The San Juan County index. (Aztec, N.M.) 1890-19??, 1899-12-15
wHAT ABOUT wHHAT.
woineo on Culture Of the staple
Cereal in san Juan County BY
oucoesslul Grower.
PaDor read By MIS-. K Koonta before the Farm
nr.l In-llluLa In AaLan. Nov lI. ne.

Cereal in san 4uan County nN
9ueoaasEul Grower.
Paoor read by Mr.. S. K Koonts before the Farm
ers' Institute in Azteo, Nov ~, 1see.
Ny experience IN growing wheat has
been limited moftly to winter wheat. in
the first place. would be very thorough
10 the preparation Of the soil, as the
most essential thing in growing wheat is
TO have the soil thoroughly pulyerized
and at the same time to lay close and
frm beneath the surface. When it is
possible to do the work I would much
prefer fall blowing, the deeper the
better. as the action Of the frost brings
the coil into much better condition than
can bedone by any amount Of cultivation
in the spring. Ii spring blowing is nee
ossary, / would ploN shallow, not to
exceed six inches, for X tho subsoil is
thrown up In spring the land is very apt
70 be cioddy and rough q condition TO be
guarded against at all times. Land that
was we'll plowed and cultivated in corn
the previous year is in good condition
for wheat if some implement is used for
covering that will give the surface a
good working. Unless the soil is frm
and Close beneath the surface the young
plants will stool very little and the yield
Be materially lessened After plowing
the ground harrow from two to four
times with a drag harrow, then run a
four horse leveler over until the ground
is as level aud smooth as possible, then
SOW or drill 10 the seed. It should be
we'll "blue stoned" for spring wheat. If
nown broadcast abslt 100 pounds to the
acre should be planted, il drill is used
75 or 80 pounds will be sufficient. Drill
ing is much better, for various reason
After broad casting cover with de.
harrow, which does the work completely
and at the same time leaves the aoil in
the best possible condition. After disc
ing or drilling run the leveler over
Hgain with outweights. A good roller
will do the work Rn we'll or better. The
oeed should be covered about two inches.
Observation and experience curing
the past two years has convinced me
that il ie not best to SOW too early in
spring-not earlier than the last week in
March. Some wheat that came under
my notice was badly frozen ia March
and failed to make much OF crop. My
method OF irrigation has always been
flooding -oorrugating may be preferable
for uplands. l have always turned the
water on as soon as the seed was sOwn,
80 as to get the seed all up at one time
and get the ground settled. At the first
irrigation run the water over as quick
N 30 possible and in subsequent water
inQa et 81 coax the ground thoroughly
and keep irriRafinH until The wheat is in
che bard dough haVe always had
aonle atrirclta araln unIl1a 4 aAt-rea
late.
The grain should be well riponed
before il is cut-that is, the straw an
well turned but not ripe enough to be
dead The bundles should be set up right
after the machine cuts them. usually set
them two and two as many as can be
conveniently carried together, and they
will dry much quicker than il set 10
q round shock. AS soon as the bundles
are dry in the center at the band the
wheat Il ready to stack and should be
AQNauA III 90 uAQl 30 AaaAiRANa a AAl AAAAA
should 60 through the sweat 10 the
stack, which will take from three to six
weeks, according TO the condition it is
Ia when stacked.
As to varieties, / am acquainted with
only feW-Diehl Mediterranean, Red
Winter Fife and Ruby for winter Wheats
and Defiance and Saskatchewan Fife for
spring sowing. The first named is a
very pretty white wheat Of superior
milling qualities and a heavy yielder,
but shells vsry easily while handling.
The Red Winter Fife is q hard red
wheat, very hardy and much sought
after by the larger Touring mills. 1t is
not heavy yielder, twenty-five pounds
being a good crop. It does not shatter at
all in handling and is very heavy, mine
testing this year 64 pounds per ton as Il
came from the machine. Ruby did not
prove hardy with me the past season; il
seems to do better as a spring wheat, but
nnt extra we'll. Defiance is the best
spring wheat have taken any notice Of
being a good yislder. It does not waste
bad at handling and has good milling
qualities. The Saskatchewan Fife is q
hard RED spring wheat OF theappearance
Of tue g. W, e aud fair yieldGr,
have prepared the following figures
from a memorandum Of the cost Of grow
ing twelve acres Of winter wheat the
unrf vaurs