The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1886-12-24
T'he Farm.
Wheat.

two Of its meetings, bat failed to meet
it satisfactory. As far as the Club dis.
cnssion pursued the subject the weight
Of the argument WIS decidedly ne zative
to wheat as q DIRECT paying crop. The
question is Of momentous imp )rtance
to every farmer in Cecil, and in. fact,
ali this Atlantic country, and should
not be ,'i>ln 'ssed with partial consider.
alton or hastily. The con llton of the
markets .fr. agricultural products at
this time demands transition in the
mo lie of framing, or some change in the
crops pro iuced at least in this section
Of country, and whether the farmers
will or n tha question presses on them
tor determination aud will refuse to be
pat aside, however reluctant that con.
serv ,t've class may endeavor to be,
with her constitutional dislike to every
thing which involves change.
We believe that wheat cannot be
made to pay as a leading crop of the
farm. aud that it has only paid in an
accidental way for number Of years
past. A'a preparatory crop for grass
farmers have submitted to what they
term los, on the wheat to secure we'll
set grass fields for hay or pasture, and
also fur the convenience Of having
abundance Of wheat straw and chaff for
bad ling and other purposes about the
barn ana yards. Wheat, nevertheless,
il som~how considered the main crop in
tho rotation by most farmers who are
hoping that in the near future the price
will raise andmake wheat, as Of yore, the
King crop OF the farm. 1t is consider.
e3 the money CROP Other grain
c:op' are fe largely to stock, and are
placed to great extent among the for.
aye crops, but the wheat crop is all re-
served for the royal purpose of feeding
man, AMI is sold for cash or used on
the farmers table; no part of that royal
grain, save the bran and straw being
allowed to touch the vulgar Inns of
animals.
This regal status which has been
assigned wheat, and whose title to the
distinction has never been questioned.
has had great deal to do with the in
ailence the wheat crop exercises over
our farmers, contributing to hold them
in the old way of conducting farming
which under existing condition of af
fairs is doubtless preiu ilcial to their
hest interests. The following motto is
from popular French work on agri.
culture entitled lies Etudes de Maitre
Pierre Sur L Agriculture ct les Forets, ?"
recently translated and published in
New York.
"If you wish grain, make meadows;
grass makes manure, manure makes
grain: Thus the dung heap fills the
grarary'" This motto would dethrone
waeat, and exalt grass to the first rank
IN agriculture. Properly managed
g'ass is constant promoter of wealth
j the soil on which the wheat crop
''f all other grain crops, draw for their
81 len wealth, want which no ex-
travagauce of artificial fertiizing can
sn 'oly. The farm can be kept in fair
en- li'ion by the use Of commercial
m'nures, but cannot be brought to "a
high state of fertility, and the constant
piou5hing and planting to grain will
prevent any higher degree of fertility
being reached than mediocrty.
Soil that is deficient in vegetable
An utter cannot be put in condition to
produce the best results in farm crops.
A soil lacking in humus or vegetable
-tuold, we hazzard the assertion will aver
age thirty per cent less of any crop,
than soil well supplied with vegetable
matter in its different stages of decay.
Neither drouth or drenching rain will
iojure the latter to anything like the
extent it will the former. Not one
whsat-6eld in fifty that we see is reduc-
ed to that fine, disintegrated condition
necessary to produce the most abundant
crops, and the main reason for this in.
terior culture is the impossibility of re.
ducing ground deficient in humus
to that degree of fneness
required fer the best development
of the delicate roots of young plants.
A soil largely composed of vegetable
m2ld is always friable, easily reduced
IT, fine filth, does not bake in dry
weather or become heavy and soggy in
wet. 1t is store house for the nitro
gen In rain water and dew. Decay is