The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1900-07-31
WHEAT CULTURE ON THE SOUTHERN
FARM
A Successful Grower Tells What Experience
Has Taught Him.

OOTE6S SpOuOeuCO VI Lie SSS1NS dI1uSIs
Why is it that the wheat crop is
so much neglected all through the
South? 1t is not because it cannot
be grown proftably, because all who
have ever tried it on the proper lines
have made a success of it, but sup
pose the real reason is that the South
ern farmer generally has got so we'd
ded to his corn and cotton as staple
crops, and being generally of very
conservative nature, is afraid to try
any other crop off the old-time rou-
tine that he is used to for fear of
| failure.
Another reason is that it. is gener-
ally supposed that the soil in the
Southern States is too thin and sandy
to grow wheat proftably. This is a
great mistake, for the proper rota-
tion of crops, and intelligent use of
the proper fertilizers, the wheat
crop can be made really far more
profitable crop than corn.
The key to successful farming is
in the proper rotation of crops and
the judicious use of commercial fer
tilizers to supplement the ordinary
fertility of the soil, and the sooner
the Southern farmer recognizes this
fact the sooner he will get on the
highway to prosperity. If our cot
ton fields, that are year after year
completely denuded of all vegetable
matter in the clean cultivation Of
these crops, were planted to COW
peas, or velvet beans, at the last
plowing of the cotton, and after cot
ton is picked plowed under and wheat
planted, we would soon see a vast
Improvement over present conditions
generally. In the Northern States
they always get better crops where
the rotation is following a clover
? crop In the South the same results
can be obtained by following COW
peas or velvet beans.
My favorite rotation for wheat,
however, is to follow sweet or Irish
potatoes, or both, turnips, carrots,
cassava, etc. One thing that must
not be overlooked in preparing for a
wheat crop is to put the soil in per
feet tilth for receiving the seed, for
if there is one crop more than any
other that must get the most of the
work done to it before planting, it is
wheat. After everything in the
shape of vegetation is completely
turned under with the turning plow,
then the cultivatOr, harrow, weeder,
and roller must all get their turn at
putting the land in the best possible
condition to yield a profitable crop.
But the most important point of
all is to have the proper grade of
fertilizer applied few weeks ahead
of planting time, and incorporated
well into the soil in the processes
already alluded to. To apply this
fertilizer in the most judicious man
nen, is where the intelligent and
methodical man gets ahead of his
slip-shOd and careless brother. The
one studies his soil, knowing just
what it can do, and what it lacks for
each respective rotation Of crops.
The other goes ahead anyhow and
trusts to luck or something else to
bring him out at the end. The one
makes his calling a success, the other
makes it failure. On our ordinary
pine lands of the South very good
fertilizer for wheat should analyze
about per cent. potash, 8 per cent.
phosphoric acid, and about 2 per
cent. of nitrogen. Six hundred
pounds per acre of this mixture is
about right. But in the spring when
the crop begins to lengthen out, a;
couple of hundred pounds of nitrate
of soda per acre should be broad
casted lust before a rain. This if
worked over with weeder (Which
will not hurt the crop one bit) and
then rolled, will add considerable to
the Weld. The best time in my eX-
perience to SOW this crop is in OctO-
Der or very early in November.
About two bushels of seed to the
acre is little enough; if the land is
stiff and in a good state of fertility,
another half bushel can be added
proitably.
There are several varieties of
wheat that are we'll adapted to our
climate. The principal one is what
is called 'ETurkish Red 20 it is proof
against rust and all the ailments
peculiar to the crop, and will GER
tainly come through the most severe
weather all o. K.
G. K. McQUARRIE.