The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1884-01-26
Glle &aruter.
Top Dressing for Wheat.

Farmer. published in Baltimore, Nd, says:
Having used phosphate, nitrate OF soda
and kainit for the past two years, applied
as a spring application for winter wheat,
and in both instances with marked success,
| thought it would be of some use to my
brother farmers to give my experience, and
so send it to you.
would here state that my soil is clay
loan and in pretty fair condition for grow
ing most farm crops, and l keep it so by
making and using all the manures it is pos
sible for me to make; lining my sod for
corn, and then drilling my wheat in on this
corn ground in the early fall, using 300
lbs. of good fertilizer per acre, and top
dressing the wheat in the spring with a
slight application of phosphate and kainit.
Now some will think this extravaganza and
a needless waste of money, but | don't
think so. | farm and work for money, and
if at the end of the year | cannot see some
few hundreds of available money beside my
stock in hand, then that is not profitable
farming, and man had better sell out, or
work for some one else, as he surely don't
know how to manage, and management Is
the great need of most Of us.
In 1882, on the LIST of April, L top-dress-
ed 10 acres of corn ground wheat, using %
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 applica-
ton was applied. When this wheat was
threshed we found it brighter and heavier,
and the yield was sc bushels of measured
wheat per acre, weighing 81! lbs. per
bushel. whilst the wheat grown on the
same soil and right alongside of it, but
without this top-dressing, did not do so
well by ) bushels. The first wheat was
sold for seed. and brought 5 cents a bushel
more. and could have sold as much more
if had had it. The extra yield by this
slight application and the extra price for
the wheat paid for the entire fertilizer used
on this ten acres.
But again in 1883, | had 2S! acres in
wheat. 20 acres of which was corn ground
wheat; this last being in fine filth and rich,
did not apply any spring application, and
| found that | did wrong as kainit would
have been the means Of making the wheat
straw sitter in the joints and it would have
stood up. As it was, it all fell down and
did not Weld 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 as 1t
was possible for me to do and staked. at
each end On the one part 200 lbs. OF nj
trate of soda per acre was used, and on the
other 200 lbs of kainit and 100 lbs. of
phosphate per acre was used. The part
where the soda was used grew faster and
ripened few days earlier and the yield
was good, viz: 2S bushels per acre of fine
bright wheat, but the part where the kainit
and phosphate was applied yielded 323
bushels per acre of equally as good and
bright wheat, all of which was sold for seed.
[ would also state that the clover and tim
othy crop was all that could be desired on
this field; indeed, | could have cut quite a
crop of hay if l 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, and
not too late, as they require great deal of
moisture. find that April is very good
month to SOW it.
| 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,
and much valuable information would be
gained | will the ensuing spring divide
my wheat fields into , equal parts, using
phosphate and kainit on one, nitrate of soda
on the other, and phosphate alone on the
third, and whichever is the cheapest and
produces the most wheat that is the one |
shall use the most of hereafter, although a
3 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 hare.