Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1900-09-19

yOfid deSeriptiOn. The w1ue, lever Val"
lev. stretching on both sides Of the
riyer, is d golden sea Of vegetation.
The great Glenn ranch OF 60,G06 acres,
all in wheat, is situated here. The
high lands, located above the influence
of river floods and dependent upon
rainfall for moisture, extend in these
valleys to where the foothills begin.
They are Of vast extent, and produce
the finest, deepest and weightiest
wheat grown in the world. They aver
age, perhaps, six sacks of $50 pounds1
each per acre.
To California mechanics, says the
Scientific American. is due the distinc-
ton of instituting steam for hand Ia
Dor in manipulating cereals in the
fields. Hugo flfty-horse power traction
engines, with driving wheels sixty
inches in diameter and fanges sixty
inches in width, drawing over the
fields sixteen ten-inch plows, four six
foot harrows. and a press drill to
match, plowing, narrowing and seed:
ing from fotty-five to seventy-five
acres at one operation each day, eS-
plains why the vast crop Of California
covering millions Of acres, can be
planted and cultivated. in q country
where the supply OF labor is not great
enough to plant q crop one-tenth part
as large. In the harvest time, by the
aid of one Of these enormous harvest
ers. whore cutters are twenty-siE feet
wide, \ wheat is at once headed
thrash cleaned and sacked, ready
for ptarket, the machine in one DAY
:. gathering the crop of seventy-hVe
acres.
To observe one of these enormous
machines travelling over the uneven
surface Of these fields, crossing wide
bitches or crawling along the side hllls
surmounting every obstacle with the
most perfect ease, and automatically
gathering in the ripened grain, sacked
ready for Market, Is sight OF the
rarest description.
): These mechanical prodigies are
adapted only for countries like Califor
MIA, with seasons Of vet and dry, wei
defined, where cereals ripened by no
suns easily fall from. the husks. Fo
the moist lands Of the great Nortl
these harvesters have not proved al
entire success.
Preparing the ground for tile com
.,nc. wheat cropsin California differ
little from the methods used in othe
scb1ntries, thought "deep" blowing
nSf Common. OLlthe higher lands tn
Siirfow is never .oyer six inches i
dabth. and rarelyf over five inches
Deeper plowingii Thought to dry OF
tbe land too fast, and, is avoided o
that account Summer 'fallowing is o
Tho ii1creases and tojallow. absolute REF
in alternatei yearsiis more and mor
encouraged. Fives crops in ten year
:. aggregate, 1T is found! by experienc
ia much as yearlyicrops would 90.
sumner fallowing,s blowing during IL
,Iata s7,ring rains istthe custom. III
s land @ lies undisturbed. with t1eiexcel
tion Of running. over q weederl duril
.sbe1 aeason. On the first rain the cult
,yator is run over the ground which :
isaeded at the same, time, ahdlthen Gu
,,vat,on ts over. No further .attentie
issrequired until thssmaturity| |of, tt
oS6,i h. ~ ssssSS
The marketing of California whe'
hears no resemblance 70 the methos'
e the great Northwest. Wheat =
bn,k ID unmarketable. Shippers al
exporters refuse to handle II. . "a,
81 60 in bulk was once sent 10 hivetpo, ..,u
p the ship was never heard t,on. .,s, sa :
that time shipments In sacks only q
permitted. ,,,,,.o+
dependent upon price. ~ any fate :,
muneratiye to hesgroTer. tpe GUAM: .:
now raised could be greatly e1eeees