The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1900-09-26
HOW AND WHEN TO SOW WHEAT

Prof. Newman Gives Directions as to
Proper Soil, Time for Seeding, Va.
ricties and FertiliziDg.
The Spartanburg correspondent OF
the News and Courier furnishes the
following information OF much value to
the farmers, especially in the Pied
mont region
Wheat conventions, the offer OF prizes
ana the desire on the part of farmers
TO make their own -four Is directing
their attention to wheat growing. Har-
vie Jordan, of Georgia, announced that
| South Carolina raised about one mil
lion bushels Of wheat and imported the
Hour OF tive millions. Fine wheat NAV
be raised on one-half the arabic land
of South Carolina. Those counties
where 1T will grow should raise their
own supply, leaving only three million
bushels to be imported. That is drain
enough on the people.
| Prof.. j. s. Newman, at ,he head OF
the agricultural department OF Glenn
son College, combines theory and prac-
tice In his instruction In the College
and at farmers institutes. He speaks
with authority, for his information has
been secured by actual work In the
| fields combined with such facls as
science can furnish. Knowing the in
terest he was taking in the condition
OF the farmers and the success Of the
farmers OF the State, your correspon-
dent asked him to give some instruc-
tion to the people on the subject Of
sowing wheat.
Wishing to give the valuable infor-
nation the widest circulation possible,
your correspondent sends 1t to The
News and Courier that the farmers OF
every county may have the benefit OF
Prot. Newman's suggestions:
CLEMSON COLLEG L, Sept. Is, 1900.
Mr.. Chas. Petty, Spartanburg, S. G..
Dear Sir Replying to your favor OF
the 1lth in regard TO the preparation
of the land and sowing wheat In the
Piedmont eeCtiOn OF this State, sub
NIT the following suggestions:
(a) Wheat delights In d compare.
lively stiff soil, or one containing
enough clay to give it the proper con.
s!stency. Ii this sell is filled with small
gravel the drainage will be good. This
Is very important to prevent freezing
out in winter.
The land should be ploughed, har-
rowed and rolled until the surface Ia
thoroughly pulvcri2 d before sowing
| the seed. Not one acre in thousand
Is properly prepared for wheat. Ii
| there is clay subsoil it will paw to
follow In the turn plough furrOw in
breaking with "a long bull tongue 10
break the subsoil without turning it up.
tb) Time for Seeding TIE seed
should be sown just before or Juss after
the first frost. If sown early there is
risk Of injury from the attack OF the
Hessian fly in the fall, and OF destruc-
ri hu in q,
early.
IL sown too late the risk OF winter
killing Is increased and ripening late
increases the risk Of rust, smut and
bleaching. Wheat should ripen before
excessive heat prevails.
(cl Varieties AS u rule varieties
which have been acciimated in This
section in which they are to be planted
are more likely to succeed than those
grown under entirely different soil and
climatic conditions. Varieties known
as Alabama, Red May, Georgia flint,
Blue stem or Purple straw. The seed
to prevent the attack OF sinking smut.
should be either scalded or treated
with blue stone. zone pound dissolved
In water will treat five bushols) Care
in the use OF the blue stone is necessary
to prevent injury TO tho germ of the
seed.
g. Jepth to cove: seed: Experi-
ments have shown that whe&t does not
vegctate satisfactorily if covered move
than three Inches in depth. 1T tbs seed
are put In with q turn plough many
are covered deeper than this and con
sequently q full stand Is not secured.
On the contrary, where the wheat
drili ls used upon properly prepared
land, the seed are covered uniformly
at depth Ices than two inches, and
hence !ess seed are required to secure
u stand.
(e) Fertilzing: II a leguminous
crop (nitrogen colectOr) preccdes the
wheat 1T Is not necessary to apply "a
fertilizer containing nitrogen or am
monia. Upon clay lands upon whicn
the forest growth was Of hard wood
trees acid phosphate will usually be
sulhclent. II exec ssive quantities Of
nitrogenous manures are used there Is
danger OF too much growth of straw,
causing risk OF rust and lodging.
Cautlon If cotton seed meal is one
OF tho component parts of complete
fertilizer applied to the wheat, or il it
used as such, care must be exercised
to prevent it from coming in contact
with the grain. Stands Of grain are
often lost by neglccting this precau-
tion The cotton seed meal ferments
very promptly and actively and de.
stroys the germ Of the seed
, NCry truly yOurs