The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1898-11-23
EXPERIMENT WITH WHEAT.
Sens Valuable Suggestions ta Our
Farmers.

The monthly bulletins sent out from
Clemson College arc not only extreme
X interesting and entertaining, but ex-
trenely valuable and instructive. The
October bulletin is devoted to Expert
ments with Wheat > BY Professors
Newman and Conner. Agriculturist and
Assistant Agricuiturist of Clemson.
This paper-in view Of present renewed
interest in wheat p!auting-is so valu-
able that VIC rcpubiish it in our this
weeks issue. These bulletins from the
South Carolina Agricultural Expert
ment Station at Cictuson. are sent free
to ali citizens Of the State requesting
them. Here is tho October bulletin
The slovenly way i'll which small
grain lands have been prepared in. the
past is giving place to mole thorough
and farm-like practice Wheat delights
in comparatively stiff soil, clay loan
ranking first in adaptation, sandy loan
second and sandy soils last. The lat
ter. however, may be proftably culti-
waited in wheat if literally supplied
with humus and properly supplied with
plant food. Wheat succeeds best upon
soils which have previously been culti-
waited in some hoed crop. Previous
treatment which render, the soil very
porus is not favorable to wheat. Upon
light soils the roller should be used
after seeding and again early in the
spring, just before the plants put forth
the seed stalks.
In southern climates wheat should
not be sowed until cool weather, since
it will not gerninate successfully at a
high temperature. Early soEn wheat
is also liable to be attacked by the Hes
sian fly. 1t is well, therefore, TO defer
sowing until killing frost occurs.
Another danger to which very early
sown wheat is liable is the bursting of
the stems by a spring frost occurring
after the stems have jointed. On the
other hand very late sowing increases
the risk of winter killing if severe
freezing occurs before the plants are
securely rooted. Late sown wheat and
late varieties incur the risk Of injury
from very warm weather accompanied
with moisture, causing conditions fav-
orabIe to the production OF rust, While
if the weather is very hot and dry,
bleaching or premature ripening occurs.
The depth to which the seed may be
covered depends somewhat on the
character of the soil and especially upon
the porosity and consequent facilities
for aeration. Experiments, however,
conducted to determine the best
depth, showed that the percentage
of grains that vegetated in fertile
sandy loan varied but little in seed
covered from half inch to three inches
in depth. The number which vegetsaed
at depth greater than three inches d..
minished suddenly and rapidly to SIX
inches, at which the few which vege-
tated at all were enfeebled by the OBJ
stacles which they had overcome. The
quantity Of seed to be sown per acre
depends upon the size Of the grains,
and consequently the number per bush
ell, and upon the fertility Of the soil.
The plants will tiller more upon fertile
soil than upon that less fertile. The
quantity Of seed varies from three to
five pecks per acre. Seed may be
economical by the use Of wheat drill,
which deposits them at uniform rate
and depth, and consequently larger
percentage of those sown vegetate than
If sown broadcast.