The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1899-09-13
TO GROW WHEAT.
What a Practical Farmer Has to
Say About II.
GOOD LAND SHOULDBE USED
An Article That Should be Read
by Every Farmer Who Con.
templates Planting
Wheat.

News on wheat growing, which we com
mend to the careful perusal of all our
readers, whether they plant wheat or
net. 1t was written by practical
farmer:
Certainly the first thing to do when
you make up your mind to SOW wheat is
to select the best land for that purpose.
Red land is without doubt the best
adapted to wheat in this part Of the
State. Though any Of the uplands if
properly treated will produce wheat
with the possible exception of that
which is too deep in sand. It's Of
prime Importance that the land to be
sown shall have been we'll cultivated
that year, and if it had been we'll
prepared for the crop that preceded the
wheat We do not advise deep blowing
for wheat, but if there is any kind of
grass OF weeds to create turf when
blowing, then We advise thorough
breaking Of the soil. Wheat will per-
haps follow a well cultivated pea crop
to the best advantage Of any hoed crop
and do well after peas are sowed broad
cast if the pea crop coyers the land sufi-
ciently to keep down grass or weeds.
Next to peas we would prefer cotton
land to SOW in wheat and perhaps niue
tenths Of the wheat of the country will
be sown to cotton land.
After deciding upon the land to be
sown, the manner Of preparing the
land will depend upon it's condition as
indicated above, if it had been we'll rlow
ed the winter or spring previous and
the present crop kept clear of weeds
and grass then you only need to furrow
out the old cotton stalks. This should
be done, thoroughly spread what ever
manure you mean to use over the land,
sow the wheat froa IS to 55 pounds to
the acre and harrow or plow it in. We
have been using the disk and cut-away
harrovs for ten years and have not put
in wheat with any other implement in
that time. Cotton seed and horse
stable manure have given the best re-
suits on this farm. Though any kind
of manure has proved valuable in in
creasing the yield The main trouble
! is to get manure enough to go over the
amount Of land that should be sown in
wheat. This is one Of the great advan
tages of cotton seed, I have found that
in running the cotton seed through The
farm stables that the manure becomes
so we'll mixed and pulverized that it
can be spread over the land as thinly as
desired.
With the average land and the aver
age year 10 bushels of this mixture is
perhaps the most profitable quality to
be used. The great advantage in the
harrow is reducing the cost of the crop.
One good six foot cutaway harrow with
two good large mules and only small
boy to drive will put in from three to
four acres per day. l have in ten years
tried four distinct varieties of wheat,
the purple straw, early May, !:earded
wheat, and what is known here as the
white wheat. The latter giving the
best results. This white wheat, it
makes taller and larger straw than
the purple straw wheat and the grain
is full and plump and makes the best
of -four. The purple straw is my next
preference, the bearded and the May
wheat l do not like at all. The years
of 96, 81 and SO | made an average of
20 bushels TO one bushel sown, this year
wheat was not so good. Our lands
would make from ii or to 3 more per
acre if they could be sown in the latter
part of October or first Of November,
but we usually follow cotton crop
with wheat and often finish sowing the
latter part of December.
now give the experiences Of some
other farmers in this county. Mr.. }.
j. Haley of Oakway made PIP bushels
this year from l6 bushels sown, and %
bushels raw cotton seed to the acre,
purple straw wheat, plowed up cotton
stalks and plowed in wheat with small
plows, sowed in November. Mr.. ". H.
Hancock, of Westminster, has for
several years made an average Of 20
bushels to the acre, apr homemade
manure, uses white wheat. Mr.. Will
liam Bibb made last year 6l3 bushels
on 40 acres, bearded :, cat Mr.. l..
Asbury Edwards of Oak%ay made 81!
bushels on l 3 acres 4 land, $50
worth of cotton seed a d lid phosphate
Mr.. a. Bearden, Of Oakway, made 100
bushels on eight acres this year. All
these crops were sown to cotton l4nds
and had about the same mode of pre-.
pairing and sowing land, with the ex-
ception of Mr. Bearden, who plowed in
his wheat with Hancock three-horse
plow about 5 inches deep. We do not
think wheat will do for money crop.
l know it pays to raise enough for home
supply.
| shall not take time to try to prove
the proftableness of wheat sowing, 1t
is sufficient to say that in this part Of
the State, the man who buys -four and
makes money farming is an exception
to the rule, and that the man who grows
his own wheat is success without ex-
ception. To succeed in this line of
farming as in any other, you have got to
work. You must rise early and stick
to it late, you must work yourself. Ii
the wind blows or the ground is frozen,
or ice gets nthe tuo on top of the
wheat that is in soak, just go right on
and break the ice and face the wind and
stick to the job until you have got It
fixed exactly right No matter if you
get some skin off your hands or dry dust
in your shoes or mud on your clothing.
All of the like is after all about the best
fertilizer and you will see the truth OF
this when harvest time comes. Good
cotton land or good land after peas will
be more profitable in wheat without
manure, but is much better with it. |
do not advise the buying of commercial
fertilizers for wheat, [ doubt one year
with another it would be profitable to
do so. I soak wheat every year, one