Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1882-01-21

the average prOductlvenesS or It's SOIL, the
average cash values of its crops, and the
extent and cheapness Of the new farm
ing lands it offers for agricultural pur-
poses,- taking all these considerations
Ogether-Michigan is unequaled among
either the states or the territories in the
advantages it offers to farmers OF small
means. M n.
MICHIGAN WHEAT.
The great crop of Michigan is wheat.
Its exports bring more money into the
state than all its other surplus crops.
Ehe census fiures show that its aggre-
gate production has about doubled in
every ten years since 1910, and that the
average yield per acre has increased from
10 bushels in 1849 to l9.49, bushels in
1879. and, according to the Farm Stats
tic, compiled at Lansing, to 1873 bush
els 1880.
FOURTH IN RANK IN THE VOLUME OF PRO-
DUCTION.
Bulletin 175. issued by the Census
Bureau at Washington, May 80, 1881,
shows that Illinois, with yield of fifty
one millions, Indiana, with a yield Of
fOrty-seven millions, and Ohio, with
yield of forty-six millions of bushels,
were the only states that produced as
much wheat in 1879 as Michigan, which
had a crop of thirty-five and half mil
lions of bushels. In proportion to the
number of acres sOwn, according to the
same authority. the crop in this state
was the largest. The product of that
year was nearly four and half millions
of bushels greater than that of New York
and Pennsylvania combined.
WHITE WINTER THE PRINCIPAL MICHIGAN
CROP.
The wheat raised i'm this state is almost
exclusively that which is known as
white winter. There is some spring
wheat sOwn, producing excellent crops,
but the practice Is not common, and viz
tually Michigan spring wheat is almost
unknown in the market. 1t is the influ
ence of the surrounding water upon the
climate that makes this general culture
possible. The growth of winter wheat
in the other northwestern states and in
the territories wing east of the Rocky
Mountains is almost as rare as that of
spring wheat In Michigan. Nearly all
that reaches the market from those sec
tiOns is of spring sowing. The wheat of
this state holds very high rank in the
market, and has a standard of its own.
Michigan white winter -four is known in
nearly every European grain exchange.
SEED TIME AND HARVEST.
Wheat in Michigan is put into the
ground between the 10th of September
and the 5th of October, according to the
fOrwardness of the season and the con-
ditiOn of the weather. Ordinarily the
10th to the Goth of September is the seed
ing time. The wheat usually gets a
growth of three to four inches before the
SHOWS of winter come upon it. In the
average Michigan winter the wheat is
protected throughout by the snow. and
comes out in the spring looking fresh
and green. Especially is this the case
in the northern portion of the state.
There is very little heaving of the soil
by the frOsts in winter, even where it is
unprotected by snow, so that open win
tiers are usually not injurious to the
crop If the spring weather is favorable.
The harvest generally begins in sthe
southern portion of the state in the first
week of July, and that month sees the
crop garnered throughout most of the
state. Labor saving machinery is so
generally in use that harvesting is
quickly and easily managed. On the
whole, taking one year with another.
there is no crop in Michigan more sure
and reliable than the wheat crop, and
the past experience of the farmers of the
state has been that there is none more
profitable.
PROCESS OF CULTIVATION.
Wheat does not rapidly exhaust the
soil. Upon the newest lands crop may
be raised every year. There are lOcali-
ties in which the soil is too strong for
prOfitably raising wheat until it is re-
duced bv constant cropping. The ordi-
nary practice in the newer portions of
the state, however, is to alternate wheat
with corn, oats and other spring crops,
taking crop of wheat every second year.
In those parts of the state longest under
cultivation the practice known as 'seed-
ing down" is followed. Glover is sOwn
broadcast upon the field in March or
April before the wheat is harvested. This
takes root and yields pasturage the
same autumn. The next season the
farmers take from the field crop of hay.
The second season he may pillow his clover
sod under and plant corn, putting in
wheat the following September, after
the corn has ripened; or, what is the bet
ter practice with careful farmers, he
may turn under his heavy growth of
clover in June and let the field lie fallOw
until the time for sowing wheat. The
clover thus turned under, supplemented
sometimes by rOtted wheat straw and
barn-yard manure, proves rich fertiliz-
er. BY this latter treatment crop of
wheat is produced every third year, and
the yield per acre Of field under
cultivation for fifty years is kept very
nearly up to those but freshly re-
claimed from nature.
OTHER CHEAP FERTILIZERS.
Gypsum has long been extensively
used in the state. 1t abOunds In the Vi
entity of Grand Rapids and in Iosco
IL Ia IL aal 4 e..