The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-09-11

ina without a weed seed left to germ
mate. Wheat sowed on such a prep
dratlon as this grew off at once and
rarely suffered from winter killing IN
the spring it would tiller ont and
cover the land, and unless the Sc" son
was most unpropritious one, would
hldke a full crop. Whilst mOieTn
methods of rotation have largely sup
planted the old summer falloW as a
preparation for wheat, there is much
20 be learned as TO the requirements
OF the crop from the old system.
Early ploWing of the land and fire.
quent narrowing and rolling are es-
senual to success. The subsoil must
pc compact. yet permeabie by the
roots, whilst the surface soil, say 5
or inches deep, must be fine and
loose. Experiments made in
different sections Of the coun-
try all unite in demonstrate
ing that frequent cultivation of
he land before seeding is conducive
to increased yield, and that harrow
ing the crop in spring after it has
commenced to grow is highly benef-
cial. Wheat calls for a liberal supply
If all the three leading elements of
olant food, nitrogen, phosphoric acid
md potash. A crop of 80 bushels to
The acre, with the straw takes the
pounds Of DhosDhoric acid. % pounds
Of pota-h and 10 IL pounds Of
ime This quantity of food at least
must be available during the growth
Of the crop. hence the land must be
naturally fertile or be artificially sup
oiled with the food in the shape Of
fertilizer of one kind or another. The
lime and potash can be best supplied
oy dressing of % to so bushels of
Is.~.1 snc
the land is plowed, and gradually
worked into the soil during the prep
ration for seeding. The lime will
make the potash of the soil available.
Experiments have proved that whilst
wheat calls for this quantity of plant
food. it does not call for it to any
considerable extent in the early stages
Of its growth. Wheat assimilates its
food mainly at the time of shooting
the ears and filing out the grain. For
this reason q slowly available phoS-
phate like bone meal and slowly avail
able nitrogen like that derived from
the decay of a clover or COW pea crop
usually gives better results than more
quickly available forms of these fer
tilizers Probably the best way to
supply the phosphoric acid is to use
half bone meal and half acid phos-
phate, thus continuing the supply
practically over the whole period OF
growth. The bone meal will give
also a sufficient supply of nitrogen to
start the growth of the plants in the
fall. The nitrogen needed by the crop
is most cheaply supplied by planting
on a clover or COW pea falloW. Nj
trogen from this source becomes avail
able for it most strongly. Expert
ments made in various States have
demonstrated that a COW pea or clover
fallow can increase the yield of a
wheat crop so per cent over that
grown upon land which has not grown
hese crops. These crops however.
require to be used with discretion in
their management or they may actu-
ally cause "a decrease in the yield.
especially is this the case with the COW
pea crop. Its immense production of
vines may sour the land if turned
down in the late summer or early fall
unless lime is also applied, and I'M
less the crop is turned down very
early say at least six weeks or two
months before the wheat is sown the
land will be rendered too light ana
puffy for the best results. This may
also happen with clover if the growth
is heavy. Where wheat is to follow
these crops they should be Craze d
down or be cut FOR hay before being
plowed down and lime applied. We
have had very frequent complaint of
failure to make q good wheat crop on
a COW pea falIow and we believe that
the main cause for this was the puff
ness of the land. This however, does
not always follow, as in this issue
will be found u report of a crop of
40 bushels to the acre grown on a
COW pea fallow, but we DO not advise
taking the risk. AS a general pTinci-
pie, no better preparation for a wheat
crop can be adopted than the growing
of COW peas or clover or any of the
legumes. BY the adoption of this
system alone Mr.. Bellwood. of
Drewry's Bluff, has brought up land
that would not grow wheat at all
ten years ago. so that 1t now produces
from 30 to 40 bushels to the acre
Where wheat is grown on land lacking
in humus, and where neither COW peas
nor clover have been turned down
it is we'll only to apply part of the
nitrogen required at the seeding of the
crop (say only such part as viii be
supplied in a dressing of bone meaD
and then in the spring after the crop
has started to grow freely apply a
dressing Of 100 mounds of nitrate of
soda per acre. The most important
thing in fertilizing q wheat crop is to
supply an abundance Of phosphoric
acid If the land is lacking in this
element. then at least 500 pounds of
acid phosphate, or. better still, half
acid phosphate and half bone meal
should be applied per acre and be
we'll worked into the soil.
Whilst it is important to set growth
well started before winter sets in
yet it is equally important not to SOW
so soon as to incur risk of damage
from the fly Wheat sown before
frost has been left is almost certain
to be injured by the fly, especially in
sections where the fly has been
troublesome in the past. The last
week in September and first half of
October is about the best time to seed
wheat in Virginia, and a little later
further South. Where fly has infested
the crop recently. trap crop of
wheat should be seeded at once before
the main crop is sown. Plow a strip
Of land on one side of the intended
wheat field say a couple of yards
wide and fifty yards long and SOW it
with wheat and harrow In. If the
fly is about this will be quickly in
tested with it laying its eggs Ee-
fore seeding the main crop pillow this
strip down and roll it, and thus de-
stroy both flies and eggs. If every
farmer would adopt this plan the Hes
sian fy would soon be unknown. AS
A. No 1Ad n, Sc,