Connecticut western news., 1883-10-24
CHANGES IN WHEAT CULTURE.
Modern Wheat Growing.

Wheat is getting to be an important crop in sections of the country where it's culture a few years ago was confined to here and there, farmer who clung with persistent tenacity to the maxim of the fathers that farmers must raise their own bread" The changes in the man. agement of the crop are interesting. Wheat was formerly sown in August or the first week in September. Very lit tie was, however, put ill as late as Sep tember. The ground was fitted by sum- smer-fallowing and with manure routed the seed. After weevil became so plenty US to damage the crop, varieties with chaff thicker and closer fitting were found, upon which the weevil larvte could not work so we'll, and so the period of wheat growing was extended. The old Mediterranean wheat-a Rus sian variety-became the farmers de. pendence, and while at first it made 1n- ferior flour as compared with the old kinds, still it was wheat and became the universal crop because almost weevil- proof. It improved rapidly with con- tinued culture and has been the basis of many other improved varieties. It was very hardy and productive, resembling the modern Clawson i'll these respects, but, unlike it, was red. When the Hes sian fly became troublesome its habits k1l irl 1o+n nd to be an effective remedy, as the career of the fly ended before the wheat was large enough for it to deposit it's eggs, where they remained until the next year to hatch and feed upon the juices of the stems. The last and conquering enemy to wheat was the earth itself, which, with all the painstaking, refused to return 8 remunerative crop, and wheat growing marched westward to newer and less exhausted lands.
 After rest of more than & quarter of century, the soil with renewed strength now gives forth fine crops and the fathers would be astonished could they know that thirty and even forty bushels are now sometimes gathered from an acre on the same land which produced little more, if anything, than the seed. The method of culture has changed. There is now but little summer-following, as the improved cultivators render success sive blowing unnecessary, and August IS passed as unsr1ited to wheat The best crops are now obtained by later sowing and the latter part of September is con- sidered the proper time. My wheat was not put in until October 6, as the ground | was too dry to blow until that time. It is sown on clover sod, which is well | adapted to the crop, and drilled ill seven ] pecks to the acre with 200 pounds of super phosphate and no other manure. It is a notion of farmers that leaving the surface of the ground uneven, after the drill, is an advantage as it keeps the snow from blowing off. There is force in this, but there is another fact which should be considered at the same time.
 Wheat will do better if the ground is not too loose or mellow. It should be com
 pact or firm, the opposite of loose, and 1 at the same time not hard or crusty.
 When the ground is just right the wheat
 will do better. This fact has been tested
 by following the different methods. l The principle is that when the ground
 is made firm or we'll settled about the
 seed it will take root sooner, grow faster
 and stand both frost and drouth better
 Wheat should always have the eartl
 settled firmly around it, as this will pre-
 vent the winter winds from blowing tht
 earth away from the roots. It is there
 fore nice question whether the wbea
 ground should always be rolled whel
 sown. My wheat was rolled, as tn
 ground was very mellow, and by so do
 ing, am sure there will be gain of
 week in the growth. It may be sai
 that rolling will make the ground har'
 and crusty on the surface. It will not
 unless it is wet, and it never should b
 rolled when ill this condition. An ad
 vance has been made in wheat-cultur by narrowing it in spring. This Is
 modern improvement which should b
 most generally adopted. The gfas seed should be sown on it just as 500 as the surface becomes dry enough, Il . matter whether the frost is all out ( ! not, and good narrowing given to i , This will break up the crust so man ' farmers are afraid of if they compa . the soil in autumn, and at the san time it will cover the grass seed and Il !" sure good " catch" which will pay ft all the trouble. Wheat is wonderful . improved by spring narrowing. I al U wondering whether we can keep up tt u fertility of the soil for wheat without D break, as has occurred when the ear e seemed to be exhausted for its growt 10 If half that is said about the wonderi .c virtues of super-phcsphates is true tn ,i we can grow wheat ad infnitum by tn, '' use. I would rather, however, but I " " faith in three-years' or better yet. ;d a four- years rotation, with hbe ~! ~ dressing of barn-yard manure, comb ~ ~ ing both animal excrement and rott ,, provender, using plaster and clover .a turn.-F. D. CURTIS, Kirby Homeste, Q NY.
 0o Pork Abroad.
 CT
 ld With all the exaggeration sometir