St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-10-31
WHAT A WOMAN KNOWS
About Spring Flowing and the
Most JudiciOus Rotation of

Crops.
SPECIAL Letter to the Globe.
FOUNTAIN, Mimi, Oct. 23.-"Live
and learn we are often reminded of
in our everyday affairs, and must at
once confess that one may never be too
old to learn in this world. But in the
past few days have read that there are
farmers in the Northwest who wait
until spring TO piow their land for grain.
| had thought that was only done in ''ye
Olden times" And these farmers
thought they had just as good grain on
fall blowing as on the spring blowing
of former years. Is that the reason
why so many farmers find their grain
graded as No. wheat? Does not that
account for the growth of such Quanti-
ties of all kinds of weeds that grow
here? Is that the reason why we are
told that the grain buyers Will
DEDUCT SEVERAL POUNDS
off from every bushel of wheat they
purchase for the dirt that is In it. |
know that the wheat from this state
was objected to by other states as to be-
ing mixed with wheat that is grown
farther east as an injury to other farm
erS. and Il reduction on their wheat in
the prices obtained by those who sold
good, clean wheat. If farmers that
pillow in spring to SOW grain would just
get their grain into the stack as soon
as possible after harvest. and then set
the plough a-g0ing in the fields, they
might see a splendid crop of weeds to
turn under for ''green manure" before
a ''freeZe-up" came later Ing the fall.
And the action of frost on this working
of the land is very valuable in SWeeten-
ing the land and letting the frosty air all
through the disturbed soil. In the
spring as soon as possible stir
the soil with cultivatOr with
weight upon it, or let the farmer ride
on it if he wishes. while hecultivates to
a goodly depth tie soil, and SOW his
wheat, and | think he will see de-
cided change in his wheat crop. l
know it will not be so full of weed
seeds. | have seen a farmer ride a
heavy harrow, with three horses
abreast: again seen them cultivating
with their seeders until the ground was
mellow and well worked ever, and if
chinch bugs or blight did not injure it,
his crops were always good. of course,
this was on the rotation plan-cOrn
well worked over, wheat field clean)
and then
OATS WITH CORN
following Year after year-alWayS the
field was Well-manured for corn when
the time came around for corn to follow
oats. This plan on small farm, as l
have detailed it, was practiced with
wash Of the wheat in strong, very strong
brine. OF soaking wheat for any length
of time l know nothing, and l would
not practice it at all, but would wash it
well in 4 very strong brine and then
''lime il" as | once mentioned some
time ago in the GLOBE, and with this
treatment [ know of land that has
yielded fine crops for years. Some
farmers have SOwed salt over their
fields, thinking it was as well as wash
ing wheat for the prevention of rust of
the grain. and for the death of the cut
worm that will sometimes destroy the
grain lin spots all over the field: but
the main object of all is to get the larg-
est returns OOtainable for our labor,
and in this mode of cultivation the
grain is in its place for growing and
getting an active start before any dry
weather comes along TO give the plant
setback and limit its growth, and the
wheat gets started before the weeds get
rank in growth. All this may not be in
my province in the farm department,
but | could not refrain from putting in
my Say-So after reading that some OF
the farmers of the Northwest thought
they had just as good wheat Oh fall
blowing as they had on the spring plow-
ing, and a little more of it, too, and
some thought they had better quality
by that mode of cultivation. The truth
is this-many of the farmers of this
Northwest are not much acquainted
with farming, being mostly mechanics
from the East and neither the man nor
his wife knew or do know how to make
the best of their situation on the farm
know this to be true of many Western
farmers, for that is the last resource of
many in the crowded cities of the East
"a farm i'll the West, or where least
money will purchase farm.
-MHS N ARTLIA CRANnAL