The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-09-29

of their crops. This is one of the
strongest reasons for placing wheat in a
rotation, the farmer growing just as
much wheat as he can care for and no
more. 1t Is certainly poor economy for a
farmer to SOW 100 acres of wheat when
he knows that with the forces at his COM
mand he can only care for and save ten
acres l have seen may instances where
ten acres of wheat grown and cared for
as 1t should be would have paid better
than the 100 acres. The farmer could not
save his 100 acres and often it was sown
where he could not pasture, and so the
crop became largely a clear loss. This
has been true the past two bad. rainy
summers in the west There are other
advantages to be derived from placing
wheat in a well regulated rotation of
crops. 1t will make wheat growing pos
sible and profitable over nearly all Sec
lions of our country.
Time to Sow.
The season Is now here for sowing fall
or winter wheat and this Is the only
wheat that 1t will pay our readers of
the south to attempt growing. The seed
ing seasons however, in most sections
of the south may be continued up to
, the middle of November, and the writer
has grown fine crops of wheat in middle
Tennessee from sowings made as late as
the middle of December. However would
not advise the delaying of seeding later
than the middle of November. The mid
die of October is perhaps the best time
to sow wheat in Tennessee. Alabama,
Mississippi and Arkansas This depends
much upon the condition of the soil
! The land should be broken In July or
August and kept we'll narrowed and cul-
tiyated until seeding time.
The most important matter is to keep
the seed bed in good condition, well fertl-
A1 90. l,aR4 al
seedlings are made the plants will spring
right up and make a strong, vigorous
growth. There is never any time to be
gained by hurrying the seedlings before
the seed bed has been properly prepared
| A loose dust mulch surface cultivation OF
| the soil is needed with a firm seed bed I'M
der the surface. Where the soil is of a
: light or sandy nature it may be best ia
roll the land.
Fertilizers.
| Now a few words about fertilizers for
wheat AS | have outlined before near
ly all of our soils in the south are greatly
deficient in humus and this should first
be provided for. 1t can be had by proper
use Of our legumes and barnyard manure.
After q sufficient amount of humus has
been provided 1t would be well to use from
two to four hundred pounds according to
! the physical condition of the soil, of phos-
phoric acid. 1t is practically immaterial
! from what source the acid phosphates
come, so that it Is in an available form.
Perhaps the cheapest source would be to
use what we call floats rock phosphates
from the phosphate beds OF many of our
southern states. Where the soil Is in as
fine a physical condition 1t should be-
as much as one thousand pounds of these
floats can be used per acre to good adj
vantage and profit If all of it is not
needed for the wheat crop 1t will remain
In the soil and be of benefit to the crops
that may follow the wheat. Raw bone
meal may also be used as the source of
supply of phosphoric acid or where i'm
mediate action is required, the steamed
bone meal or the phosphate rock which
has been treated with sulphuric acid may
be used. 1t is practically a waste of time
and money to use nitrogen and potash
for wheat at sowing time. These should
be applied in the spring or late winter
! just when the wheat plants are taking on
| a vigorous growth. Where the soil has
! been fertilized and the seed bed prepared
| as 1t should be-ahead of seeding-I would
| recommend the formula used by the Mary
| land Experiment station as a top dressing
! for the wheat, this of course To be used
| in the spring just when the wheat is put
| ting forth vigorous growth. This form
, ula so far as quantity is concerned should
be varied so as to suit the requirements