The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1902-09-04

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| he rrt in los pounds, or one bushel
aid three pecks to the acre. The blue
s.a-l variety Is considered by many
the best. Il IS claimed by those who
have tried it that the soaking of the
N-eat in bluestone will prevent smut,
disease more to be dreaded then
rust. The bluestcne should be dis
solved in boiling water and about
gallon OF this water should be used for
every two bushels OF wheat. about one
for each gallon.
Dest Time to Plant Wheat.
The experience of our best farmers
is, that the wheat should be put in as
late in the season as will allow it to
throw ont a system of roots and
leaves large enough to cover the entire
surface OF ground before the coming
of the cold billiards. Our best Georgia
farmers plant from October LIST to No
vember LIST, according to latitude, soil
and climatic conditions. Some of our
most successful Middle Georgia farm
ers think that wheat should never be
sown until after the first big frost in
November, as it will then withstand
more successfully the ravages of the
Hessian fly or small grub. OF course,
the farmers of North Georgia plaut
earlier
How to Preserve and Restore the Fer
tiIity of the Soil.
After the wheat has been harvested
1t is an excellent plan to plant the
entire acreage in cow-peas; for there
is no crop, as far as we know, that
Will produce such permanent good eff.
feet upon the soil. By this method
the land Is put in good condition for
the next crop of wheat.
Much of our land in Georgia has
been run down by unwise cultivation
in the past. These exhausted lands
need nitrogen and available phosphoric
acid and potash, and, especially, lime
To restore these elements to our vast.
ed lands, SOW cowpeas after grain and
turn them under in the fall after hav.
Ing first broadcasted barnyard manure,
ashes and lime. The repetition of
this process from yea rto year will
steadily increase the fertility of the
soil and the wealth Of the farmer.
Best Fertilizers For Wheat.
Some soils are naturally so rich that
no fertilization is required; but these
are the exception, and even the most
of these will, after few years, require
some sort of fertilizers in the form of
plant food. These should be in a
form for immediate use. Barnyard
manure, if pulverized very fine and
then applied, is very valuable.
The planting of clover on wheat
lands in some sections, but of COW.
peas in most parts of Georgia, and
blowing these under several weeks be.
fore sowing the wheat, as has been
said, will prepare the land we'll for
this crop. In England, and in our
western states, the droppings of the
sheep and cattle have added much to
the productiveness of wheat lands.
But the majority of our farmers are
not stock raisers, and need fertilizer
that is Immediately available There
fore artificial fertilizers, or CONNER
mercial manures, must be used, for
the reason that farm manures cannot
always be had in sufficient quantity
and are rarely applied in a mechanical
condition to be readily assimilated by
the wheat plant But the commercial
manures have been scientifically pre-.
pared with special reference to the
needs of different kinds OF soils and
crops, and, though they involve some
outlay of money, the increase of tbs
crop will well repay the expenditure.
Experiments have frequently proved
that judicious application of SO
worth of the proper fertilizers will
often bring a return OF from $40 to $50
worth of grain.
In the management of the Depart.
ment of Agriculture, it has ever been
my aim to subserve the best interests
of the farmers of Georgia. After ma.
ture reflection still advise: Do rot
diminish your wheat acreage. Perse.
we're and cultivate your wheat lands
after the most approved method. Turn
not back; but go forward in this good
[ work. feeling assured that the final
outcome will be increased prosperity
for yourselves and for all the interests
of our beloved Georgia.
o. B. STEVENS,