Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1884-09-26
farmfrs' Column.
WHEAT CULTURE.
BY B. PURYEAR, Ii. d.

The raising OF wheat as a money
making staple, and also as subsidiary
to the grasses, was never more impor-
tantand imperative than now. Despite
the unequal competition from the great
West, which from the abundant means
Of transportation we have to encounter,
we cannot afford to abandon the cult
walton of the noblest of the cereals.
Its cultivation, important in itself, is
still more important in the secondary
effects which follow in its wake.
AS the time is upon us for making
preparation for the seeding of wheat,
perhaps short article on wheat Gull
ture may not be inappropriate.
When the land is well turfed, par
ticularly when clover field is to be
fallowed for wheat, we believe in deep
and early blowing, and we will give
the reasons for our faith. Under the
circumstances indicated. we object to
refallowing as unnecessarily expensive
and positively injurious.
We advise, then, that the land should
be plowed in August and September
whenever it is in order. The active,
watchful farmer should seek to utilize
all good seasons for following, both be-
cause this is the best time for the work,
and further because we are most liable
to droughts in the early fall, when
good blowing is impossible.
But the objection with some to early
following is that before the time of
of seeding the land becomes foul with
grass and weeds, and hence the neces-
sity of refallowing. But we answer
as often as necessary let the land be
narrowed and cross narrowed. The
work is rapidly done, and may be done
several times with less labor than a
single blowing. What reasons recon-
mends this course? Wheat loves a
compact soil. Winter spewing is far
more likely to ensue when the land is
freshly plowed, and is loose and porous
to the depth of eight or ten inches.
But by the plan recommended, while
the soil is made clean and thoroughly
pulverized to the depth Of 3 ORA inches.
all below is becoming compact and
firm. These are just the conditions
which the crop requires. In the clean,
loose, thoroughly pulverized surface
soil, the seeds terminate promptly, fol-
lowed by rapid growth, so that by the
time hard weather sets in the roots are
firmly anchored, in the compact under
soil. Spewing, winter killing, are now
far less likely to ensue.
Again, the turf and weeds are all
below. Refallowing would have thrown
this vegetation in large measure to the
surface. We believe that tits best that
it should remain and decompose where
it was originally placed by the pillow.
In this case there Is no loss of the fer
tilizing material of the buried vegeta-
ton. 1t decomposes slowly. The roots
are slowly striking down to it, and it
is gradually rising by capillarity to the
roots. In this way the fertilizing ma
terial of the decomposing vegetation is
furnished gradually and uniformly to
the crop during the whole period of
its growth, and heavier yield is the
necessary result.
AS to fertilizers: 1t cannot be too
often repeated that the special demand
of wheat upon the soil, and indeed Of
all the cereals, is the phosphate of
lime, as it is now called calcium phos-
phate. The ash Of tke grain of wheat
contains nine or ten substances but
the weight of the phosphate of lime is
as much as the combined weight of the
entire remainder. The decomposing
vegetation, when abundant, will fur
nish ammonia to develop the stalk;
finely ground bones, composed chiefly
of phosphate of lime, will ensure the
formation and development of grains.
Our point then is that when heavy
turf is turned under, the farmer need
not incur the heavy expense as ammo
niacal compounds. The decomposing
vegetation buried in the soil will meet
this demand. But let him apply phos-
phate Of lime, finely ground, at from
200 to 400 pounds per acre, absorbing
to the quality of the land, in order to Sc
cure the full developments of the grains.
The application ofphosphate of lime
should be heavier when wheat follows
wheat or corn. The preceding crop
has made already a special demand
upon the soil for phosphate of lime,
and hence the necessity in such cases
of heavier applications of this fertili-
ger. But when wheat follows tobacco,
the indication is different. The Guilt
walton of tobacco leaves the land clean
of vegetation, while this crop has not
made a large demand, but small one,
for phosphate of lime. If the land
needs help it is rather in the direction
of putsescent manures, or ammoniated
compounds.
AS to the mode of seeding: The
drill should be used whenever possible.
Indeed, we think that if we had to seed
wheat by broadcasting we should aban-
don it all together. The drill puts In
the seed at uniform distances, and
covers at uniform depths. The germ
ination, therefore, is most perfect, and
hence less seed per acre is required.
When the wheat is broadcasted and
narrowed, many grains are left uncov-
cred, and many are covered so slightly
that, unless the season is favorable,
they do not terminate; and if they do,
the stalks, should a little drought
come, die out rapidly.
The time of seeding is immensely
important. We sustain great losses
every year from late seeding, and gen.
orally there is little excuse for late
seeding. If the farmer will seize every
opportunity of following for ten weeks
before seeding time, it will very rarely
happen that he will not be ready when
seeding time comes. 1t costs no more
labor, and saves vast anxiety to be
ready at seeding time and make good
crop, than not to be ready and have a
Door crop. We believe that for the