The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1897-12-02
Farming of the Future.

1t is assumed by those who have given
| the subject close attention that the world, 5
supply of wheat will in few years be be-
low the demand, although more land will
| be brought into cultivation for wheat. vet
there will arrive time when the Weld of
wheat must be increased or the supply
will be inadequate. The average Weld Of
wheat per acre in the country is thirteen
bushels while in Europe the average is
thirty bushels. In some sections of the
United States forty bushels per acre of
wheat is not unusual for large farm. but
the use of the same land for wheat wear
after year will result in diminished yield
in the future unless some change occurs
in the cultivation of that cereal. The
fact that the average yield in Europe is
two and half times as much as in this
country demonstrates that our farmers
can at least double their averages, which
insnres twice as much wheat as is now
grown. The fact is that in Europe the
farms are small and highly cultivated
while in this country land is cheap and
many sections not thickly populated, but
the systems of Europe are worthy of con
sideration, and should encourage our
farmers to expect better results.
EFFECTS OF CULTIv ALTON.
At one of the experiment stations wheat
was tested in plots under various modes
of cultivation and it was found that when
the seeds were carefully selected, planted
in rows and cultivated with hand imple-
ments, the yield was at the rate of sixty
bushels per acre, and case is on record
where a farmer in England planted wheat
III rows l foot apart, and the grains +
inches apart in the rows, cultivatng be-
by which method he secured over 100
bushels per acre; but such cases are the
exception. The English field was first
covered 6 inches with manure and the
manure well worked into the soil, while
the season was favorable What the cost
of the labor amounted to was not stated,
but the fact was demonstrated that wheat
could be cultivated like corn and the weld
largely increased. At the present day
there are improved hand implements
seed drills, wheel hoes and hand cultivat-
ors-tbat are aids to hand work, and if
the price of wheat in the future warrants
their use there is no doubt that the aver
age yield of the future will be much
larger.
FERTILIZERS AND MOISTURE.
Before farmers can be induced to resort
10 lHt intensive system OF CultlVatlng the
soil they must study the needs of plants
and bring to their aid the use of fertiliz
ers, but in the application of more fertil-
izers they will eventually inaugurate some
method of rigating tie soil during periods
when the season is dry. That the farmers
will be compelled to increase their aver
age yields of all crops is a fact that is ap-
parent as the larger the yields the lower
the cost of labor, and they can derive bet
ter results from a certain proportion of
fertilizer or manure on a small area than
when the plant food is spread over a large
surface. When prices allow of so doing,
there will be no lack Of labor to accom-
plish the desired objects, but the farm
should not be devoted to cereal crops
only. 1t is frequent occurrence for farm
ers near large cities to make large profits,
but they do so by compelling the land to
produce to its fullest capacity Of those
crops that bring the best prices, and in
these days of superior transportation facil-
tiles distance from market is shortened,
being computed by hours instead of miles,
and the farmer at distance has oppor-
tunities which he should use to his ad.
vantage. st. Louis Globe Democrat.