Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1884-02-08

ToFlDREssIEG roR\ WHEAT.

Francis Sanderson, Of Rlains Farm,
Baltimore county. in letter to the
American Farmer, says:
Having used phosphate, nitrate ofsoda
and kainit for the past two ,eaArs, applied
as spring application for Winter wheat,
and in both instances with marked sue
cess, / thought it would be OF some use
to my brother farmers to give my exper-
fence, and SO send it to you.
would here state that my, soil is
clay loan and in pretty fair cSpdition
for growing most farm crops, audi keep
it so by making and using all che ma
nures it is possible for me to make, lin
ing my sod for corn, and then drilling
my wheat in on this corn ground in the
early fall, using 300 lbs Of good ferti-
lizsr per acre, and top dressing the wheat
in the spring with slight application Of
phosphate and kainit. Now some will
think this extravaganza and needless
waste Of money, but I don think SO. /
farm and work for money, and If at the
end of the year l cannot see some few
hundreds of available money beside my
stock in hand, then tina. is not profitable
farming, and man had better sell out,
or work for some one else, as he surely
don't know how tomanage, and manage
-ment is the great need Of most of us.
In 1882, on the LIST Of April, I top
dressed 10 acres Of corn ground wheat,
using 100 lbs. phosphate and 100 lbs.
kainit; one month from that time found
marked difference in that wheat, it
being Of darker hue and of stronger
growth.
At harvest my hands found that the
wheat was heavier, and the heads larger
and longer than where no spring appli-
cation was applied. When this wheat
was threshed we found it brighter aud
heavier, and the yield was Sc bushels of
measured wheat per acre, weighing 62I
lbs. per bushsl, whilst the wheat grown
on the same soil and right alongside of
it, but without this top-dressing, did not
do so well by 5 bushels. The firsS wheat
was sold for seed, and brought 5 cents
bushel more, and could have sold as
much more If l had had it. The extra
yield by this slight application and the
extra price for the wheat paid for the en-
tire fertilizer used on this ten acres.
But,again in 1883, I had 2sS acres in
wheat, 20 acres Of which was corn ground
wheat. this last being in fne filth and
rich, ! did not apply any spring applica-
ton, and I found that | did wrong. as
kainit would have been the means of
making the wheat straw sitter ia the
joints and it would have stood up. AS
il was, it oil fell down and did not yield
more than 20 bushels per acre. saved
few dollars and lost many.
But the 20 acres of corn ground wheat,
which did not look near so promising,
was divided into two square parts as
near rs it was possible for me to do and
staked at each end. On the one part 200
lbs. of nitrate Of soda per acre was used,
and on the other 200 lbs. of kaiuit and
100 lbs. Of phosphate were used. The
part where the soda was used grew faster
and ripehed few days earlier, and the
yield was good, viz: % bushels per acre
Of fine bright wheat. but the part where
the kainit and phosphate were applied
yialdad S2i Bushels per acre of eausily
rs good aud bright wheat, all Of which
was sold for seed. | would also state
that the clover and timothy crop was all
that could be desired on this field; in-
deed, could have cut quite crop of
hav il had wished in the early fall
from it.
would state here as these articles are
very valuable they should not be sown
too early in the spring, when the heavy
rains occur, as they would be washed off,
aud not too late, as they require great
deal Of moisture. find that April is
very good month to SOW them.
| would here make suggestion TO all
readers of this, to try this plan, even if
it is but on small scale. and report the
results the following fall to the American
Farmer. aud much valuable information
would be gained. will the ensuing
spring divide my wheat fields into three
equal parts, using phosphate and kainit
on one. nitrate Of soda on the other, and
phosphate alone on the third, and which
ever is the cheapest and produces the
most wheat that is the one.I shall use
the most of hereafter. although three
years test is not quite sufficient test in
every case. Why cannot the different
country Oranges take up this matter and
give us something that will be of sound
practical use. that will teach us to think
and at the same time put money in our
pockets? We need to do the first, and
the latter we must have.