Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1881-09-28


Throughout a large portion of the
Winter wheat section OF uur country a
very light crop has been harvested !;
the crop being not only short in quau.
tity but also in quality, as much of il
is more or less shrivelcd. Several
causes have eonspired to produce this
partial failure of the crop, some of
which date as far back as the
Spring Of 1879, when the failure of the
clover seeding, together with tho gen.
eral success of that seeding in 1880,
caused break in the crop rotation
over large extent of country, and
necessitatod the sowing of an unusual.
ly large proportion of the crop OF 1881
upon corn stubble-a practice which
is common in the southern half of the
Winter wheat belt, and which is based
upon reasons of sound economy, al.
though wheat thus managed does not
as yet, whatever it may do in the iu.
ture, produce as large a crop as that
sown upon clover sod, or even upon
wheat stubble.
The Fall Of 1880 was season of
general drouth, which retarded the
Iplowing for wheat in many cases
causing fields 10 be abandoned which
1t had been intended TO plow, TINS
diminishing the acreage sown, and
causing much to be sown on poorly.
prepared soil, while the continuance of
the drouth caused much Of the seed TO
malt in the ground and gave the re.
mainder late and feeble start. which
disadvantage was intensified By the
early settingin and long continuance
OF Winter There was a great deal of
inferior wheat harvested N 1880, not.
withstanding the abundance of the
crop as a whole, especially through
the southern half of the Winter wheat
belt here the complaint was general
that wheat was much shriveled. of
course much of this shrivoled wheat
was used for seed, and from the same
quarter now como the loudest com.
plants Of q poor crop.
The early Winter and late Spring
caused the harvest of 1881 to come a |
week later than usual, and fully two
weeks later than the exceptionally
early one of 1880, while it was attend. !
ed by season of almost unprecedented
heat, combined with excessive drouth.
and most late.ripening varieties of
wheat failed 10 form a kernel Of iull
weight,
There has been more complaint
that usual Of insect pests this season
the fly having injured early.sown
wheat and the chinch bug and even
the army worm having aided in the
destruction of the crop, so that fields
which promised well in the early
Spring gave little or no return at the
harvest, These are some Of the more
prominent causes which have conspir.
ed to dash the hopes raised by the pre-.
yiously unequaled crops of 1s7s-79
and $50. In addition to these there
have bccn local losses from flood and
storm, which have helped to reduce
the aggregate yield.
To add to our discomiorts, Russia
threatens to step 10 the front with
crop of unusual abundance; England
reports an average yield, and no for.
eign country seems likely to make an
unusual demand for bread hence the
partial compensation for one short crop
which high prices would give seems
likely to be denied us. Altogether
the situation is one which may well
cause us to pause and look about us.
We have rode into prosperity upon
three great and increasing crops, but
we now find ourselves standing with a
light crop on our hands, for which we
have paid high wages, and for which
we may expect TO receive but a mod.
crate price. Now, as we review the
past season and prepare Tor the com.
ing one, it seems appropriate that we
ask ourselves How much of the short.
age of this crop is due to uncontrolla-
bic causes, and how much to our own
negligence
No part of our wheat-growing is less
satisfactory than our mcager success
in raising wheat upon corn stubble.
We have been content TO regard twenty
to twenty five bushels as almost max.
imum crop, to be raised only under the
most favorable seasons upon corn stub.
Bile but after falling behind the best
management in several particulars in
the handling of the crop just harvested,
and Notwithstanding the losses due to
combination Of unfavorablc climatic
conditions, that average has been oc.
casionally obtained this year, and q
correspondingly greater one in more
favorable seasons. Hence the question
comes forcibly home to us whetherthc
yield of our corn stubble wheat should
not approximate more nearly than it
does TO what we consider n fair crop
upon wheat or oat.stubble. The oul.
tivation OF earlier varieties of corn.
cleaner and later culture, and prompt
work at seeding timo-these are among
the factors which will contribute TO
this result
The late Fall drouth caused little un.
easinessto those who had plowed carly,
and had followed the plow daily with
the harrow, pulverizing the surface
while moist, and thus preventing the
drying winds from reaching the lower
depths Of the seed bed or who had
kept the ground mellow and the weeds !