The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1886-11-03
SUGGESTIONS ABOUT WHEAT.
a DISCUSSION OF THIS GRAIN AS GROWN
IN THE SOUTH.
Timely Article from on Experienced and
Succc ssTui Farmer.
wv. l.. Jones q Atlanta consti,ution1

Is wheat a profitable crop in the cot
ton belt? Except in limestone and high,
mountainous regions, it is not. The
yield is too uncertain, the cost Of raising
too great. Wheat is probably farther
removed from its original wild (and,
therefore, hardy) state than any plant
we cultivate. 1t has been domesticatcd
SO long, and SO changed by domcstica-
ton, that botanistS have failed to identi-
~ the plant on plants from which it
originally came. 1t has been so changed,
1T has become SO artificial in it's nature
and habits, that it gives way under com
petition, and cannot hold its place, in
tho struggle for existence, with the
hardier and moro vigorous plants that it
encounters. But for mans aid, wheat
would die out and disappear in ono. or
ut most two or three years. it must
have thoroughly prepared soil aud an
abundance of food, especially nitrogen
Gus food, the costlicst of all. 1t has
very little root power, and cannot set
free and appropriate the locked up food
Ill the soil. Everything must be ready
prepared and fully within its reach AS
n consequence of these pcculiaritics. if
yields readily to adverse influences,
whether of climate, seasons or soils. II
wlthstands moderate cold quito well; but
this said, all is said
As matter of long experience and OK
tended observation, We know that wheat
thrivcs best i'll cool climates. The north
crn United States and northern Europe
Is the homo of the wheat crop. in those
regions wheat is successfully grown,
even when sown in the spring. At the
South, wheat sown ut that season would
not bring back the seed to the sowcr.
southern climate then docs not seem to
be adapted to the constitution of the
wheat plant. But III addition to this, or
possibly rs a consequence of this, wheat
IS greatly more liable to be destroyed by
rust ut the South than at the North.
Inns IS the weak point in wheat culture
with us. This is the chief thing that
renders the wheat crop so unccrtain and
unreliable. itow to guard against rust
IS thcn the foremost consideration in the
preparation for the crop. As matter
OF universal experience, it is well known
that dampncsS, both OF soil and air. and
Snccnicnt, sappy growth of tic plant,
arc both favorable to the development of
rust. A dry May and good wheat CROP
usually go together. Now SO far as the
amount of rain and the general humidity
of the atmosphere is concerned, the
farmer is helpless; he cannot control
these. But he can ward off in part the
effects OF excessive rain by selecting for
his wheat fields high knobs or knous
from which water runs off rapidly, and
the soils OF which are, therefore. com
parativciy dry He can select those
soils, also, which arc least reScntivc of
moisture. AS a rule, such as have COM
parativcly little humus, are dryer than
those which abound in that substance.
The soils OF low lands are dampcr than
those Of uplands, and the air iich rests
upon the former is generally dampcr
than that over the latter. This is shown
by the heavy dews which prevail on bot
tom lands. 1t is obvious, therefore, that
q farmers Judgment becomes decided
factor IN the raising of wheat crop.
Again, we have said, that Il s1,ccnlcnt,
sappy growth Of wheat, fayorS the dcvcl-
opmcnt OF rust. Can n farmer control
tins? Yes; to certain degree he can
lSt by proper selection of soil as dis
cussed above; and I'd 10y proper reou-
latlon OF the manure applied to the crop.
Ike. sSiVc doses of most fertilizers, but
particularly OF nitrogcnous manures tend
to develop luNuricnt growth o. stalk and
leaves. Livery one has noticed tao ten
dcncy OF wheat thus manurcd to fall
down or "lodge." The stem is soft and
unable to hold up the heads. Hence,
whilst wheat must have manure, md
must have nltrogenous manure too, these
should not be applied in excessive
AMOUNTS, and the nitrogen should be
well proportioned to the other inpredi
ents, so that well balanced DEVELOPMENT
OF the plant result. To sum up, there
fore, wheat should be sown on high drv
land, with rnthcr thirsty soil and with
II soil rather devoid of hllmus. Such a
soil IS usually poor. Wheat will not
grow on poor soils hence it must be
manufed. Wheat needs more nitrogen
than most other plants-hence it must
be manllred with heterogeneous manurcs
put medium manuring- equivalent
OF, say five hundred bushels OF cotton
seed to the acre would be better than
much larger amount. Cotton seed is
good manure for wheat, especially on
very poor land. And poor land is best
Tor wheat when properly manmel. But
cotton seed may be improved by the ad
dltion of little phosphate Fifty bush
els OF cotton seed and 100 to $50 pounds
oil ACID phosphate per acre is safe and
reliable manlning for wheat.
But Why discuss the growing of wheat,
when it is admitted to be an Improbable
crop. because, crop which might not
pay as market, or money crop, may
pay very handsomely when grown for
home USE This is most generally true.
There are very few things a farmer can
buy, cheaper than he can raise. Our
people have fallen into the terrible belief
that they can buy almost everything
cheaper than they can raise it. They do
not think they can buy cotton cheaper
than they do raise it, but probably that
proposition comes nearer the truth than
1t does IN the case of almost any other
crop grown. BY oil means lot every
farmer SOW enough wheat for home use.
FOR the small crop necessary to this end,
he can find enon0b land xyoIl e,,;tol j. a