The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1901-09-24
PREPARING FOR WHEAT.

6ES W6 Eud4l % 1aFQ a6 WORK Ou66lnS
our pea vine hay and as soon as the
hay is off we shall begin preparing
the land for wheat Our wheat will
be sown on land that was in oats last
spring, the oats being followed by
cow peas.
Before / go any further, must
tell you little about our cow peas,
there is such a difference in their
growth. 1t was caused principally
by the manner in which the land was
prepared. Part of the land we
plowed thoroughly with two horse
plow, the peas being worked in with
a cutaway harrow followed by a
smoothing harrow. The vines on
this land are simply splendid. Now,
on another part of the field the peas
were plowed in with a scooter plow
and the land narrowed over after
ward. While the vines here are
good owing, I am inclined to think,
largely to the abundant rains we
have had, still they do not begin to
show up with the ones where the
land was thoroughly broken. If we
had had a drouth in August. as we
some times do, they would doubtless
have been a failure. tell you about
this, but trust the reader will not
think that we planted these peas in
this manner ignorantly. It was
simply a question of planting part of
the field in this way, or not at all.
The weather was turning dry in
June when the work had to be done,
and is was simply out of the question
to do such large amount of heavy
breaking at that time. Still if it
could have been done it would have
paid handsomely, not only on the
pea crop, but also in helping to pre-
pare the land for wheat this fall.
Where the lend was broken with the
big plow in June there are no weeds
and scarcely any grass. Nothing
but pea vines. The land has settled
and become firm without being hard
and is in an ideal condition for SOW
ing wheat. All that will be neces-
sary on this land after the vines are
off will be to work up the surface
thoroughly with disc or cutaway
harrow, work in the fertilizer and
let it stand two or three weeks be-
fore planting. 1t will not be neces-
sary to re-plow.
On the other hand, where the peas
we're plowed in with the scooter
there is considerable grass and quite
a good many weeds. The physical
condition of the land is poor and it
will be necessary to re-plow. This
plowing will render the land too
loose for wheat, which requires a
very firm seed bed. We will there
fore have to do a great deal of work
with cutaway and roller before this
land will be in condition to SOW. Of
course this extra work will liberate
plant food. The weather is cooler
now and we have more time; but
where one has very much to plant,
this matter of extra tillage becomes
quite an item. 1t is doubtful also if
this land will make any more wheat,
if is does as much, as where it was
broken thoroughly last June, and
the surface simply worked up before
planting this fall. The conditions
on this land are right and it will be
a hard matter to duplicate them.
This illustrates very clearly the
fact that we are never working or
fertilizing entirely for the present
crop. Future crops will be benefited
or injured according to the way we
work now Even if it does seem
little hard just at present, we are
saving work for ourselves later on.
We may therefore safely lay down
the principle that it will always pay
TO prepare our land for each succeed
ing crop in the best possible manner.
In preparing for your wheat,
friends, see that the conditions are
right before you plant. See that
your seedbed is fine and firm with
out being hard. Work it over until
it>is just right before you SOW. 1t is
also a good plan to work in the fer
tilizer about two weeks before plant
ing. From 800 pounds to 800 pounds
to the acre Of fertilizer analyzing
per cent. nitrogen, 8 per cent. phos-
phoric acid, and 6 per cent. potash,
is about right for wheat on most
soils.
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