The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1885-10-06
WHEAT.
Its Position In Judicious System OF Rots-
ton.


The idea of seeding the same land to
wheat year after year is not practiced
except by class of farmers who have
little idea of the fitness of things. On
new prairie land three crops may be
taken without serious deterioration of
the soil. though probably not with ulti-
mate profit in the long run. But the
new settler has some excuse. He must
have money, and wheat will bear longer
transportation without being eaten up
by freight charges than any other grain
except haxseed. In the regular rota-
ton, even on the fertile soils of the
West, it should not occur oftener than
once in four years, and then preferably
on a clover or grass seed, especially
where the soil is liable TO heave. On
Old land, however, if considered adyisa-
/ bic TO seed, fair crops are raised by
drilling between the rows of corn, hav-
ing first raised a filth on the surface of,
saw, two inches in depth.
IL wheat is to be seeded on stubble
land, of whatsoever kind, the soil should
be plowed at the ordinary depth rs
soon after harvest as possible, and
thereafter as often as possible. up
to seeding time, TO q depth OF
somewhat less than three inches. Seed
at the rate of not less than six to eight
pecks, according as the soil is in con-
dition for tilling. If the seed is drilled.
one-quarter less seed may be used than
in broadcast sowing, and for the reason
that the seed is all covered, and at n
given depth. Wheat viii terminate
stronger and more freely at depth Of
from one TO one and half inches than
at any other depth, but to provide
against all possible contingencies, .wO
inches is found TO be the best depth on
ordinary loans, or somewhat less on
very firm clay soils.
Wheat is firm-soil plant. but re-
quires the surface 10 be of the finest
possible filth. A soil light and fluffy
TO considerable depth should never
be sown to winter wheat, and one
naturally so can never be made firm
by any amount of rolling o., even by
thorough tramping by cattle. and
neither is soft humus soil proper for
spring wheat. Hence all having sucf
soils should hes tate before sowing
largely of this crop, and never on
spr ng-plOwed land. If chinch-bugs
or HcS>ian fly have prevailed in the
neighbOrhOOd the probability is thai
some other crop Will be more
profitable next season than wheat The
absolute cleanness and good quality Oi
the seed wheat-and this will apply t.
all seed grains-must be certainly
known. If you have no cheat. or Other
foul weeds in the soil, and the seeds be
perfectly clean, your crop will be so.
Ii the seed grains are large of thc'I
variety. dense and uniform in size. the
plants W II he uniformly vigorous. ac-
cording to the capahility ard the adap-
tatiOn of the soil 10 the crop. 1t is the
most unwiSe economy to sow indi!lcr.
ent, foul or light seed. Mills are now
constructed that will take every foul
seed from any grain by proper regu.
lation of the wind and sleeves. and
special machines are now made TO pre-
pare seed grains of every kind. But il
is not enough that the seed has been
cleaned in the mill. This simply gives
clean seed. What is wanted for the
best results, for land in prime condi-
ton, is grain OF the greatest specific
gravity. This may be obtained by plac-
ing the grain on the barn floor and
shoveling il in successive casts across
the floor. The heaviest grain will be
carried the farthest If this heavy
grain is sOwn by itself. and seed saved
in the same way for successive wears.
the result will be astonishing to those
who have never considered the question
of hered:ty-aS true in vegetables Is IN
animals.
Not only viii the yield be increased
per acre, but the quality of the grain
viii BE- increased in the same ratio as
the quantity. TO the slOv,nly farmrr.
who crows his crops among weeds. on
he who refuses TO feed his soil when
worn. this trouble in the selection o.
seed VIII not pay. Such farmers never
make any money from Their crops. 4
precariOus living is all the can cXpcc:.
Such men never read. Their sol,
animuS seems to be to reduce the aver
age product as low aS possible. The
better class of farmers, however. who
spend labor to put their soil in the st
possible condition, Will find profit Ia
this special care in selecting seed.
They well know that the Self-bind:no
reaper WI cover rs many acres o:
wheat yielding thirty bushels per acre
as if only fifteen were grown. These
are the men who make money upon the
average light yield. Unless the crop
is destroyed by fungus growths. storms
or insects, their average is good in
seasons when the sloven gets hardly
enough TO pay for harvesting. Chicago
Tribune.
Salt as a Fly Remedy.