Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1881-03-24
The farm aud firesiae.
NARROWING WHEAT IN SPRING.

The advantage of narrowing wheat lands
thoroughly in the Spring, as Boon as the
ground becomes dry enough to prevent the
horses sinking into it, is known to many far
mers who have practiced it, but is unknown
to the majority. Wheat is usually sown in
September upon we'll prepared land. This
land ia left there subject to all the storms OF
rain and snow, and the dry weather in the sue
ceeding Spring until the whea: is harvested.
In consequence the land becomes, in May
and June, nearly as hard as meadow. At
a season of the year when the plants are in
the greatest vigor Of growth, the land is so
hard as not to give one half the nourishment
it would if kept mellow by any process. Sup
pose, for instance, corn should be planted in
the Fall, under similar conditions with wheat,
and that the winter did not injure it, and
that it were left without cultivation of any
sort until harvested it is evident that the
weld would be diminished over one half ;
in fact the yield would probably be so light
and poor as to be worthless
Now, wheat, from my experiments in its
cultivation by hand in England, shows as
great sensitivaness to cultivation as corn
the yield by careful hand cultivation being
increased to sixty bushels, and in some in
stances, eighty bushels per acre. Now, a
thoroug Oh narrowing of wheat in Spring, in
very inexpensive manner, performs the cult
walton nearly as well as when done by hand.
If the crust formed BY the Winter SHOWS and
Spring rains is thoroughly broken, and the
ground to the depth of two or more inches
we'll pulverized, the effect upon the wheat is
like magic. 1t starts into the most vigorous
growth and in few weeks has nearly orquite
doubled in size of the wheat not narrowed.
In pieces of wheat that have come under the
writer's observation, which we're narrowed in
strips that is-one strip not narrowed at all,
and other strips on each side thoroughly
narrowed, in the early part of June, the har-
rowed wheat stood fully one foot higher
than the unharrowed at each side, and in ev-
cry way was strikingly ranker and vigorous.
Mr. Robert J. Swan, of Rose Hill Farm,
Geneva, N. Y, who has heavy clay land
SAYS he has narrowed his wheat for four years
with the Thomas harrow, and finds the yield
to be increased fully ten bushels per acre
Byrum Moulton, Of Alexander Genesee
county, N. Y, harvested from fifty acres
1900 bushels of wheat. His neighbors
only obtained about ten bushels per acre
The only difference in land or treatment was
that Moulton's wheat was thoroughly harrow.
ed.with this implement in the Spring and
his neighbors' was not.
The effect produced by narrowing barley
and oats, after they have obtained growth
of four or FIVE inches, is equally marked.
have observed many instances where fully
twenty bushels per acre increase, in conse
quence of thorough narrowing, was obtained
These facts and many others Of similar
character show clearly the great profit which
farmers may derive from thorough cultiva
tion, by narrowing, of wheat, oats, barley and
other sown crops, with the Thomas smooth
ing harrow. Cor. Country Gentleman.