The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-10-19
IMPORTANCE OF

fully to the Importance of planting con-
| siderable area of their farming lands in
| wheat during the next sixty days, par
ticularly in all of those sections where
our lands are favorable to its growth
and profitable development.
The price of provisions and all kinds
| OF commodities used on the farm are con-
! tinually advancing in price Provision
bills within the past twelve months have
almost been prohibitory TO the farmer
who has been heretofore depending upon
| his cotton crop to pay for supplies and all
other costs for the operating expenses
of his farm. The prices for which we are
| forced to sell our cotton is not on par
| ity with the high prices which we have
! to pay for the things that have been
! bought. The margin of difference has
| been too heavy in favor of the seller OF
| such commodities as we have been in the
habit of buying, reducing the margin OF
profit on our money crop to about the
| cost of production. We could better ar
| ford to run the all cotton system on
| basis of cents for that staple two years
ago at the prices then prevailing for sup.
plies, than to buy provisions at the pres
| ent prices an sell our cotton for eight
| cents. The crop of cotton this year has
| been short in most sections of the cot
! ton belt taking into consideration espe-
caIly the shortness of the staple. Ordi-
nariIy farmers are quite busy with thelf
! cotton during the time which should be
| taken up in preparing their lands for
| wheat. This trouble, however, will not
be on us this fall, and nothing short Of
| indifference will stand in the way OF
| being able to plant Il goodly area of land
| on every farm in this valuable grain crop.
! The first question of prime Importance to
! decide, is whether or not the crop can
be made profitable one by giving it that
| attention which is necessary to secure
| the best results. The question of an ex-
tensve area is not important. few
acres properly prepared and highly fer
| tilted will turn out a heavier yield than
/ double the number of acres on poorly
prepared land with little or no fertilizers.
| The general unfamiliarity of our people
! with this crop renders it necessary to
discuss in detail many of the important
! features essential in making an effort to
secure the best results. This | shall en-
deavor to cover as fully as possible i'll
! this article. There are many successful
| wheat growers in the South annually
, turning out as heavy yields per acre as
is made on the best lands in the great
! wheat regions of the West. The possibili-
! ties of our Southern soils TO meet compe
! tition from any section has been fully cs-
tablished not only by experiments, but by
hundreds of practical farmers in yearly
yields of the different crops planted. No
man should ever become discouraged in
making an earnest, active effort to pro-
vide the food crops necessary for sustain
! ing all the requirements of his family and
| farm animals it is the key note TO
successful farming in the South where
conditions not only render diversified
! farming possible but make that system
of farming imperative. full apprecia-
! ton of our magnificent resources, and
determination to take advantage of them,
! will within q few years make every such
! farmer independent and secure for him a
business which is not only pleasant, but
] highly lucrative.
The character of the soils best suited
! for the growth and development of wheat
! is good clay loan, furnished with a good
| ly supply of humus and heterogeneous mat
ter, phosphoric acid and potash. The
| elements of phosphoric acid and potash
should predominant, particularly the for
mer Light sandy soils will not yield sat
| isfactory results, and such lands would
Pay better planted in something else.
! There arc but few sections Of farming
| lands in the South. however, which with
proper tilage and fertility will not YIELD
! a fairly good crop of wheat. Whenever
strong vigorous stalk is secured with
| but little or nc development of grains, tho
| trouble is not so much with the land as
! it is with the absence OF proper fertiliz-
ing ingredients. Such condition Of af-
! fairs under otherwise favorable climatic
| conditions indicates a deficiency of both
| elements of phosphoric acid and potash
| in sufficient quantities to develop the
| food constituents of the grain. 1t would
| then be incumbent upon the grower to
provide these absent constituents either
by heavy applications of barnyard ma
nure. ashes and lime. or by he purchase
and use of such commercial fertilizers az
will furnish the required needs of the
soils in proper proportions. There is no
one thing more essential in preparing
for a wheat crop than the thorough prep
aration of the land by deep blowing and
narrowing down to a fine tilth
The more fully the land is pulverized
the better will be the yield, no matter
how fertile the soil or how heavy the ap-
a matter which should be borne in mind,
because it is highly important Expert
ments have proven conclusively that land
prepared like an ashbank furnished hea%-
Ter yields of what than similar plats of
ground adjoining gave without such prep
aration, though a much higher percentage
of fertilizers we're applied to the latter
A corn and pea field, with the stubble
whipped under with good turner or
disc, and then narrowed over two OF
three times presents an ideal field 10;
sowing down in wheat. Barnyard manure
or cotton seed can then be broadcasted
and a disc harrow run over the held. OF
if the seed is put in with drilling ma
chine and commercial fertilizers used the
whole can be done at one time. Wheat Or
dinarily should be covered to depth OF
three inches, not deeper on heavy clay
soils. With good. clean seed wheat, SOY
| from one bushel to one and one-fourth
bushels per acre. If sown by hand en-
deavor to so scatter the grains that nv
spreading the full width of one hand
on the ground FIVE grains will be COW
| cred IF with a drill the machine can be
| reorIotnd ia 10 the work automatieal1y