Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1884-09-03
WOODLAND AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.


held at C. Lukens' August 3Oth, with the
president and secretary in their places.
A correction was made in the minutes of
the preceding meeting in regard to the
amount of wheat per acre as stated by G.
Lukens, which should have been little
orer tventy bushels per acre instead ottwenty-
FIVE, as reported.
A critical report on the farm Of 7. W..
Blunt, which had been unavoidably and
otherwise delayed, was read.
His wheat was very much damaged by
sprouting during the excessive wet at har-
vest time. This he proposed using for his
seed wheat this fall. The committee and
others thought this would not be advisable.
1t would be much better to have it ground
and fed to his numerous hogs and horses as
being cheaper than corn at present prices.
Five acres Of potatoes looked well. The
farm and stock generally showed good
management, good culture and good care.
Another critical report is still due on the
farm of D. Buchanan; committee con-
tinued.
A report of the trial-test of sulky plows
held at Cameron August 9th was read and
approved. This was published in the GA
zETTE some time ago.
The committee appointed to prepare a
revision of the constitution, if necessary, so
as 10 have more systematic order i'll the
proceedings of the club and to make the
meetings moSe interesting and profitable,
reported, that in their opinion the officers of
the society should be ineligible for reelcc-
lion the year following their term Of service.
=. That the. secretary should in addition
to his presents duties attend to the duties OF
correspondence.
3. That tbs initiation fee he changed
from fifty cents to one dollar, and that
each member shall pay one dollar yearly to
the treasurer as long as he shall continue a
member Of the society.
These changes were discussed at consid-
cradle length aud were finally laid over for
further consideration at the next meeting
The following paper was read prepared by
G. Lukens, chairman of the committee on
this subject.
Mr. President aud Members ofttc Woodnrn .AgricHl-
turai Society:
The subject for consideration at this meeting
The Cultivation of Wheat is one that elicits y
great deal of discussion at this season of the year
with farmers in general way, and with fertilizer
and theoretical men most particularly. The fer
tiliZer agent Knows all about the cultivation OF
wheat but he y i'll be liberal and allow you to seed
after oats, clover or corn. You may even pillow
once or three times, but must positively use his
fertilizer as it is the only kind that will suit your
land, make the straw stiff grow piunper grain,
bring good grass after the wheat, and be sure to
make not less than thirty bushels of wheat IL the
acre.
The theoretical man knows all about the ma
ture Of your soil. 1t is a matter he has written
IL
part of his life. He explains to you all about the
chemical constituents of your soil, and if you are
right obliging and anxious for information, he
will tell you just how to pillow, SOW, and what fer
tilizer to use ia order to insure big yield, but
they will always leave you to pay the bills and do
all the labor, and if from any cause you should
meet with failure you may rest assured it is your
own fault and not from advice they may have
given.
Now what should like farmers TO do wuuld
be to act upon their own experience and that Of
farmers in their neighborhood. for I believe that
the seed and fertilizer that will do in locality
will not answer at all in another section, and |
do further believe that the practical experience i'll
growing crops for several successive years worth
more to careful observing farmer than all the
theoretical teaching in the world.
In consideration of the subject, I shall not be
guilty Of Offering anything as advice, but give
my plan of operation as particularly rs can, and
of other plans of cultivation that different mem.
bers may have to give.
In the first place for raising crop of wheat
and having no other object in view, l should pre-
fer clover sod, plowcd when the clover was in
full bloom, the ground most thoroughly cult.
waited until the last week in September; then
drilled in with from three to four hundred pounds
of dissolved bone and guanO, (two-thirds bone,
onc-third guano) and one-half buShel wheat to
the acre. But with our system of farming am
not willing to lose sight of other crops that con-
slider of full as much, if not more, importance
than the raising of crop of wheat particularly if
present prices are to prevail for some years to
come; therefore must beg leave to look forward
in the preparation of ground for wheat to the
grass crops that are to follow. Taking my own
experience, prefer following after oats. Pillow
the ground six inches deep and in beds sixteen
feet wide. Cultivate thoroughly; put on q mod
crate quantity of stable manure, plow second
time shallow, so as to mix manure thoroughly
with surface soil harrow and then roll or leave
stand few days to settle before seeding, as,
think, it does better for the ground to be little
compact when drilled put on about ono and a
half bushels of Fultz wheat. We use FultZ be-
cause it yields better, rpens earlier and has
seemed to be less liable to attack from the differ
ent enemies of wheat, and while the price is not
quite SO much as some varieties, yet the greater
yield far ovcrbanccs that and all other faults in
addition to the manure put two to three cwt. Of
fine ground raw bone two-thirds, Bryant's No. .
onethird composed of 500 lbs guanG, 1400 lbs
dissolved bone, 100 lbs. muriate of pOtash). This
plan of tlling the ground and manuring, taking
u succession of years together will answer as well
for this locality as any know Of
AS regards the diseases Of wheat, such as rust
mildew, smut, blight, fly, &C., do not feel my
self capable of rendering good reason: but my
opinion is they are caused by climatic changes,
over which man has control; therefore the
farmers best and only plan is to do the worry best
he knows in putting in his crops, accepting such
returns as he may receive with thankfuncss to
the Iii ger of all good, whether it be much or little.
George Mason stated the result of his OBJ
of wheat growing in Westmore-
land county. The soil being sandy, peas
are grown to pillow under; the peas being left
until they are ripe give, it is claimed, five
bushels more per acre than when plowed
under green. The yield is about twenty
five bushels per acre without any other fer.
l,lizer being used. They also advocate
plowing under clover when the seed is
ripe.
Flowing under peas when green has been