The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1885-11-27
FOR THE FARM EIs.
Practical Suggestions an Wheat Culture
With "a View to Financial Returns
Washing Wool.
Comparative Merits of Oats and Corn for
Feeding Purposes-Training Young
Colts.

PREPARING o SEEDING WHEAT.
The idea of seeding the same land to
wheat year after year i, not practiced
except by a 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. lie must
have money, and wheat will bear long
er transportation without being eaten
up by freight charges than any other
grain except flaXscrd. In the regular
rotation, even o. The fertile soils of the
West, il should not occur oitener 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 advis-
able TO seed, fair crops are raised by
drilling between the rOws OF corn, hav-
ing first raised a filth on the surface of,
say. two inches in depth.
II wheat is to be seeded on stubble
land, of whatsoever kind, the soil
should be plowed at the ordinary depth
as soon after harvest as possible, and
thereafter as often rs possible, up to
seeding time, to a 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 condition for
tilling. If the seed is drilled, one-quar-
ter less seed may be used than in
broadcast sowing, and for the reason
that the seed is all covered, and at Il
given depth. Wheat will terminate
stronger and more freely ut a depth of
from one to one and a half inches than
at any other depth, but, to provide
against all possible contingencies. two
inches is found to be the best depth on
ordinary loans, or somewhat less on
very firm clay soils.
Wheat is q iirm-soil plant, but re-
quireS the surface to be of the finest
possible filth. A soil light and fluffy
TO "a considerable depth should never
be sown to winter wheat, and one nat
urally SO can never be made firm by
any amount OF rolling, rcven by thor
ough tramping by cattle, and neither
is soft humus soil proper for spring
wheat. Hence all having such soils
should hesitate before sowing largely
of this crop, and never on spring-plow-
ed land. If chinch-bugs or Hessian
fly have prevailed in the neighborhood
the probability is that some other crop
will be more profitable next season than
wheat. The absolute c~leanness and
good quality of the seed whcat-and
this will apply TO all seed grains--must
be certainly known. If you have no
cheat, or other foul weeds in the soil,
and the seed be perfectly clean. your
crop will be so. If the seed grains are
large of their variety, dense, and uni
form in size the plants will be uni
formly vigorous, according to the cap
ability ami adaptation of the soil to the
crop. 1t is the most unwise economy
to SOW indifferent. foul, or light seed.
Mills are now constructed that will take
every foul seed from any grain by a
proper regulation of the wind and
sleeves, and special machines are now
made to prepare 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 condition, is grain ii the great
est specific gravity. This may be OBJ
tanned by placing the grain on the barn
floor and s%hOvciing it in successive
casts across the floor. The heaviest
grain will be carried the farthest. If
this heavy grain is sowm by Itself. and
seed saved in the same way for success
sive years, the result will he astonish-
ing to those who have never consider
ed the question OF licredity-as true in
vegetables rs in animals.
Not only will the yield be increased
per acre, but the quality of the grain
will be increased in the same ratio as
the quantity. 10 the slovenly farmer,
who grows his crops among weeds, or
he who refuses to feed his soil when
worn this trouble in the selection of
seed will not pay. Such farmers never
make any money from their crops. A
precarious living is all they can expect.
Such men never read. Their sole ami
mus seems TO be TO reduce the average
product as low as possible. The better
class of farmers, however, who spend
labor TO put their soil in the best posi-
BILE condition, will find Profit in this
special care in selecting seed. They
we'll know that the self binding reaper
will cover Us many acres OF 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 sea-
sons when the sloven gets hardly
enough to pay for harvesting. Chico