The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1891-09-18
Raising wheat.

naturally, or with tiles, you have, per-
haps, plowed it in narrow lands, so as
to give surface drainage. IF SO, drill
across these lands, rather than length :
wise. Every drill mark then becomes a
little furrow to run water directly into
the dead burrows. 1t you have not
plowed in lands, do not forget to open
burrows to carry off surface water
quickly. Do this as soon as the wheat
is in. Much can be done 10 this way
on clay ground towards securing crop
in spite Of surplus water but after all.
the real business like way is to tile.
drain all such land. Make arrange
ments to do some of this next spring.
The finer and frmer you have got
your wheat land, as rule, the better.
/ prefer to roll just before drilling. /
want the soil SO firm that the horses
will not sink in more than an inch.
The drill hoes will make mellow dirt
enough to cover the grain. That is all
that is wanted. The firmer the soil
below the grain, the better. The roots
can get hold better and quicker.
Moisture is brought up more readily, If
it is dry time. However, try and
drill just after rain, as soon as it is
dry enough, rather than in dry soil.
This gives No. l start, and prevents
crusting Of the fine soil after the rain.
Work ground when dry, but SOW when
moist, ifyou can. Drill shallow. Our
most progressive farmeas are we'll agreed
that an inch deep 10 moist, firm soil is
deep enough. Do not go much deeper
than that. A good drill. properly set,
on firm land will deposit the grain just
about an inch deep. Don't drill on
loose land and let the hoes go in from
two to four iuches. Plants with roots
near the surface will grow faster and
stand the winter much better.
In this latitude, I prefer rather early
sowing. fly or no fly. Do not expect a
big crop unless you have fed the soil,
SO there is something to make it Of.
Glover grown in rotation, together with
our home made manure, feeds my land,
so that in favorable year we get all
the straw can stand up under. Glover
does not create mineral matter and,
perhaps, not much nitrogen. but it
draws on supply which may be suf-
ficient for one hundred years or more,
which it can readily get hold of, and
then dying, leaves it available for
other crops. Use fertilizers. if you
know they pay you. Careful observa-
ton here for many years, has led me to
think they do not pay our farmers, on
the average.
Now, here is one point there is time
to attend to yet. Sow only clean seed.
A great deal Of the wheat threshed this
year is foul with cookie and chess.
How unbusiness- like. / was asking a
thresher the other day how the wheat
ofone Of our farmers, who claims to be
a leader, turned out, and he said:
"About 81 bushels per acre of wheat
and chess. 1t was the foulest lot of
wheat haye seen this year, There
is much slackness in this line. Our
millers here have an arrangement that
is in the right direction. They take
the wheat in, and while the farmer is
unloading, it is rapidly put through a
large mill. Then they weigh his wheat
and pay him for it, and he can take
home his foul stuff. This ia good, and
puts premium on respectable farming.
II. B. TERRY in Practical Farmer.
1