The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1899-09-07

same L. true of the man who turns the,
fallow lands and cultivates the respon-
sive soil that he may enjoy his daily
bread. Believing, therefore, that wheat
culture in its broad sense would be an
industry Of vital interest to our farmers
Of this time, we shall devote most OF the
space Of our August talk to wheat. The
exact origin Of wheas may not be known.
still we may reasonably conclude that
wheat was among the fruits OF the first
garden. When Hiram, king of Tyre.
was building The temple Solomon sent
him wheat; hence we conclude that this
most esculens grain was very early TN
our history regarded as moss excellent
food. & W
The first pubic letter issued from the
Departments of Agriculture, after the
present. Commissioner had been in
stalled. was an appeal 10 the farmers of
Georgia to SOW largely of wheat and
Data However. il is but justice to state
that the Macon Telegraph nearly year
ago took up che wheat and grain quss.
ton, and offered prizes for the best es-
says on whsas growing. These papers
were read az . convention held at Ma.
con. aad called BY that paper last Octos
Der. The attendance was small. but
the papers were good Unusual as it
may seem, this daily paper kept up the
agitation in favor OF wheas growing,
making it 8 feature Of almost every is
sue, and q great many farmers were in
duced TO plant who had not planted be.
fore A special point made. and in.
sisted On, had great weight, and that
was that the negro farmer. who
had wife or daughter IN a white
mans kitchen, could make cotton
at cents per pound; while the white
farmer could not make il for less than
csnta Therefore, there was disas-.
srous competition between the white
and black cotton planter, and the for.
mer was going to the wall on low
prices. while the latter was improving
his condition. and continuing 70 swell
che receipts at all the ports and ali the
markets. The white man must make
shift m has farming operations In
order TO make this point come home ct
once. and to give zess to the start, the
Macon Telegraph offered gold prizes for
the best yield in wheat, and these
prizes were awarded at second wheat
growers convention. which was held in
Macon on July - Of this year. The
latter convention was largely attended
and the report from the wheat fields
was most gratifying. The honors went
70 Spaulding and Washington counties
in the distribution Of the prizes. One of
the MOST encouraging signs of the times
is the great interest in wheat and grain
growing which has developed in the
state within the last few months. II
may be said, therefors, that this work
has been fairly started; but much 10 vet
70 be done, and this department. will
continue to contribute all IL can to this
splendid movement.
A PERFECT VARIETY OF WHEAT.
Since the growing wheat plant and
ripening grain have SO many enemies to
encounter and climatic conditions af.
fecting the yield OF wheat, it is all i'm.
portant to select y variety that can best
withstand the many drawbacks Incl.
dent to this grain. Hence. will mem
| ton some Of the characteristics incident
to good variety Of wheat. Get a.
early variety as possible, as o few
days, (some years. means much with
this crop. Some wheat will fall before
IL ripens. while the stems of another
kind will maintain an erect position
until the grain 10 perfectly ripe. Select
q variety with strong and stiff stem:
select the wheat also that will best
withstand the extreme cold weather.
Other things being equal, get the wheat
that has Thin skin or bran. With
these few suggestions, select your seed
wheat and have it ready to plant in Oc.
tober.
SOIL AND PREPARATION FOR WHEAT.
A farmer may sow the best wheat
and the best varieties, and fail in his
wheat crop, II he has failed in thorough
preparation and continued good man
assment Of his soil from year to year
One of the chief objects Is to keep the
vegetable matter and mineral portions
as near or ss much on the surface ~
possible. so that the roots OF the plants
may strike cut horizontally instead Of
striking out IN more vertical direetiea-
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