The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-07-26
THE WHEAT CROP AND WINTER
OATS.
Progressive Farmer.)

The farmers in the Southern Pied
mont section are already writing tor
information in regard to the wheat
crop. But, as usual, most Of them
seem to be more anxious to know
what fertilizer and how much to use.
This matter Of fertilization always
seems to come first to every Southern
farmer whe contemplating the
planting Of any crop. And every one
of them thinks tina I can advise as to
the proper fertilization Of his soil
without knowing anything about its
particular needs.
Farmer all over the South are,
doubtless, buying fertilizers that they
do not need to buy. They certainty
do not need to buy ammonia or nitro
gen in any form, if they farm right,
and on most Of the red clay lands they
can do without the purchase of potash
if they use basic Stag phosphate lib
orally on their wheat crop, as the
lime carried by basic Stag will tend
to release some of the insoluble pot
ash with which these soils abound.
This is especially true where the land
is in peas in preparation for the wheat
crop. Having peas l would certain
ly NOW them for hay, for you can get
the land in better shape for wheat
with only the stubble, for wheat needs
a well settled and compacted soil. Nor
would 1 pillow the stubble deeply. The
blowing for the peas will be all suffi-
| cient, and 1 would disk the stubble
over, not more than three inches
deep, after either peas or corn. But
I would run the disk till the land was
as fine as it is possible to make it, and
was we'll tramped over and packed
by the teams. Then do not SOW too
early, or you may catch the HeSsian
fly. Keep the land stirred n fined
till there is q light white frost, and
then drill the wheat. If the and IS
thin, l would use not less than 400
| pounds of basic Stag per acre, and
would SOW six pecks Of seed per acre.
On tronger and I would use some
what less of the phosphate and would
SOW five pecks of seed per acre, for the
plants will tiller more on the strong
soil.
But l am getting letters continually
from farmers in the level sandy coast
country asking about wheat growing
l do not think that in the coast sec
ZION from 1NOIll SdIOltI1d SOhllI o. u I,
wheat can ever be made a profitable
crop. The lands, as q rule, are not
suited to the crop, being generally too
light and sandy, and the humidity of
the climate will always the
rust, and hat will ruin the crop.
In the coast country and over the
greater part of the Gulf States winter
oats will always be more profitable
than wheat. The preparation of the
soil should be the same as for wheat,
for winter killing is always worse
where the land is loose and lumpy.
Therefore the best thing to do is to
fine the surface soil with the disk
and coinpact it with roller and harrow
Then drill the seed in, and if the soil
is in the proper condition, the drilling
will be more profitable than the la
borious open-furrow method that
some practice. Sow not later than
October, and still better in September,
and get a good fall growth.
Then SOW clean seed. On O farm
here in southern Maryland in the i'm
pTovement Of which I am interested,
we sowed last September perfectly
clean seed of the Virginia Turf oats.
The winter was a hard one, but in
that whole field not q plant turned
to cheat simply because there were
no cheat seed SOWn. But if you SOW
seed that have cheat seed mixed in
them, you Will conclude next spring
that the oats have turned to cheat,
when, in fact, every cheat plant came
from a cheat seed, for the seed Of
cheat looks very much like a small
Oat grain. They can easily be blown
out with a tanning mill, and all seed
should be re-cIeaned we'll, whether
of wheat or oats, for the best crops
always come from heavy clean seed.
FATKIAND EARN5CR