Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1891-08-15
Fat#t E#tseseta.
OUR WHEAT LANDS,
AN INTERESTING LETTER FROM
MR.. s. Nc. RAMSEY ONWEEAT
CULTURE.
Better Cultivation the Key to Success
VIOLA, Aug. 10, 1891.

VIOLA, Aug. ~, 1871.
Col. ED. j. WOOD, "'' '0
Dear Sir Your request through
the STANDARD Of August the LIST,
reached me while sick in bed, which
will in part account for delay. Mr..
Tanning, in an address delivered at
the Middle Tennessee division fair, at
Lebanon, Oct. 18th, 1856, in speaking
of the rim composed of the counties
of Lincoln, Franklin, Coffee, Warren,
White and others, encircling on the
east the basin of Middle Tennessee,
said, Il will give it in his own
words:) at is remarkable that no
soil isso much improved by deep
blowing and exposed 20 the atmos-
phericaI influence. We give it as our
Judgment that these barrens, which
are regarded in most parts Of little
value, will in time from very small
supply of calcareous and vegetable
matter bring as high prices as the
black silurian soils of Middle Ten
nessee. Though the carboniferous
can never afford rich grazing for
stock, ii is the aoteat land ofthe acorld."
Although | was a great admirer of
Mr.. Tanning, not only on account of
his pure and elevated moral and So
cial qualities, but also on account Of
his eminent intellectual qualities, he
enjoyed the happy faculty of present
ing grand thoughts with degree Of
ease and simplicity of style that few
men of his day possessed, yet l could
not accept his conclusions. l regard
them then as visionary. But subse-
quent events have in the main prov
en- to me their correctness. / am sat-
isfed both from observation and eX-
perience that our lands are not suited
for grazing purposes. Our sod is so
thin and light that even our light
native cattle soon cut it to pieces. l
believe seeding herds-grass and timo-
thy, except on highly favored To-
calities and small areas specially pre-
pared for meadows, should be aban>
doned. l know this idea will be crit
icised by some of our best farmers.
But permit nae to say in advance
that neither the past nor present will
justify the criticism. Our county has
been investing large sums in these
seeds annually for years, and yet our
liverymen have to buy Western hay
while the farmers stock have to Sub
sists on native grass. This is a sig
nificant fact, indicating great mis-
take somewhere.
AS to wheat culture, this is yet an
experiment. That we will meet with
reverses occasionally, as in all other
pursuits, / have no doubt. But be.
lieve when our soils are brought into
proper physical condition our wheat
will begin to loom up in grand posi-.
bilities never dreamed of before. Fol
the accomplishment of this purpose
no vegetable equals the field pea and
rec clover, of the two l prefer the
pea, because it will thrive on lanC
too poor to grow clover. twill pro-
duce heavy crop to be returned t.
the soil in shorter period than any
vegetable fertilizer known. Two
crops can be produced on the same
ground in one year, whereas it re
quires two years for clover to give {
hay crop, and good aftermath foI
turning under. There is no crol
which equals the pea for leaving TIT
soil in the very best condition for ;
succeeding wheat crop. l believ,
with Judlclous management tn
ridges fronting the streams of on
county and the high gravelly divide
between them will in the near futur
prove to be our best wheat lands, ant
will continue to be until our heav.
clay lands are under~drained. Ihav
never known these lands to fail t
produce a good berry, even under ad
verse circumstances. Messrs. p. II
Winton, VIM. Ramsey, George Stub
blefield, John Rutledge, and other
with such lands produced wheat las
year that graded No. l, while my fla
heavy clay lands graded No. 3. Thi
proves that the elements are al
ready in the soil necessary to max
good grain. All that remains fo
man to do is to increase the numbe
until he has accomplished grand re
suits, which l believe he can do.
think the greatest drawback to SUI
cessful wheat culture in our count
is in slip-shod' preparation of the so
before the seeding is done. The COZ
stituents of the shOrt>horn and nativ