The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1888-11-08
agricultural.
A WORD TO THE WISE.


OF workers in existence that has re
celved more gratuitous advice, or
have been more thoroughly bored
than the farming class, and it does
LOOK like malice prepense" to in
tiict them further. But they are a
long suffering body in many re-
spects, and slow to anger and we
hope one more feather will not
break the camel's back, besides we
will endeavor to make fair weather
In the first place by offering our
honest congratulations for the first
hopeful sign that has appeared on
the agricultural horizon for some
years, and that is unusual amount
OF wheat that is now being sowed.
The Alliance must have some gum
in it, and has taken the Crust" in
hand in earnest. Under the pres
ent state of agricultural economy it
Is hardly surprise that wheat has
had to go to the wall when in com
petition with its less important an
tagonist cotton. 1t is not to be de-
nied that cotton is the favored child
of the average southern farm, and
that wheat is its neglected orphan.
Now it is very evident that a man
can do without wheat and its pro-
duct, flour, but if he has to Give
upon bread alone" he ought to be
prepared to have good bread, or at
least to mix it. Comfort is worth
something, to say nothing of sereni-
ty, and when those OF the table
come at trust" prices and are paid
for with cotton that sells for but lit
tie more than the cost of production,
then the comfort fails to compose,
and the serenity to beguile.
If there is one thing more appa-
rent thsn another in regard to the
Southern system of farming that
needs reformation, it is the failure
to make the farm selt-sustaining,
especially as far as feed is concern
ed, for as the little girl said while
tending the COW in one of the "no
fence" districts, everything has to
eat somehow" and when the needed
grain Is not grown on the farm it
always costs little more than was
expected somehow" Now let the
wheat sowing go bravely on, and
give it the same chance, in meas
ure at best, that is given to "pet" OF
the farm. The wheat grown last
year is excellent tor seed. In fact
many experienced farmers give rust
injured wheat the preference over
the plump grain for sowing. Anon
alous as it may appear it is almost a
sure crop, as there is but little
starch in rust shriveled wheat, the
vitality seems to be increased.
Cobb used to be a fairly good
county for wheat, more than thirty
bushels have frequently been grown
to the acre. What has been done
is possible under the same condi-
tons again. Nothing has caused
wheat growing to fall in disrepute so
much as late sowing on cotton lands.
1t has been known to make good
crop when sowed late, but such
crops are exceptions and not the
rule. Not only should be sowed
early so as to form a strong root to
resist sudden freezes, BUT it should
not be forgot that wheat is potash
plant, and requires large mixture
of that ingredient, particularly OIL
old lands. Cotton seed is a good
manure for wheat on fresh lands
where the natural supply of potash
and other minerals have not been
exhausted. In fact the proper con-
ditions for raising wheat are much
better understood by our farmers
than practical. Let them utilize
what they know about farming and
hail the union of interest and effort
through that most promising Of all
societies-the Farmers Alliance.
s CLAXON.