four inches deep. however deeply the breaking
may be done. The common two horse pillow re-
gard as a bad tool to fit land for the seed. 1t
should not he plowed over q second time. One
blowing is all that land requires; but the surface
should be repeatedly stirred up till every foul
plant is subduet, and the seed bed fine that
the plant food can be made available for the
nourishment of the young wheat. A soil may he
rich in the ellen ents of fertility and yet If il he
coarse and cloddy it will not nourish the crop.
lump of gypsum or plaster affords no plant food
till il be ground. An uncrnshed bone, though
rich in phosphate, has effect on vegetation;
but reduce il to soluble state, and its effect is
marvellous.
The subsoil alone will not grow a stalk of corn
nor a head of wheat. Deep stirring such land is
not necessary for drainage, or for moisture in
the time of drought, for its natural porous cOndi-
tion affords all these advantages. Bat the re-
verse of this is true of heavy soils, the base of
which is clay. The depth to which it isproiita-
BILE TO pillow land is a question which has elected
much discussion, and on which practical farmers
well theorists It'll disagree /; but if we first
understand the natural difference in soils, We
may all arrive at the same eonelusions-that nei-
Their deep nor shallow blowing, alstraetly or as
a theory, can be recommended. All depends on
the quality Of the soil. All sandy land having
a loose and porons sulsoil shonld be plowed shall
low, and the fertility kept near the surface as
possible; for the tendency is to leach away by
the rain that settles directly into the ground
Then again, such soils are generally of drift
formation, and they contain but little plant food
but that which has accumulated on the surface.
The quantity of seed necessary to SOW is u ques-
ton which there is q diversity of opinion with
practical farmers My opinion is that large
amount of seed is not necessary Ia a large crop;
| the quantity of wheat food is more important
| than quantity of seed. have sowed one bushel,
| and also two and a half bushels per acre, and
| have harvested forty bushels per acre from one
and one-fOnrth bushels seeding. My practice is
| to drill in the seed at the rate of one and one
half bushels per acre, which on land in good fer
| tility is sufficient.
In these remarks must he understood as
| commenting a speciality of wheat culture. A ju-
diciOus farmer will adopt system of rotation of
| crops, both for the benefit of the land and for
economy in cultivation; and that rotation should
| be such is best suited to his land and the uses
| ho wishes to make of his surplus, whether for
market or for feeding on the farm. The rotation
which have found profitable is first, a green
sward or clover ley, summer-fallOwed to clean
| the land of the foul stuff and enriched by plOw-
ing in clover; second wheat; third, or beans,
| with green manure plowed under; fourth, bar
| ley; and fifth, wheat with top dressing of ma
nure worked into the soil, or some commercial
fertilizer instead, and seeded to clover or timO-
| thy. In this rotation have two crops of
wheat one of corn, and one of barley, in five
| years, leaving the land in good condition as
| in the commencement, with but one blowing for
| each crop. But farmers may say they cannot
clean their land by one blowing as well as by re-
peated plowings. Perhaps not, if the ground is
allowed 10 produce a crop of thistles, weeds, and
grass after il is broken If the surface is worked
| with cultiyatOr, gang-plOw and harrow, so that
nothing will grow during the hot summer, there
| is no plant that survive; and BESIDES the
| land will be in much better condition for wheat
than if worked up loose to the depth of the fur
row, which should he at least ten inches in hea-
| w soil. When land is thrown up loose with the
pillow at seeding time, the soil is in much better
condition for the action of the frosts of winter,
and the crop is far more liable TO be injured by
| heaving and throwing the plants out of the
| ground than il il lies more cOmpactly, only the
| surface being puverized. Besides this, the land
will be kept more loose during the following sea-
son by leaving the vegetable matter under what
was plOwed in. In conclusion, will add that
the man who would be a successful wheat-grow-
er must cultivate soil adapted to the crop; he
must keep his land rich and fertile he must cul-
tivate thoroughly, and allow weeds or this
ties to rob choke the crop; he mnst drain well,
that there be no excess of water he must be
thorough and in time with all his work he
must be a man of thought and observation, of
good sound Judgment, and of thorough business
capacity; and should be good Deighbor and ci-
tizen. a gentleman and honest man. With
these qualifications he need not have fear of fail