The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1890-09-05
The Egis & Intelligencer
Bel Air, Md, September 5. 1880.
THE WHEAT CROP.

tu0 hglS q lHColllS oHCoI
Bel Air, Md. September 5. 1890.
THE WHEAT CROP.
What the Deer Creek Farmers Club Say
About 1t.
Reported for The Egis.
The Deer Greek Farmers Club held its August
meeting at the farm of Mr.. Geo. r. Stephenson,
near Lapidum, last Saturday. The active mem
Hanna, II. John Rogers, John Moores. r. Harris
Archer, John b. Wysong, VIM. B. Hopkins, ID. G.
Wharton Smith. VIM. u. Lee, Edward T. Moores
Amos IL: Hughes, Geo. B. Silver, :. B. Hanna
Wm; $. Parker; Murray Vandiver. Il. Q. Lawder;
DIR. w. w. Virdin, Ambrose Cooley. Augustus and
Livingston Smith, VIM. c. Wilson, $. Martin Bay
less and VIM. Stephenson. -.
The committee appointed TO examine the condi-
ton of MIR. Stephenson's farm. Messrs. Archer,
Wysong and John Moores. complimented MIN
upon its improved appearance since the last meet
ing of the club He has good lot OF sheep, 7OhogS,
young aud old, Jokes of oxen, number OF good
cows. u Hostein bull and three fine large strong
colts, sired by Almont Chief. that are likely to
make good roadsters well as good work horses.
His field of corn was pronounced as good as any in
rne Mr sepbeSsogs Wheat averaged a bushels
to the acre. He showed a specimen OF Valley wheat,
which was very fine In test of so varieties, in
pennsylvania. It proved the pest lie regarded 1t
as superior to FultZ.
Mr.. Stephenson remarked that he had sowed
orchard grass seed wheat last fall and found
that it had choked out running Driars and rag
weed.
the value of orchard grass, some of the farmers
present being disposed to regard 1t as nuisance.
Mr.. Stephenson said his stock ate 1t in preference
To clover and timothy, and it will Got run out as the
latter do
THE WHEAT CROP.
The subject announced for discussion was the
Mr.. Stephenson said he had come to the conclu-
sion that it Is not necessary to devote much
labor and capital as farmers have been devoting to
the production of wheat. That crop had been
loss to him every year. He is now farming with
view to growing less wheat. 1t may be necessary
TO grow wheat but not to the, extent we now
do. We can not compete with the West and
what is the use of growing crop that don't pay?
We can keep our lands in grass longer by not cut.
ting or pasturing them too closely and as for straw
on every farm weeds of various Kinds might be cut
and utilized as bedding, with the further advant-
age of destroying them. The short crop OF wheat
in Hartford this year he thought was due to imper-
given to selecting seed wheat as is given to saving
seed corn the yield would increase.
seed wheat carefully but the theory doesn't always
hold good. Last year he paid high price for a
failure from casualties which overlook it, al
though the quality was good. The wheat crop
Of the grass that follows it. If possible it would be
desirable to SOW less wheat, while the low prices
continue. He advocated mixed husbandry-havil =
always something to SELL as MIR. Moores had ca
pressed it.
r. Harris Archer was prejudced against orchard
grass to keep down running 6riars is Kentucky
blue grass In 1871 he sowed the half Of field in
Il and it has made good pasture for 10 years He
seed but to the hot weather last June A farmer
ought to have one field in wheat every year, in
order to get the land in grass Ground should he |
plowed twice before it is set in grass and to do that
it must be planted in corn and wheat.
Augustus Smith suggested that stock would get |
tired of one kind of grass and said variety might
therefore be better.
r. John Rogers said orchard grass makes good |
hay if cut when clover should be cut and if saved
in good weather. When blackened by rain stock |
won't eat it, II does not pay to make speciality |
of any crop now, but we must sow some wheat, |
for the straw, at least If the grain merely pays |
the cost of growing it we then get the land in grrss
and can put cattle on it. Land can be improved |
cheaper by handling stock than in any other way |
d. C. Wharton Smith said it is conceded that the
less wheat you grow the better. It need only be
second to prepare the ground for grass seeds. He
was under the impression that 1t is not necessary
to grow wheat in exder 10 secure set OF grass +!
He had secured splendid sod on his lawn In one |
season by sowing mixture of lawn grass seed. |
The mixture included six or eight different kinds
of seed, such timothy, orchard grass. two kinds
Of clover sc. The ideal is that as certain grasses
steady supply during the entire season of succuent
growth. As substitute for straw for bedding corn
e rasng Ds nds soek ha
growing wheat or corn to excess. The production |
of wheat has been far in excess of population. His |
year three tons of good hay to the acre. The poor
wheat crop this year was due to bad seed. Farm
ing should be conducted in business way and |
farmers should not stick to crop which they know
brings no profit. They should adapt their policy |
to the change of times and conditions.
John Moores said farmers must raise a little |
wheat 1t is important to select good seed. With
IN e pas Sef I'VE e naa GH az
about ~ years. They were the old red. the blue |
stem, the red Mediterranean and the FultZ. The |
deterioration was not due to any want of care in |
selecting seed. Corn, on the contrary; has been |
steadily improving. He had sowed wheat which |
30 to "a bushels per acre and the yield was only 10
or IL bushels. Five farms in his neighborhO0d |
for the past IS years had averaged go bushels of
full preparation of the ground before seeding. He |
laid particular stress upon early blowing and good
tillage. Grass seed can be sowed without wheat,
but at greater cost. A crop of wheat is worth as
much as crop OF grass and does not exhaust the
soil as much as timothy hay.
VIM. s. Parker said if he could raise 30 bushels |
of wheat per acre he would extend his acreage of |
that crop His experience is that with crop of
20 bushels a farmer just comes out square.
Ambrose Cooley considered it necessary to raise |
wheat and corn TO get the land back in grass
the land requires the same preparation and you can
at the same time get crop of wheat without addi-
tional expense. Last year he sowed inferior seed |
wheat and got more to the acre than a neigh
Dor who soWed selected seed
VIM. D. Lee said farmers can't get along with
out wheat in regular rotation, but lie would not
make mon1ed crop OF 1t. Straw is needed for
bedding and manure
5. Martin Bayless is particular in selecting seed |
wheat. and likes to have straw for litter and for
cattle to run to during the winter. Last year he
bought pretty FultZ wheat and sowed part of it on |
a field which well protected by woods and the |
other on bleak, north-lying field. The former |
yielded about bushels TO the acre and the latter |
from 25 to %.
1t was suggested that frost in May had cut early |
headed wheat
John B. Wysong said it is necessary to sow one |
field in wheat. although there is little profit in it,
We want the straw and the best way to seed |
ground for hay is with wheat. He likes to get seed
Wheat clean possible. Sowing good seed
does not ensure good yield 1t won't do for farm
to engage too much in any one branch of their
business. This is illustrated by canning. Hartford |
county would have been better off If there had |
never been case of goods packed here.
A committee was appointed to prepare and have |
published resolutions with regard to the late Benia-
min Silver Jr., formerly an active member and at
the time of his death an honorary member
of the club.
The next meeting will be held at the residence of
Mr.. ID. C. wharton Smith, Darlington, when the
general situation of affairs with regard to the
farmers interests will be discussed The meeting
will begin at 4 p. NJ.