Year: 1868




wheat ought to be put into the ground we


once more bring the subject before the farm


ers of Maine in the hope OF keeping it fresh


III their memories, and of inducing them IN
seiect and prepare their grounds for crop of


"in'er Wheat the coming season. We know


p'os'e's mas been made, and every step in ad-


vance ana all improvements in agriculture


constitute the only solid foundation for furtb-


er progress in all other branches of sc;enoo


and knowledge. From the Montblv Renort


OF the department ofAgriculture for last Nav


and June we learn some interesting and on.
couraging facts. An increase of ACREAGE sovn
with wheat is observed, in a greater or lesu
degree, in nearly every State.


The eastern States show no increase of foil
sowing, except per cent. in Vermont. but
the enlarged area of spring crops, which are
the main home reliance for bread supplies, is
very marked in Maine and Vermont. Maine
shows an advance of 20 per cent. and
vermont OF 10 per cent. New Hampshire
and Massachusetts, have not done SO well. but
made slight advance. New York indicates
per cent increase in full average with no
change in spring wheat. New Jersey shows
an increase of 8 per cent. of winter wheat.
In Delaware there is a reduction of per
cent. while increase of 8 per cent. is
shown in Maryland; IL in Georgia; 20
in Alabama; SO in Mississippi; 81 in Arkan-
sas; 40 in Tennessee; 30 in West Virginia.
IN Texas decrease is shown of per cent,
and in Kentucky of per cent Spring wheat
is not grown in the South.


The increased average in the West, where
the great bulk OF the wheat crop of the coun-
try is grown, is peculiarly interesting and
significant. Ohio presents per cent In
diana 10 per cent and Michigan IL per cent.
In portions of these States an unusual effort
has been made to enlarge the area by spring
sowing, presenting respectively IL, IA and
per cent increase. Illinois indicates an in
crease of spring sowing of IL per cent; Wis
consin per cent; Minnesota 23 per cent;
Iowa IL per cent. An increase in winter
wheat has also been made in those States
with the exception of Wisconsin and Iowa.
The increase of wiz ter wheat in Illinois is
placed at 10 per cent; in Missouri so per
cent; in Kansas rs per cent. 1aa.. s4.


An analysis of these averages will show a
general average of about II per cent increase
in the fall sowing, and 2S per cent. in the
breadth of spring wheat, altogether an in
crease of Is to 20 per cent. in the aggregate
number of acres in wheat.


1t will be seen by an examination of the
above statistics, derived from reliable source,
that Maine shows a very satisfactory and en-

sown with spring wheat shows an advance of
rs per cent. She has gone ahead with very
commendable speed, outstripping many other
States, and thereby increasing not only her
wealth but also her independence. Such facts
are decidedly encouraging, and we trust our
farmers will continue to slight it out on this
Line." The way is clear aud no flank move
ments will be necessary to insure glorious
victory. Our soil and climate are favorable
to the production of this valuable cereal, and
there is no reason under heaven why our
farmers should not grow wheat enough to
furnish bread for every man, woman and
child in the State and thereby save paying so
much tribute to other States. .....


1t gives us great pleasure to record the ad-
vance our farmers have already made in this
direction, and we trust now that they have so
firm grasp upon the plow handle they will
not look back. We are entirely satisfied that
there are many localities in our State where
winter wheat may be grown and give good
profit to the cultivator. The only trouble to
be feared is the winter killing. Now to guard
against this our farmers must exercise a
sound philosophy in selecting and preparing
their ground tor this crop. Deep SHOWS
make good covering, but these do not al
ways come, some may say. True, they may
not, but for some winters past there has
not been much trouble on account of Q
scarcity of snow. We generally have about
so much every winter in this latitude, and
farmers may safely calculate ON having a
goodly number OF snow-storms every winter.
Then again, there are certain portions of al
most every farm where the snow is not so
much blown off by the winds as it is from
other parts. Again, some soils on the same
farm are better for the growth of wheat than
others. The most suitable grounds should al
ways be selected, and then they should always
be selected, and then they should be we'll pre-
pared by plowing pulverizing and manuriug.
The cultivator must exercise sound judg-
ment and some philosophy, if he has any, for
wheat is crop that cannot be trifed with.


1t is Of no use to sow wheat on poor soil,
nor on grounds that are not well prepared to
receive the seed. Such sowing is labor lost
and then the farmer comes to the most un-
reasonable conclusion that Maine is not a





would any other State or spot on earth be for
such a farmer. He couldn't grow good crop
on the banks of the river Nile, nor on the
best bottom lands in the valley Of the Missis-
sippi. We have known some farmers in our
State who have grown excellent crops of o.
winter wheat. And we have known others
who never bought barrel of -four in their
lives, but raised their own wheat from year to
year. Some farmers may think that winter
wheat may be sown at any time before the
ground freezes up. So it may be, but il sown
too late the prospect for crop will not be
very bright. Winter wheat should be sown
in this latitude in the month OF September, so
that it may come up and get well rooted be-
fore winter sets in.. When thus grown and
rOOIeu, u il not so ndDle 10 De WlDteE kllleu
Let our farmers remember this. 1t is more
important than they may suppose it to be.


Now we trust some of our farmers will pro-
cure some good seed winter wheat and have
it ready for early fall sowing. In the mean
time, let them be looking about their farms
and selecting the best soil. Plow it deep,
manure it well, and some lime and ashes will
be found valuable, mixed with other manures,
Do not select more ground than you can
manure in proper manner. Better grow
twenty five bushels on one acre than on two.
If in our State would SOW one
acre, and the acres sown should average but
ten bushels per acre, our State would be the
richer by seven hundred thousand bushels of
wheat Maine can grow her own wheat II
her farmers will only do their duty.


AeRIcoLA.
Varieties.


"A New York paper SAYS that during this