St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1897-09-25
WHEAT IN TENNESSEE.


ters or lazinesx-W. w. Lang, in Tex
- Farm and Ranch.
WHEAT IN TENNESSEE.
Coo61t3oas Esseatial 70 Success with the
Cereal.
Land should be thoroughly drained
for wheat. for IL water is allowed to
stand upon the ground late in the fall
the crop will mot only be directly in.
jured thereby, but will also be liable
to be severely damaged by winter kill
ing, and we should prevent, as fur n
we can. both of these injuriesL A
heavy rain will do little damage to
wheat II we manage to remove the sur
plus water. I have made q zine crop
this year. and l used homemade fer
tilizer mostly on my land. Having had
. fine pea fallow plowed them under
about the first of last October, using
some lime per acre, and sewed nv
wheat in the latter part Of October,
bearing in mind to keep my land clear
OF surplus water. ] sowed my wheat
broadcast one and one-half and two
bushels per acre.
Note this: Wheat. when cut before the
grain has passed from the milk to the
dough state, will shrivel and give small
measure and light weight The straw
will be more valuable for fodder. how
ever, than If harvested later. On the
other hand, il left to become overripe
the grains grow harsh and rough, and
the bran will be 30 thick and brittle
that no after manipulation of the ker.
nels will bring the wheat in condition
TO make the best quality of -four with
out carrying large proportion Of -four
on with the bran. The safety lies,
therefore, between the extremes of
early and late cutting. In = word.
harvest your wheat crop when the
grain has passed from the milky stage
TO doughty one. II the wheat be cut
when the grain reaches the doughty
state the grain will be thin
and elastic aud can be separated
more readily from the -four
than when dead ripe. In addition to
the -four being finer it will also be in
creased in quantity in consequence Of
the bran being lighter than when ripe.
A saving of wheat is likewise gained
which otherwise would have been lost
by Smelling in the field. We can ascer-
tain the exact time when wheat and
other small grain ought to be cut BY
opening heads in different parts of tho
field and examining the kernels care.
fully. The straw near the ground will
also show the time for harvesting by
its yellow color. Wheat cut in the
dough state should not be dried sud-
denly. II should be bound and stacked
st once. Stack 50 that tho wind and
sum will not dry up al the juices in the
plant; enough of these will be slowly
concentrated in the seed to accomplish
the maturity Of the grain in perfection.
If BY rapid ripening in the sun tho
kernels are shriveled. more bran il
formed in proportion to tho
flour. Some farmer practice thresh-
ing from the shock and hauling grain
direct to the market The advantages
of this plan vary with the season.
When wheat has been blesched out
by hot suns and repeated rains it should
be stacked and 60 through the Sweat
During this process sthe straw aud
grain become damp. and heat is evolved.
At such times the grainAsn not readily
be threshcd; therefosu3t is not advise
BILE to attempt it until both straw and
to grain arc dry. Then it will be found
that the head has been restored to
color and presents . plump appearanee,
h avin3 l3Ssorhed So fter from, she
stalk. N&aED lss not only under
gone = chg y the better, but the
straw is t6fs9sed In quality. sug-
gest that farmers take time and pains
to locOfor the finest heads of wheat for
future seed. would also say to watch
the result Of the several vari-
ties grown with = view to comparing
their respective merits. and selecting
for another years crop those sorts
which promise best returns.
In using fertilizers mark well the
results It isonly by careful compare
son of different plants under different
thet farmer arrives 1t con-
which best suits the special
Of the land.
Ii you arc troubled with weevils IN
wheat get fresh Stacked lime and throw
over it enough to whiten the stack, and
vou will find It = safe and sure remedy.
e. J. Rayburn, in Agricultural Epit-
3mist