The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1900-09-27
HOW AND WHEN TO SOW WHEaT,
Prof. Newman Gives Directions AS to
Proper Soil, Timo for Seeding. Va
riOties and Fertilizing.


Proper Soil, Timo for Seeding. Va
rioties and Fertilizing.
The Spartanburg correspondent OF
the News and Courier furnishes the
following information OF much valuo to
the farmers, especially in tho Pied
mont region:
Wheat conventions, tho offer Of prizes
and tho desire ON the part OF farmers
to make their own -four is directing
their attention to whoat growing. IIar.
vic Jordan, Of Georgia, announced that
South Carolina raised about one mil
lion bushels OF wheat and imported the
flour OF five millions. Elmo wheat may
be raised on Onc-half tie arabic land
OF South Carolina. Those counties
whore 1t will grow should raise their
own supply, leaving only threo million
bushels to be imported. That is drain
enough on the people.
Prof. }. S. Newman, ut the head OF
the agricultural department OF Glenn
son College, combines theory and prac-
ticc in his instruction IN tho College
and at farmers Institutes. He speaks
with authority, for his information has
| been secured by actual work in the
tields combined with such facLs us
| forest he was taking In the condition
| farmers Of the State, your corruspOn-
dent asked him to givo some instruc-
| tion to the people on tho SUBJ 1ct Of
sowing wheat.
Wishing to give tho valuable infor-
nation the widest circulation possible,
your correspondent sends it to The
Nows and Courier that tho farmers OF
| overy county may have the benefit Of
Prof. Newman's suggestions
| CLEMSON COLLEGE. Sept. Is, 1900.
MIR. Chas. Petty, Spartanburg, S. c.
Dear Sir: Replying to your favor Of
the 1lth in regard to tho preparation
Of the land and sowing wheat In the
Piedmont section Of this State, | sub
NIT tho following suggestions
| (a) Wheat delights in a compare.
| tivcly stil soil, or one containing
enough clay to give it tho proper con
sistcncy. Ii this soil 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 tho surface is
thoroughly pulvcriZed before sowing
the seed. Not one acre in thousand
|
| there is q clay subSOil it will pay &c
follow in the turn plough furrow in
breaking with long bull tongue to
break the subsoil without turning it up
| (b) Time for Seeding The seed
should be sOwn just before or Just after
the first frost. If sOwn carly there Is
risk Of injury from the attack Of the
Hessian fly in the fall, and OF dcstruc.
ton by frost in spring il it joints too
| early.
If sOwn too late the risk OF winter
killing Is increased, end riponing late
increases the risk OF rust, smut and
bleaching. Wheat should ripcn before
excessive heat prevails.
| (c) Varieties A5 a rule varieties
which have been acclimatcd in this
section in which they arc to be planted,
arc more likely to succeed than those
grown under entirely different soil and
climatic conditions. Varieties known
as Alabama, Red May, Georgia Tint,
Blue stem or Purple straw. The seed,
to prevent the attack Of sinking smut,
should be either scaldcd or treated
with blue stone. zone pOlnd dissolved
IN water will treat live bushcls.) Care
in the use OF the blue stone is necessary
to prevent injury to the germ Of the
seed.
! (u) Depth TO cover seed Expert
ments have shown that wheat does net
vegctate satisfactorily il covered more
than threo inches in depth. Ii the seed
are put in with.a turn plough many
arc covered deeper than this and con.
s,qucntly full stand is not secured
On the contrary, whcro the wheat
| drill Is used upon properly prepared
land, the seed are covered uniformly
at depth less than two inches, ana
hence less seed are required to secure
Is stand.
(c) Fcrtilizing: If leguminous
crop (nltrogcn c0llcctor) preccdcs the
wheat it Is not necessary TO apply a
fertilizer containing nitrogen or ain.
monia. Upon clay lands upon when
the forest growth was OF hard wood
trees acid phosphate will usually be
sufficient. II exec s=ivc quantities OF
heterogeneous manures are u.cd there i,
danger OF too much growth Of straw
causing risk OF rust and lodging.
Caution If cotton seed meal is on,
OF the component parts Of a compict tc
fertilizer applied to the wheat, or if il
| used as such, care must be cXCrcis ed
| to prevent it from coming in Contac,
with the grain. Stands OF grain arc
often lost by ncglccting this precau
tiOn. The cotton seed meal fGrme nts
| very promptly and actively and de
strOys the germ Of the seed.
Very truly yours,
! s. NEWMAN