The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1886-07-21
CHEAT IN WHEAT.
Observations Of an Experienced Farm
cr--His Views Oh Some Other
Matters.

2nd inst. you asked the farmers to
give their experience and obsesva.
ton of cheat in wheat. l am q plain
old farmer, without the advantages
Of q "higher" or scientific education,
and shall consequently eschcw the
use OF technicalitics. and simply give
the result of my observation. The
| first crop Of wheat I sowed was in
the fall of l845-known by the old
people rs 1.-THE dry year." The
variety sowed was mainly what was
then known as the Alabama May or
| the "littlo red" wheat. In the same
field and at the same time l sowcd
large-grain white wheat, known in
this vicinity as the Baltimore. The
result with both kinds was satisfac.
tory. No cheat appeared this year.
The neXt year, 49, | again used the
same varieties, the ':little red still
giving satisfactory results, but the
Baltimore rusting badly, and among
it appearing large quantity of q
plant called among us "cockle."
This l apprehend is not a variety Of
cheat. Thenceforth I discarded the
Baltimore and used the "little red"
only, for several years without
making the acquaintance of the great
enemy of, Southern wheat growers,
the chett, but cookie was to be seen
more or less every year. In 1856 or
81, think, seeded a portion of my
| crop with new favorite that had
made its appearance among us--the
Gale, large white grain still stick.
ing to my well.triod friend, the red.
The result with the Gale was mag
Acknowledgment bushels per acre.
Eureka! l thought 1 mad found it.
But alas for human hopes The
next year | used none other than
Gale-foolishly discarding q long
tried friend for something new. The
result was almost an entire failure
cheat, rust and cookie predomi.
mating. Sorrowfully I hunted up
my old friend, the "littlc rcd," and
continued to use it until about 1862
or 'G3, when the Mogul appeared and
asked to be tried. l was simple
enough to do so. Result cheat and
cookie were principally the crop sc.
cured. I continued to use the "little
red" until Sherman's army Of house
burners arrived here, on the 22nd
February. 1865. when we lost the
''lttle red" and have not been able
to obtain pure seed since. We have
used, "since freedom came down."
several varieties, but cheat and rust
appeared in oil. We cannot &C.
count for the presence Of cheat in
wheat-the scientific may-but it
has come to stay. Some varieties Of
wheat seemingly degenerate, and the
result is cheat. l have frequently
noticed on the margins of 'sprouty
place" there are many such
in the lands about Rocky Mount
that there is frequently a greater
quantity of cheat than wheat. There
are, rs you mentioned, two kinds Of
cheat-one in its growth and ma
turity manifcsting some Of the char
actoristics of wheat, and the other of
oats. We think the former degen.
| Grated wheat and the latter degenc.
rated oats. have never seen oats
change to this species of cheat, save
when sown in the fall. Its presence
in wheat can, in my opinion, only be
accounted for by the seeds being left
in the fields or getting mixed at the
threshing.
Now, Messrs Editors, we have had
our say and confess our inability to
explain the molus operandi of the
change, but hope some Of the
"higher" educated will rise and do
so for the benefit Of the unlearned
farmers.
Having said thus much about
cheat in wheat, we are tempted to
hand in our protest against some of
the deliverences Of the Farmers
| Convention.
We protest the present is an in.
auspicious time to fOist upon The
poor toil-worn taxpayers two more
institutions of learning. True, there
may exist necessity for the pro.
posed colleges, but a very large ma.
jority of our farmers are too poor to
avail themselves Of the advantages
to give their sons scientific train.
ing SO generously offered by our rep.
preventative men. Many farmers are
so circumstanced that they cannot
avail themselves Of the meagre adj
vaEtages afforded by our free schools,
SO greatly are the services of their
children needed in the great strife Of
bread.winning 1t would be unjust
to place any unnecessary burdens
upon them. The wealthy can send
their sons and daughters to any in.
stitntion they may elect, and it is
charitably hoped they arc too proud
to ask th.t the poor be taxed for
| tbair hnnnfit onl tn/> ;,,ot q, ooo,,,. q