Year: 1868

Tho American Farmer, published
at Baltimore, gives somo practical
hints on the cultivation of wheat, n
few extracts from which, applicable
to this latitude, we give below:


Editor Dallas Herald.


We promised in our last to give
such reply to a correspondent at
Shreveport, La, as would meet the
demand among our Southern read
ers, for information on, what is to
many of them, anew branch of hus-
bandry, wheat growing The policy,
if not the necessity, Of change of
system in cropping at the South, is
apparent, and the demand for this
information is tho result Of it.


i; X X X x


The best preparation for VIII hcat
crop is II clean clover fallow, well
turned, four weeks or moro before
seeding time; though the plowins
is often continued up to the time Of
seeding. The next best is fallow
of the cow pea, sown early enough
to be ripening whon the land is
plowcd for seeding. We have never
yet favored the sowing of corn
ground in wheat, yet it saves much
cost of preparation, and Il good crop
may be looked for when abundantly
fertilizcd. The pea sown with the
corn at its last working, as is COM
mon in the Southern States, is of
great value as a fertilizer for the
wheat, and keeps down the natural
growth which, on rich ground, OBJ
structs the seeding. Old sod, or
ground foul with blue grass, weeds
or other natural growth, is not fav
orable for wheat growing, and if
used of necessity, should be plowed
down deeply, and tho seed put in
so shallow as not to disturb the bed
lower than three inches. X = X


The seeding should be done, if
practicable, with drill having u
guano attachment which deposits
the fertilizer with the seed. The
Bickford and Huffman Drill is OF
long and well established character.
The grain passes through pointed
tubes, which run into the soft sur
face earth, depositing and covering
it. The Star Drill deposits the seed,
and plows it under with three inch
furrow, and it is claimed for it, that
putting the seed. in with perfect
uniformity, and every grain being
perfectly covered at the right depth,
much less may be used. 1t plows
in the seed and rolls the surface,
leaving the grain properly covered
at the bottom of a moderate furrow,
the sides of which fall in gradually,
insuring protection to the roots un-
der the most adverse circumstances.
Any good drill will economize seed
and fertilizer, save labor, and do the
work better than it can be otherwise
done; and its cost will be well re-
paid in single crop of forty acres.


The first plowing for wheat should
be as deep as the nature of the
ground will admit. AT the time Of
seeding, it should be as shallow as
will suffice for the proper covering
of the seed.


The proper time of seeding in the
latitude of Maryland, is from the
middle of September to the middle
of October. As we go South the
time may be heightened to the
month of December.


Opinion varies much as TO guam
tity of seed per acre. One bushel
with the drill and one and half
broadcast may be considered the
average allowance, increasing these
quantities somewhat for late sowing.


The labor saving implements ap-
propriate to wheat cultivation arc,
the drill as named above, the reaper
with rake attached, which lays the
cut grain in readiness for binding,
and the thresher. Good threshers
now in use, are set upon wheel
carriage for convenient locomotion,
and thresh and clean the grain at
the same operation. There is
convenience in this which commends
It to many, while others prefer to
clean separately with the wheat fan.
Drills. reapers. threshers and fans,
are all brought 20 a degree Of per-
feetion in operation, that leaves
nothing. almost, 70 be desired.