The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-05-22
Buckwheat Growing.
indianapolis Corn Miller.

Indianapolis corn Miller.
Considering the ease with which it can b.
raised ana the demand that always exists for II,
buckwheat is neglected to greater extent than
any other grain produced in this country. The
largest crop ever produced was in 1880, when il
amounted to 4617, 535 bushels. This crop waa
produced on S22s 8O2 acres of land, and was worth
S., 622, 4S8. About foursifths of this crop was
produced In the States of New York and Penn
sylvania. Scarcely any was raised in the more
Southern States, and very little south of Ohio.
The greatest yield reported was In Maine, where
1t averaged twenty-five bushels per acre. II
readily sold at ST. per bushel to local millers-
Considerable was imported from Canada
where the value of the crop II
better appreciated than in this country.
But a small portion of the article sold
in city markets buckwheat -four is pure, OF
true TO name 1T is generally q mixture of the
meal of white corn and various kinds of inferior
flour. Millers and dealers often state that it il
impossible to procure grain enough to supply thu
demand for buckwheat flour. In all Northern
towns buckwheat cakes are held in high esteem
as breakfast dish. The use of buckwheat in
the country is limited, as farmers do not gener-
ally raise it, and the -four is not kept for sale by
local grocers. Farmers and country milers
would do we'll to take advantage of the demand
for genuine buckwheat -four. Tt will sell readily
IN town and country at the price the best quality
of white winter wheat -four commands, if 1t is
put up in bags weighing from twenty-five to
fifty pounds. by judicious management the
sales of buckwheat -four could be greatly in
creased in all parts OF the country.
Buckwheat is an excellent food for fowls or
all kinds. 1t is also very good food for hogs
aud sheep. Beekeeper5 cannot afford to be
without field of 5uckwheat The blossoms
furnish a large amount of honey at time when
little can be obtained from other sources Soil
is NOT impoverished by raising buckwheat upon
it as it is by raising most kinds of grain. The
plants produce q dense shade during the hottest
part of the season, which greatly benefits the
soil The crop can be sown and harvested at a
tirae when other annual crops require little or
no attention Not unfrequently good yield
is obtained from an inverted sod on which crop
of grass has been grown and cut the
same season. 1t ia often practical to raise
good crop of buckwheat on land
that was too wet to plow and sow early In
the season. 1t may be raised to advan tage whore
corn or small grain was drowned out 1T is the
general custom to SOW buckwheat on poor land
that is very poorly prepared. If farmer has
some land that Is too poor or too wet to prepare
for any other crop he rs likely to sow buckwheat
on it, 1T is the general opinion that any kind OF
SOIL prepared in any sort of way, will produce .
paying crop OF buekwheat While il is true that
1t will grow on inferior soil that is poorly pre-
pared, 1T Is also true that more and better grain
can pc produced on good land that Is as we'll pre-
pared as for other grains. 1t will be ready to
harvest before the occurrence of frost it may
DC cut with sickle, cradle, moving macnine. OF
common scythe. 1t is easily threshed with
hand+fiail If hens are allowed to run over the
land after the crop is harvested they Will pici
up most of the grains that have fallen from tns
' stocks.