The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-05-24

wheat growing sections which deserves
attention, that of lifting, spewing, throw
ing out by freezing, uplifting the soil
and breaking the roots of the plants.
All soils of this character should be treat
ed with the subsoil plow the under hard
pan or stiff clay subsoil broken deep
and a good supply of vegetable matter
in the form of green manure crops turn
ed under with a liberal amount of barn
yard manure. On such soils grow clovers
or cow peas to turn under, using with
them barnyard manure. Prepare deep
seed bed, SOW with press drill, in spring
cultivate with harrow or weeder and roll
and this plan of managing such soils will
prevent to a great extent the lifting or
spewing out of the wheat. This lifting
is caused from the wan. of the subsoil
being In a fine mechanical condition. There
is too much water In the subsoil and
drainage by subsoilinG will let this water
sink to level below the roots of the
wheat and thus prevents damage and
los.
Where the soil has the proper prepara-
tion the cultivation will be a pleasant
job. But the reader should remember that
the soil should have most of its cultiva-
ton before the seed are sown as no after
cultivation can ever remedy a neglect
In this respect
Pasturage.
Should wheat be pastured? As a rule
we should say no. Injudicious pasturing
of wheat is another one of the chief
causes of the deterioratlng of wheat that
we hear so much about. There may be
cases where Ii might be well to pasture
the wheat with light stock. but stock
should never be allowed on a field of
wheat when the soil is wet. IL wheat Is
pastured at all, 1t should be with light
stock-sheep young cattle and young
colts. How common it is to see great
droves of cattle, horses and hogs run
ming in fields of wheat when the soil
is muddy The hogs root up the wheat
and then the farmer wonders why his
wheat is deterloratng. Often we hear
such farmers say. This is no longer a
wheat-growing country. We can't grow
wheat here; we used to but things have
changed 1t is the careless farmer that
has made the changed conditions. Our adj
vice Is to keep the stock off the wheat
fields and If pasture is wanted SOW winter
rye.
Wheat Diseases-Smut and Rust.
Where soils have been properly pre-
pared there will be but few diseases to
attack wheat. Pasturing wheat is one of
the causes for rust and smut. However,
we believe that rust Is more often caused
from climatic or atmospheric conditions
which may be augmented by pasturing
when the soil Is too wet. 1t is claimed
that rust is common i'm many sections IL
so, we would recommend the use of lime,
also the use of kainit
Use in the fall just perore sowing
from 200 to 400 pounds of kainit per acre:
SOW 1t broadcast and harrow it in before
sowing the wheat. In the spring just
ahead of the cultivation recommended
above SOW the same amount of kainlt
which will be worked into the soil in the
cultivation. KANT contains about 12k per
cent potash and is therefore good fer
tllizer The kanit will also drive out or
destroy any injurious worms and insects,
such as cut worms, etc, that may be
in the soil So there Is a three-fold pur-
pose in its use: First to prevent rust.
second as a fertilizer and third as an in
secticide.
The farmer should remember to use
nitrogen as a top dressing. also as recon-
mended under another heading. SHUTS are
of two kinds. the puff or stink smut and
the loose smut. There is no Difficulty
whatever in clearing wheat of the stink
smut The seed should be treated with
bluestone by being submerged in the
brine Don't sprinkle; the sprinkling pro
cess Is not safe at all. Use one mound
of bluestone to five bushels of seed. Beat
the buestone fine, dissolve in water as
hot as the hand can bear: the watef
need only be enough to dissolve tire blue
stone, and then add enough warm water
to entirely cover the wheat
Stir often and see that the seed is all
kept well under the brine for twentv-
four hours; take out and II the seed il
to be sown by the drill, spread on a cloth
and sprinkle ocver 1t Stacked lime to all
sorb the moisture so that the drill will
handle 1t evenly II 1t is to be sown
broadcast by hand, the wet seed NAV be
taken to the field and sown.
In spite of all theories. or all that may