Daily Republican., 1885-07-06
How 10 Raise Wheat.

An article in our local columns
q des .ripsive of the results OF DR.. Green
leafs wheat growing tests, in order TO |
arrive at the hardest, best and most |
prolific varieties should not only be
read With interest by farmers, but
these same farmers h1uld become |
tn em selves more experimental and sue |
ceesful. Eirs: il is clearly shown that
farmers SOW 200 much seed to the acre,
az DR.. Greenleat's one bushel to the |
acre produces heavier set crop on the
ground and one hundred per cent more
wheat.
Secondly, these tests show that there
are varieties OF wheat more prolific
than the old Mediterranean, the great
standard whea. from time almost i'm
memorial. II is wonderful TO think
how farmers are attached to this old
wheat. 1t seems to be the first and the
last, the Alpha and Omega, to them in
wheat arning. True it. has answered
. good purpose in It's day, when no bet
ter or more prolific variety was known,
but in the light of the continued tests
made by DR.. GreenleAf lis day is
past.
Other varieties have been discovered
which must and will take its place If
sensible reasonings prevail amongst
farmers, and our experience with the
farmers Of New Castle County is that
they are sensible, intelligent, reason
ing class of our population.
The results of DR.. Greenleafs tests
in an exceedingly bad year for wheat,
are such that they cannot be ignored.
Farmers must ask them selves why
plough, and harrow, and manure, aud
SOW seed over ten acres OF ground
when more wheat OF o better variety
can be raised from Eve acres by more
economical and improved system of
farming? 1. is just one hundred per
cent. in labor, the same in land and
the same in seed thrown away for
nothing. There is An evident disposi-
ton to cultivate too much ground in
the raising of crops, especially of
wheat. With some farmers who own
but fifty acre farms, the ten acre field
of wheat must be forthcoming every
year The barn yard manure must be
put on thin TO make it reach out over
ten acres when there is not much mo-t
than enough for five. What is lacking
in manure must be made up in seed
and two and sometimes two and hal
bushels to the acre are poured int
drill burrows. No matter if 1t doe
take twenty bushels to seed ten acres
instead Of ten bushels, it is only ten o
fifteen dollars more, and it is wortl
that much more just to have to sa,
that II have ten acre field of wheat.
1t sounds bigger than FIVE acres. Thi
is all radically wrong.
1t may be pleasant to crafty littl
vanity, but it don't pay in the Ion
run. The ten acre field is in wheat
now for the yield. The winter is sever
Sudden thaws and sudden freezes a.
exceedingly hard-harder on wheat
poor ground than in rich ground. II
poor little spindling spears of whe
spew out. The spring opens and Il
stalks are not there. Harvest com
on and in place of the rank, gold
crop of grain,a few spindling stalks a
found with heads about an inch
length, and three or four grains to t
head. Many farmers will read tt
and say, that is just my experience
A different scene is the result in NJ
DuPont's field, where DR.. Greenl'
has been making his tests. Here s
four acres, perhaps more, of the Relia
variety of wheat from Canada Th'
are two or three other varieties, p
haps, It's equal, but we have named
Reliable for convenience, and beca'
to say the least it is not excelled.
ground was put in good conditi
though it was not the best ground
wheat.
1t is drilled in one bushel to the az
That seems very little but it is enou
If only one grain falls in space of
inches, that grain stools out and thr'
up fifteen or twenty stalks Of gol'
headed grain ss high as mans sho
der The heads are large and well Al
There are no little bits OF spindl
heads here with three or four rows
the head. Here dollar an acre
least has been saved in seed, and Il
present appearances there will be tift
dollars an acre difference In the y
of wheat, besides twice as much str
These are results that cannot be W
tied down the wind as Of no accor
They cannot be ignored by any
system of reasoning. The facts in
case are fully set forth, and they
do not make an effort to get out of
old rat OF farming an acre of grount
ten or twelve bushels of wheat
have the forfeit to pay