Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1885-05-08
FARM AND PRESIDE.
Spring Wheat and Barley in Virginia.

Spring Wheat and Barley in Virginia.
fEockbridge Correspondence Lynch burg News.]
Ibaye already expressed my dissent from
the opinion Of our generally very judic.
ious State Commissioner Of Agricultuse,
Randolph Harrison, Esq. that spring
wheat and barley are not adapted to the soil
and climate of Virginia. Spring wheat,
I know, has been successfully raised
in Augusta, Rockbridge and Amherst,
by score of good farmers, at different
periods within the last half century. The
latest experiment was on those dark mu-
latto lands near Pedlar Mills, in Amherst,
where Q number of farmers raised very
fine crops for several years in succession
without change IF seed. One of them.
Mr.. Charles G. Jones, writes me quite re
Gently in answer to an inquiry: Il am
sorry to inform you that the spring wheat
formerly raised was washed away las.
spring by the great rain we had on Marcel
%. It was splendid wheat to yield and
Of fine quality. made the largest yield
the fourth year s0wed it. I think it too
late in the season now to order the wheat
from the West and SOW it to make
profitable crop this year. My winter
wheat is SO badly killed out by the severe
weather. that shall SOW the land in
oats.''
From this experiment it would seem I'M
RI ho cP
wheat 0ftener than that of winter wheat.
AL our wheats run out in few years.
Our most successful wheat raisers change
their seed every few years. and cultivate
the new and successful varieties. In for
ty years farming have never failed to
raise very fine crop of the new varieties,
if sown early, on clover sod. In seasons
like this, when SO much of the late sown
winter wheat has been frozen out and
killed. a field of spring wheat would come
in very comfortable on almost every farm.
It certainly deserves further trial before
it is condemned and rejected.
1t is different with barley. 1t needs nc
further trial. for it has been successfully
raised all along the Valley, from Winches-
ter to this place-a distance of $50 miles
for more than fifty years. Fine crops of
it have been grown in Rockbridge within
the last few years, and are produced now.
Half dozen OF my neighhors raise it.
beth on clay and alluvial Soils They find
it profitable. and are highly pleased with
it every way. 1t does not require as rich
land as wheat; it natures few DAYS ear.
lier; is far more certain, and, while it sells
at nearly the same price, it yields double
the quantity to the acre. The United
States agricultural reports pronounce it
the most profitable per acre of all our &C.
reels, and the only one which has to BE-
imported to supply the home demand, We
produce annually about As, 600 600 bushels
and import from Canada Is 600, 900 for our
breweries, chiefly in New York. We
drink oceans of beer. The average WELD
per acre for eleven years was twenty-five
bushels, and the average price was $l6.l
per acre. New York, Wisconsin, Iowa.
Minnesota, Nebraska and California furn
ish three-fourths of the crop. The South
produces very little. Virginia in 1881
produced only about $4,000 bushels. In
England and Germany they raise from
forty to sixty bushels to the acre. In |
Switzerland they mix it with wheat and
rye, and use it for bread as we'll as for
beer and ale. Our farmers feed it to their |
cows. both whole and ground.
The following letter from nv distin-
guished nelghbor, Colonel William L. !
Poague, formerly of your city, and now
treasurer of the Virginia Military Insti-
tute, and most judicious farmer, shows
what splendid crops Of barley the Valley
can produce. 1t should be made one Of
Virginia's staple crops.
Colonel Poague writes, under date. Leg.
Ingtor. Va, March %:
''Your favor of yesterday has been re-.
ceived. For good many years have
raised small crops of barley. Twice have
made forty bushels per acre, the ground
being good and the seasons favorable. One
year my crop was almost a total failure.
IN consequence mainly of the very severe
winter. This is the first year have been
without q crop in the ground. I could
nob got it in last fall in time. I usually
aimed to SOW bushel and peck DER acre
md to get it in early. On good clay lands.
with proper management. am inclined
10 think it the most profitable grain cron
that can be raised in our section, especial
y il We would get the Canada barley. such
y ID used in breweries, and be careful to
ret it into the barn without rain. Some
Tears ago my old friend, Mr.. John Dryden.
lsed to ship his barley to Baltimore and
,et from % cents to 81 bushel."
Thirty or forty bushels of barley to the
ere will certainly pay far better than ten
,r twelve bushels Of wheat at a few cents
igher price. Try it.
This ine growing weather has very nat
rally started the wheat, and few fallow
elds, that were rich or fortified. look \
ute green and promise tolerable crops.
Ihile the poor, half-naked corn fields. that :
ere seeded late, make very poor show. !
lg indeed. The drilled wheat has stood
ae severe winter far better than either the F
lowed or the narrowed in. Being planted I
eeper, far less of it was killed. For the !,
sme reason the drilled stands pasturing il
18th far less injury and requires one :
'urth less seed-a bushel, or even three \
,cks to the acre, being an ample allow =
ace. From all I can learn our crop Of Z
heat will be very short this year In s.
and throughout Virginia and I