The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1901-08-10
Wheat and Corn GU .ure.

Mr. Samuel I. Earle, of Queen Annes
county, Nd, sends the following to the Cen.
treville Record, and is published in that paper
on August 3. He is not only book farmer
but practical one, and we hope some of our
Carroll county farmers will try his plan and
report results next year.
Intensified culture is what is called the
new and latest system in agriculture, and if
properly carried out will, in my humble opin-
ion, work wonders. It's the constant stirring
of the soil, after the breaking of the ground,
if ever so slight, catches the immense quanti-
ties of nitrates or fertilizing gases floating in
the atmosphere. My recent experiments have
made me firm believer in the system, al
though my first experiment was made before
the new system came out, as for years / had
been of the opinion that fallows for wheat were
not cultivated as they should have been.
can better illustrate my views by giving the
number of civilizations | gave the ground after
the breaking of it in July. | used large
hinged drag first, the way it was plowed, a
second dragging crosswise, third and fourth
with the disk each way, fifth and sixth with
the hinge drag each way. The drag was run
ahead of the drill in seeding the wheat and the
drilling in of 225 podnds of South Carolina
dissolved bone. | omitted to say rolling of
the ground before seeding, making nine cult
VatlOHS. Inc HfSb OF n pTll IL WAS ufdkSru ONcA
with the weeder, prior to seeding clover seed,
and a part cross dragged, (the rains stopped
me making in all eleven times. Now comes
the results Wheat not threshed as yet, but
straw enough for at least 40 bushels to the
acre, but so excessively lodged or down, as
believe will yield about half crop. will
say it was not grazed, as | expeetto do in the
future / will also say here it was by far the
most Indifferent field on the farm for wheat
Can anyone suppose for moment this i'm
mense growth was solely from the light dress.
ing of the cheap fertilizer used? My candid
opinion is, received as much benefit from
the nitrates of the atmosphere as | received
from the South Carolina dissolved bone drilled
in. In conversation with my friend, DIR. Troy,
of Centreyile, whom | consider a man of in
telligence and well versed in the theory of
farming, a Canadian by birth, in telling me OF
the heavy wheat crops grown there entirely
without the use of fertilizers, from 30 to SO
bushels to the acre. From what | have seen
of the soil of Canada, firmly believe ours is
as good, if not better At least / would not
exchange with any saw there, or with any |
saw north of the Mason and Dixon line. |
will give you Dr. Troy's words as near as |
can. With the preparation of their fields for
wheat, they are universally plowed very deep,
in the month of May, kept constantly stirred
and often receive the second blowing Is not
this the carrying ont Of the new theory to the
letter? They get entirely from the atmos..
phere, which at this time costs the farmers of
Queen Anne's hundreds of thousands of dol
lars. So my brother farmers, after ALL this is
no new theory, as DR.. Troy says, this has been
the practice of the farmers of Canada for CEN
turtles You may say my theory calls for too
much labor, but | contend the labor costs less
than your excessive use of fertilizers
II will now give you my experience as far
as have gone in my present corn crop, under
the new system, which has gone beyond my
most sanguine expectations. My ground was
broken deeply as early in the season as could
pillow it, and worked over six times before
drilling the corn, two of the workings with the
disk harrow. After planting it was dragged
with the weeder twice before it was up. After
it came up it was kept constantly worked or
scratched, as all the cultivation were surface
culture. My opinion has been for some years
that where the ground was perfectly prepared
before planting, it only requires surface Gull
ture. All farmers know that corn roots on the
surface, and the roots should never be touched.
/ imagine my corn at the present time stands
up better although drilled) than the corn that
has had deep cultivation. Some may say you
can't keep down the grass and weeds, being
drilled corn. All | have to say to brother
farmers 49, will show my field with any IN the
county for ceanness, although the land is
strong and great for throwing up weeds and
grasses
''Now my dear brother farmers you may
call me theorist or experimenter, but in this
glory, as | boast having been thorough
book farmer all my life, believing, as | do,
it's as essential to farmer to keep posted on
all the new improvements going on as the
lawyer or doctor TO keep posted in their pro-
fessions. | would be delighted if all the
farmers of our county would try the expert
ment for themselves, in even small way, who
have fallows to prepare. Now is the time to
commence it. | would suggest to take one
acre, where you expect to commence drilling
your wheat, as | would ask you not to put any
fertilizer on the first half acre. On the other
part put the regular quantity you put on field.
This experiment acre | would ask You to stir
every three or four days, giving 1.-TWO diskings
at first Keep this up until you seed the
wheat Try and carry this new theory out to
the letter, as it may be the means of making
crops of wheat without the use of fertilizers
as the Canadians make large crops without.
! would also suggest to keep an account of
labor you expend on the half acre as set off
to fertilizer