The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1901-12-26
ABANDONING WHEAT

An intelligent Illinois larmer, in a
thoughtful article published in Orange
Judd Farmer, addresses himself to the
question whether or net wheat should
be abandoned as money crop in that
state. His discussion and conclusions
are of equal interest to Indiana agri-
culturiStS. After considering the pos
sible effects of climatic changes he con-
tinueS:
But there is change that has
come over our land since the days of
the early settlers that is not climatic,
but which think cuts bigger figure
in our problem than any other one
thing, and that is the loss of fertility
through cropping all these years.
Find piece of good virgin soil and,
leaving the hessian fly out of the
count, is it not fully as safe for good
crop of wheat now as iC would have
been 80 years ago? If it is, and we
must keep trying to grow wheat on
our worn and impoverished land, is it
not imperative that we fertilize for a
wheat crop? Use well-rotted barn
yard manure. spread thinly and even
ly, and work well into the surface of
the seed bed. Or use a good COM
mercial fertilizer drilled in with the
wheat, or better still, plan your rota-
ton to have wheat, instead of corn.
follow clover.
Just now our farmers are more
worried about the hessian fly than
any other danger to the crop. Last
year the fly and dry spring ruined
the wheat on all poor land land even on
rich land that was seeded early. Sow
late and only on well fortified land.
We may thus escape the fall brood
and greatly lessen the spring brood.
In spring, rich land will send up such
strong stems that not every one with
a fly grub in it will break down, and
there will be less shrunken grain on
such stalks. Great damage is some
times done to the wheat crop by dry
weather in April and May. And
sometimes wet Weather in June and
July plays havoc with the crop.
But the worst thing we encounter
in trying to raise wheat is the stink
ing little chinch bug. If it were not
for this foe, in addition to all the rest,
we would still indulge in hope and
continue to SOW wheat regardless OF
the loss our neighbors have sustained
i'll their average for the last ten years.
But the chinch bug is the last straw.
We draw the line against chinch
bugs. If our neighbours cattle break
into our field and destroy our corn
crop, we can make the neigbor pay
for 1T. But when his chinch bugs
come over from his wheat field, where
they have been propagated, and dc
us twice as much damage, we are
without redress. And if the bugs
come from our own wheat field, it j.
still worse, because they are pretty
tsure to injure the corn we put out OF
the wheat ground the next spring
So, my conclusion of the whole mat
ter is--quit tie business of wheat
growing in central Illinois.
| Someone may want to know how
to seed to clover and timothy without
wheat as a nurse crop. Rye is al
good nurse crop as wheat. l have
had the best success with the
following plan: Sow as early as pos
|sible in spring on well prepared ground
with drill, two bushels oats and 81,
pounds clover seed. following with the
roller if dry. The first days of Sep.
TENDER SOW six pounds timothy see6
per acl :, and then NOW weeds, etc
three or four inches high.