The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-09-04

lands 10 cloAefs anu grasses and go 10 growing sheep and dairy COWS. In fact ing business for the farmers of this country.
 The oat crop in the oat section is fine, though much has been damaged by the rains There has been grown an unusu- ally fine crop of winter rye. The same may be said for barley. The hop crop has been heavy in nearly all sections, although the rain has damaged fl some. The potato crop is not nearly so prom fsing as it was last year. The onion crop Ia fine. The apples are very short and of very poor quality all over the coun- try, there being only few sections where there Is any promise at all. The tomato crop, for canning, is small and of poor quality in all the middle and western states. I stopped Tn Baltimore one day last week, especially to inquire about the canning industry and learned that the canning plants are having great difficulty in securing tomatoes at all They had contracted for stock at 25 cents per bushel, but owing to shortage, to- matoes were selling on the market for from 40 to 60 cents. Last season the case was entirely different, as tomatoes sold on the market as low as cents per bushel, so the growers made money by having their crops contracted for at 90 cents. But when tomatoes are selling readily for 50 cents on the market, 1t Is a hard matter to get the growers to de- liver their crops to the canneries at 20 cents, although they have contracted to do so
 Corn Canning Season On.
 There seems to be an ample supply of sweet or sugar corn for canning pur- noses and they are now in the middle of the corn canning season. The pea crop Is one of the main industries In Maryland, Delaware and New Jersey and thousands of acres of peas are grown annually TOT the great canneries. The pickle industry if also great for these sections. The peacn crop is also fine in sections of Maryland and Delaware, and there is promise for a large crop this season. was very much surprised to see fine peaches in lll- nois, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, New York and Pennsylvania.
 New Jersey and Delaware both grow very fine sweet potatoes. The Jersey sweet potato is known and prized all over the country and is perhaps the best pota- to grown in the United States. They are being shipped to all parts of the coun- try. The crop this season is very fine and Is now moving quite freely
 I had many very plasant experiences on my trip as well as a great opportuni- ty to see and learn things of interest. But one thing that come under my ob- servation 1 desire to make mention Of here as an object lesson for readers. I was invited out to a farm In Penn- sylvania when thrashing was in progress. I was informed before going out that this farmer was worth more than mill lion dollars and that he owned a modern up-to-date farm. The farmer showed me some samples of wheat one being fine bearded variety. The farmer said, There is one variety of wheat that l shall drop from my list. as 1t does not produce heavy enough. This year it is not yielding more than thirty-fve bushels per acre, and I cannot afford to grow wheat that yields less than forty bushels"
 Now, this put me to thinking. Here in the great south and southwest we have farmers who are sowing wheat seed year after year and in many sections the crops from these poor varieties of seed are yielding less than eight bushels per acre. The strangest thing of all Is that they seem to be so well satisfied with these poor results. What We need Is a thorough preparation of the seed bed for all grains. Then secure perfect seed and SOW and care for 1t as these farmers of Maryland and Pennsylvania are doing. When our southern farmers adopt these improved methods of farming they, too, will get such results
 Seasonable Hints.
 Some farmers say that there is a growth of weeds and grass on their lands this season They fear that they may not be able to get them plowed under deep enough so that they will settle or rot and leave a suitable seed bed for the wheat. This Is 0 matter that can easily be managed. Put heavy chain on good blow and turn the weeds under deep. good top dressing of lime should be used to hasten the decay of the vege- table matter and to correct any acidity that may be in the soil. A good disk har- row should be used In few days after the land is broken. Ten days or two weeks will be about the proper time for this work, following the disk with a smoothing harrow and good roller, af- ter which SOW the seed with a good press drill.
 Wheat should never be hurried into the ground before the seed bed Is properly prepared Work may be, in fact should be, pushed now in preparing the seed bed and it will pay to have the bed pre- pared even if the seeding has to be de- layed for several weeks. The wheat will grow all the faster when sown in this way, and will pay far better in the end. The seed is not the only question for poor wheat. Poor, badly prepared seed beds are a more common cause, So the best plan is to commence with the soil. get this right, then procure pure. high bred seed and with proper management big crops at harvest will be the farmer s reward.