The Delaware farmer., 1883-08-24

5uO lbs VI phosphate to the acre, WleI tuss cal
be done by our farmers we may expect to SeC
large crops of wheat grown here.
A clover sod, liberally phosphuted is the hes
treatment that the average OF our wheat receives
When wheat follows on sueh land in course ol
a four years rotaIion Of " hch rotation one year
witnesses a liberal supply Of Stable manure the
yield may be exi ieIed to crowd 80 bushels tC
the acre.
The recent raj : have made it possible to
plow ialow lands and the probabilities are that
| less "sralk ground" will be seeded to wheat this
/ tall than during those years when dry summer
I has made tile piowiug Of such lands difficult.
Our best yield OF wheat does not follow corn
aud the ordinary four years rotation so generally
practlced here materially reduces the average
yield of Delaware.
With two facts making themselves each year
more apparent to farmers, viz; that the best
wheat follows clover sod and that good catch
Of clover is but seldom had with wheat; it seems
but wise Tor our farmers to devise some better
system Of rotation.
just here we are met by the tenanting system
that is interested in fewer years rather than more
years in rotation; but Tor farmers who own
their land, aud for those tenants and landlords
who have learned to know each other so well
that they may expect always to work together,
there seem strong reasons why some more profit
able system OF rotation should be devised.
To put wheat in after corn is heavy WORK
and quite expensive, and is always 50 late that
the wheat gets Sut little growth in the tall and
consequently makes poor yield.
To plOw down clover for wheat and re-seed
with clover the next spring is Improbable, even
with "a good catch" Of the clover, which is not
at all certain.
For over dozen years those IN this locality
who have sOwn clover seed during the rainy !
part OF July and August have failed so seldom |
of "a good catch" that with them the summer
is much preferable season for grass seeding |
than the spring. Hardly an acre Of land in
Kent or Sussex that was sOwn last spring with |
clover has HOW sufficient stand Of grass to war
rant its preservation. There is no fun in throw.
ing clover seed away ct 50 per bushe!
We would be glad to receive from our readers,
what IN their opinion would make the best rota-
ton Of crops in Delaware. Wheat does well af.
ter tomatoes unless sown too late to start ia the
fall. It IS Of first importance that the surface Of
the field be thoroughly puverized for wheat,
aud that time enough be given it in the fail to
make liberal growth Of surface roots, which
have been iourd to be its best protection against
winter killing"
Though the drills are an improvement over
iand sowing, yet there is ample room for i'm.
,roYemsnt in the drills. The gram is dropped
90 closely together from all the drills We have ;
,ver seen; aud the earth that covers the seed is
lot made compact enough to prevent its quickly
Trying out.
Every farmer wants to grow his own bread;
nd though his specialties may not unite well
With wbeat-growing yet the weight Of argument
IN favor Of his making the effort providing he
7ill put his wheat land in condition to produce !
be largest crop.