Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1882-09-28
Woodlawn Agricultural Society.

Woodlawn Agricultural Society.
| Reported for the Alexandria GAzErrEl
The September meeting was held on the
sd instant ut G. Lukens', President Roberts
i'll the chair, and n. w. Person secretary.
After the minutes of the preceding meet
ing were lead,
ID. 7. Smith called attention to the recent
removal by death, Of one of the members.
On motion Il committee, of three was ap-
pointed to prepare resolutions of respect to
the memory of the deceased member.
The chair appointed d. p. Smith, n. w.
licrson and VIM. Hunter, who retired for
conference, and after short time re-
turned, and presented the following testi-
| monial:
I'm the decease of Charles Ballenccr this
club has lost valuable member one
whose kind-hearted, genial nature, his ever
ready ala and generous assistance, cndeared
nm 10 all with whom he came in contact.
We deeply sympathise with his bereayed
family in the loss they have sustained. and
we lament that one so loved and respected
should, in the prime of life and usefulness,
have been removed from his family and
| from this community"
On motion. il WAS ordered that this testi-
monlal Of sympathy be placed upon the
records Of the society, and that the Secre-
tary he requested to send COPY to the
family of the deceased.
The subject Of wheat raising being the
order for the day, the Secretary read the
following paper:
1t is not my purpose to attempt to instruct the
practical farmers of this club how to raise wheat
but simply call attention to what has been done
| and what may be DOM.
Thcrcarc four Questions that it may he proitn
BILE to discuss in connection with this subject:
LIST. What crop, i'll farm rotation should prcccde
wheat?
2nd. What preparation should be given the
ground t" insure the hest growth of the plant.
'ird What kind of seed and how much shall ",
| SOW 10 the acre?
lth What kind of manure or fertilizer shoulJ
be used, and how much to the acre?
Every farmer has way of raising wheat which
perhaps he has followed long that the beaten
track has become ruttcd to such an extent that il
would hc quite difficult to switch oil into a new
channel.
Our object in these discussions is to learn the
different modes pursued by individuals, to see
which Is the most profitable. Allow me here TO
remark that accurate statements and measure
ncns are much more satisfactory than mere
gueSsrs. and vague representations
1t farmers could BIZ induced to conduct the oper-
a"iS ct the Farm on strict business principles AS
ln' reliant nr mechanic is obliged to do, they would
Know what crops are profitable and what are not.
This would give them opportunity to change
or discard whatever is unpruitahlr
In the .imerjun Farmer of August LIST and in
That OF September Isl are two articles on the '.prc-
mrItion of the luud and experiments with fer
tlliZrrS III raising wheat" by r. L. Crane of
northumberland county, Va. This Intelligent
writer has omitted to give us the character of the
soil III which he made his satisfactory experiments,
the amount at fertilizer applied and the yield per
acre OF wheat, leaving each one to experiment rs
he did. to determine what kind and how much
fertilizer tn use on his land
Chemists tell us that the grain Of wheat contains
80 per cent. of potash and the straw Is per cent
maxim" As per cent. of potash in Il crop of wheat.
ami III rye ii is pcr cent, clearly Indicating that
II there is not good supply of this material in the
soil ii should be supplied in order to obtain 4 good
crop. This must be repeated rs often rs the sup
ply becomes exhausted, if We would maintain the
fertility of our soil. In clover we have a plant
that furnishes large percentage of potash in its
roots rs well rs in its stalk and leaf II we grow
clover on our fields and pillow it under or allow il
To decay on the land We have 4 good foundation
for wheat bed.
Awliter in F"rm""d Gar1r"-J. Thompson, says:
In Belgium farmers rs rule own very small
Farms. ten to twenty being considered enough
I" keep the owner and his family in comfortable
circumstances There the seed wheat is carefully
picked over 10y hand and none but plump sound
Uniform grain saved. The preparation of the
seed is made by heavy manuring spadiug ND
the ground and thoroughly pulverising with an
iron toothed rake, sowing the seed in September
In the spring the wheat plants are transpL,utad
into literally MANFRED, well prepared ground;
rows are marked out ten inches apart. none but
strong well rooted plants are set four inches apart
in the rows In proper time the soil between the
rows Is Stirred with hoe and all the weeds care
inlly removed The product from this mode of
culture is said to be from one hundred to one hun
dred and fifty bushels of clean wheat to the aero
Three acres Is about the number cultivated by an |
average farmer yielding rs much as eighteen
acres cultivated in the ordinary way
Such labor and painstaking may not be practi- |
cable where land is cheap and labor is dear There
are suggestions, however, that may be of value to
Us. in selecting the purcst and plumpcst seed. in
literally fcrtilizng and in thorough nrcparation |
of the soil. and perhaps in cultvatng the plants,
Those who have the team and time NAV follow |
the practice of Mr.. Crane of Northumberland |
county. who plows early in August rs deem as tho
soil will allow. Roll and harrow with "Achmc',-
a spring tooth harrow. Apply farm yard manure
harrow again with Achne, to mix the manure
then just before seeding use Achmc and Thomas
smoothing harrow and roller; after seeding. nso
roller again.
\ writer in the american Farmer of Sentcmbc-
18th G.. ". Liuman of Baltimore countv Ma
gives more complete account how he r,iseJ
crop OF wheat of the Blue Stem Fultz variety
which yielded fotty-two and a-half bushels ner
acre. He says: Il attribute the heavy Weld to
early and careful blowing early and liberal man
urng, and frequent and thorough narrowing and
rolling of the ground before seeding