The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1889-07-04

wheat may be made to stand for
something on the small farm
When the expression, can acre of
wheat" signifies so bushels, it is
quite different thing from what it
is when it signifies only ten bushels.
There are thousands OF southern
farmers who would sow wheat ex-
tensively if they could be sure of
saving 10 bushels ofsound grain per
acre and they are not to be blamed
for being satisfied with such yield
when we consider the quality ofland
they devote to wheat, the nature of
the preparation and the manuring
of it. Getting an average of ten
bushels per acre from a large area,
after the old extensive plan OF plow-
ing in three pecks of seed in De-
cember, and using but little, if any,
manure, was doing very we'll for
land that was valued at S. per acre.
The only difficulty was that it could
not be depended upon to do this
with any degree ofregularity. Rust,
insects and drought, the one or the
other, or all, are of such frequent
occurrence as to render the wheat
crop perhaps the most uncertain of
any we attempt in this latitude.
The small farmer, if imbued with
the extensive spirit, cannot afford
to grow ten bushels of wheat to the
acre. If he can avoid even partial
ly the obstacles mentioned he can
do better than this. 1t is possible
for the extensive farmers to make
80 bushels $500 lbs.) of wheat on
one acre? If SO, can it be done
after manner to recommend
itself to the practical farmer
for adoption as a practice? Both
these questions we can answer
affirmatively. There is only one
way that wheat may be grown with
satisfaction by the small farmer in
this section, and that way is to pre-
pare the soil by two good plowings,
thoroughly manure it, and drill the
seed and cultivate the crop with the
same care with which corn is cult
waited. It will pay the small farmer
to adopt this plan. One acre cult
waited after the following plan will
produce more than four or FIVE acres
after the old plan of broadcasting.
In October, or early in November,
flush the land with turn pillow then
with scooter lay off rows 90 to "a
inches apart and list closely on this
turrow. Just before time for SOW
ing apply broadcast or sprinkle over
the listed rows 500 pounds of a
compound of cotton seed meal, bone
meal and acid phosphate in the fol-
lowing proportions: 200 pounds bone
meal, 100 pounds cotton seed meal,
200 pounds acid phosphate. The
500 pounds should not cost the
farmer over $3.50. On the 10th of
November, or thereabouts, open the
lists with a scooter, and SOW per
acre 3 pecks of choice wheat seed
Dallas or blue stem-that has been
soaked in blue stone water and
well rolled in quite lime. Cover
with harrow or board. Shortly
after the wheat has come up run a
borrow or sweep through the mid
dies. No further cultivation will
be needed and in fact the sweeping
before Christmas can be postponed
until February, when the middles
should be well broken while the
soil is moist, and afterwards in
February and March sweep the
furrow; or harrow one furrow to the
middle. Using land that is fairly
good, that will work say 20 bushels
rof corn or 200 pounds lint cotton
per acre, crop of 80 bushels of
wheat is not difficult Of attainment
under this plan, and it will pay
small farmer to grow his -four when
he can secure such results. II he
got only 30 bushels he would be
we'll paid for his trouble. Sweet
potatoes, or peas, can follow as
second crop in May or June, or
the land may be allowed to grow
up in weeds to recuperate for an
other fall growing of wheat. A.
c., in Savannah News.