The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1883-01-11
oallixatina Wheat


We suppose Il will he . long time in
the future before the farmers of this
country will laboriously study the
means of forcing an acre OF ground to
Weld to its utmost. Our territory Is
% large and our soil so fertile that the
aggregate yield Of our crops IL I'M
mense, and as individuals we seem TO
persuade ourselves that the aggregate
contributes to our individual wealth.
At all events we are strangely careless
in regard to our individual contribu-
lions. Year after year we raise an
average wheat crop of about fourteen
bushels to the acre. at cost OF about
ten dollars, and clear not more than
four dollars, under the most favorable
circumstances. This profit 10 ludi-
crously and ruinously small. No
farmer can afford to raise wheat AT
such Q profit, and one reason that we
farmers make money no faster Is be-
cause we are content with a minimum
weld and q consequent minimum OF
profit. This country ought to produce
An average Of at least twenty-five
bushels Of wheat to the acre. But
while We pursue the course We have
been pursuing with reference 10 this
crop, o course which Is distinguished
By growing the crop with the least
possible trouble, we shall not only do
no better but we shall do worse, as
IL evidenced by the continued exhaus-
ton of our wheat soils, and the west
ward movement Of the wheat belt.
Certainly the farmer Is interested in
getting out Of his soil all that twill
dosslbly yield, W thout exhaus ing II,
and in the matter Of wheat production,
two things, the sowing and the har-
vesting. cost no more for a good crop
than for q poor one. Very much of
our land that is devoted to wheat IL
utterly unfit for the purpose because
of not being drained, but we have re-
Gently said SO much about drainage
that to say more at this time would
seem to be superfiuous. IL surely need
not he stated that wheat cannot
amount to much In cold, wet soil, and
IL we will drain our land, il We do
nothing more, we will be recompensed
BY q greatly increased yield Of wheat.
But the preparation of the soil for
sowing IL often neglected TO deplora-
BILE extent. Wheat should have well
pulverized bed. Plants cannot appro-
pirate all the nutriment that Is needed
for their fullest development unless
the soil is made fine Great Jumps Of
earth or q solidly compact soil. are
useless for growing vegetation. In
order, therefore, to get above our four
teen-bushel average, We must pillow
well and be generous in the Use Of the
harrow aud roller. This increases the
cest of production, Of course, but the
additional yield will cover il and add
Q profit besides, and any wheat grow
or whose soil is at all inclined TO be
lumpy, will find that the Use of the
roller will pay for the implement and
the expense of operating it. With a
well drained and thoroughly pulver
lied soil, the first requirements of a
good crop are met. But this is not all
that must be provided. Unless the
soil contains the proper elements,
drainage and pulverizatiOn will be
useless On our lands that have been
exhausted by continued wheat grow
ing, nothing can again make them
valuable for the purpose, except the
restoration of the elements of which
they have been deprived. Unless the
soil contains alkaline matters, such as
potash and lime, and soluble silica,
wheat cannot grow. IL does not re-
quire very much potash or silica, but
some Is absolutely essential, and if
the soil lack any of these they must
be supplied. II such lack exist.
the alkalies must be fur
nished by applying ashes, lime, pot
ash, salt, or something of this charac-
ter, and good way tn apply lime,
ashes, or salt, is 10 spread them upon
the ground just before sowing-at the
rate of ten or fifteen bushels of lime,
and eight bushels of salt or ashes 10
the acre-aud harrow them in: ID. 8.
Curtis, in little work on this subject,
advocates top-iressing with eight
bushels Of plaster per acre, in the Fall.
when the wheat Is all up. and when
the frosts appear and the plant be-
comes dormant, he states that a top
of eight bushels of salt per
acre will make the crop more luxuri-
ant besides preventing rust and the
rovaGes Of insects. With reference To
the plaster, il may he stated that il is
y eccentric i'm its action that il might
10 good and might not. Sometimes
In the application of plaster the effect
Il very marked, while at others il is
not observable, and we know Of no
be determined. Just how much ben
silt might be derived from salt applied
IN the way stated. we are not prepared
70 say, but in view of the desirsbility |
of doing all that We can to increase the |
yield. and as salt il cheap, it would
be well to experiment where Winter |
wheat is grown. 1t would not take
long to determine its value.
But now we come TO part of our |
subject which has received very little |
general attention. We shall never see |
J full yield of wheat i'm this country
until we begin TO cultivate the crop.
We must get out Of the habit Of sow |
In the crop and sitting on the fence
until II is ready to harvest, with ev-
erything else that has grown with il.
We have been convinced of that fact
In our own experience for a great
many years, and before IL was demon
strsted by experiment that nothing
would do more to increase our wheat
crop. In England and other parts of
Europe il IL constantly practiced, and
has been adopted by a few i'm this
The wheat is planted i'm
drills fourteen TO sixteen inches apart,
and ID then hoed by hand, or culti-
vated with corn cultivators, OF by al
made for the especial pur-
pose. The difference in the roots be-
tween cultivated and uncultivated
wheat Ii very marked. The former
lre longer and larger, and the plants
tiller out five or six timss better than
Ikav do ~ hap uneulfivafad C,tira