The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1903-11-05
THE CULTIVATION OF WHEAT.
Proper Depth to Cover, When to Sow,
Soil Etc


1t is yet too early to plant wheat,
but not too early to begin the prepA-
nation OF the land, This should really
nave been commenced last spring on
land intended for wheat this fall.
Land which WIS we'll MANFRED and
thoroughly broken up last spring for
some other crop, so soon as that crop
has been gathered. is already far on
the way to being all that is needed to
make good wheat land
Soil.
The first essential IS to select for
sowing in wheat a suitable soil. one in
which loan and clay predominant,
which is much improved by a large
proportion of lime, furnished by eth
er nature or man. The soil must be
dry, underdrained If necessary. since
q large crop of wheat cannot be made
II there Is an excess of water in the
land A good wheat soil must also
have abundance of heterogeneous mat
ter, with sufficiency Of phosphoric
acid, potash and lime. II these ele-
ments are lacking. use plenty of barn
yard manure What we say about
cotton is also true of wheat
II Is better to put 500 pounds OF
your commercial fertilizer on one acre
than to spread it over two, for thus
one can make the same amount Of
wheat with less labor
Preparation.
In preparing soil for wheat, one of
the chief objects Is to keep the veg
etable matter and mineral portions as
near or as much on the surface as
possible, so that the roots of the
plants may strike out horizontally, in
stead Of going down in a more verti-
cal direction. A'thin, mellow stratum
of rich soil should be kept at or near
the surface. Subsoil, as the conditions
demand.
good seedbed must be prepared
by thoroughly blowing, fertilizing,
narrowing, raking, pulverizing and
rolling the land.
Proper Depth to Cover Wheat.
Experiments have proven that seed
wheat must not be planted too deep
and it has been suggested by many
who have given the subject careful
study, that it is better to harrow the
wheat and fertilizer in from one to
three inches deep, according to the
character Of the soil, which, If close
and heavy, will require a thinner GOV.
ering than II it is light or sandy.
When to Sow Wheat.
It is best to put the seed in as late
In the season as 1t can be, and still
have sufficient time to throw out a
system Of roots and leaves large
enough to cover the ground before the
cold Billiards come upon It, Mr.. w
]. Bridges Of SpaIding, one of our
most successful wheat growers, thinks
that wheat should not be sown until
after the first big frost In November
since IL will then stand more success
fully the ravages of the Hessian fly
Our best wheat growers In Georgia
generally plant from October 1 to No
vember /, according to soil and eli
matte conditions.
Continue to Grow Wheat.
Sometimes farmer falls with his
wheat crop. gets discouraged and de-
cides to plant no more wheat Does
he act in that way about his cotton
or his corn? Every one knows that
he does not. Neither should he 80
act in regard to his wheat It is an
exceedingly important crop.
BY growing his own wheat he has
his bran and shorts for stock food.
But what Is best Of all, he can have
the grain ground at his neighboring
mill, and have domestic -four, which
will make sweeter and more whole
some bread than -four purchased from
the west, even II 1t is not quite 50
white
GA. DEBT OF AGRICULTURE