Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1889-06-06
Tho Agriculture Of Tho Fufnre.

The Agriculture Of the Future.
The average Yield Of wheat in the
United States Is about twelve bushels
Der acre. 1t is commonly sown with
. drill, which deposits the seed throws
eight inches apart; eight rows are
commonly planted at each turn; an
average Of one and half bushels Of
seed is used per acre; one man with
team will plant eight acres per day,
and this being done in September the
field has no further attention until the
reaper is put ia the following July to
gather whatever harvest Providence
has seen fit 10 send as reward for the
Negligence of the husbauima..
Professor Blouut, Of the Colorado
Agricultural College, having fret made
All elaborate study Of the habits and
needs OF the wheat plant, conducted a
series Of experiments in its cultivation
with the following results:
rms be planted upon an exact square
acre seven and one half pounds Of
haud-pickcd wheat in rows Of eighteen
inches apart, aud at harvest thrcshed
out sixty->eyen bushels; again, upon
oue-fourth Of am acre he planted thirty
two ounces Of selected seed, and the
product was eighteen bushels; aud
again, upon seycnty-six square feet he
planted seveuty-six kernels of extra
hne seed, weighing forly-hve grains,
and the product was ten and oue-halt
pounds, or nearly at the rate OF one
hundred bushels per acre.
srle
bic in the excessive yield from "a given
area than in regard to the yield from "A
given portion Of seed. Agricultural
discussion too often directs attention
20 result without sufficiently analyz-
ing the means by which il is obtained.
A pertinent feature Of these expert
ments is the saving Of an amount Of
beed which, averaged upon the entire
grain acreage, would add annually a
vast sum to the wealth OF the nation.
If we should throw into the sea an
nually fifty million bushels of wheat
and "A propOrliOuate amount of the
other cereals, the world would cry out
at our improyidcuce Yetif Professor
BlouuCs conclusions are correct-and
ghey are supported by much collateral
Fvideuco-we bury this amount in the
ground where 10 is not only thrown
away, but where it actually decreases
the resultant crop.
The economic results that would fol-
low if we shodld be able 10 increase
our production even approximately TO
she above ratio are too lar-reachng
for the scope of this article, Our
ability to feed am almost lmitless in
crease of population would be assured.
il may be that oyer-productIon would
FecOil upon ourselves, but we have al
ready successfully encountered the
lowest wheat markets of tue globe,
and as increased production would
mean decreased cost, we might event.
ually be able to make good our boast
If feeding the world.
With q population increasing at the
rate of twenty-five per cent with every
decade, it is hardly probable that our
production CATER the final occupation
Of ali the public luuds) Willat the best
more than keep pace with It's needs.
As before suggested, q most progress
I've development viii be required if we
even accomplish tuat
Farmers generally viii say that the
results secured by the above expert
mcuts are NOT ltainablo upon any ex-
tended -ralr; probably not, to the av-
tm-o farmer because, having So much
M0d to lilL he must still sow his eight
acres per day IL may occasionally
occur 90 one of particular intelligence
chat 70 might be- economy To produce
hf- HupI,..l. lt,-IDI- lty IN, tI.r,u.rb