28 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



it has been put in early, with the ground in a suitable state. The 

 most common method of cultivation is to break the sod and sow 

 to oats without manure ; take off the oats and plow in the fall ; 

 next spring-, manure and plant potatoes ; the third year manure . 

 again and plant to corn, and plow again in the fall ; the fourth 

 year, as early in the spring as practicable, sow two bushels of 

 wheat to the acre, and seed down with clover and herds grass for 

 hay, using genei'ally no additional manure, considering that the 

 soil that will produce good corn will produce good enough wheat. 

 Here is where this method is at fault. Too much is presumed for 

 the soil that has just carried a succession of exhaustive crops. 

 An additional manuring should attend the wheat sowing. The 

 seed is sown broadcast by hand and harrowed in, unevenly at 

 best ; hence it germinates and grows unevenly to maturity. Drill 

 sowing would seem the better plan, although in Somerset county 

 this implement is wholly unknown, and is used little if any in the 

 State. It is claimed that the drill distributes more evenly and 

 covers at a uniform and proper depth. The grain germinates and 

 comes up all at once and starts out for maturity with equal chances. 

 It is also claimed that the drill will save half a bushel of seed to the 

 acre, and the yield be much more. These considerations would 

 seem to make its use as worthy of trial, at least here, as elsewhere. 

 Wheat above all other crops requires rich and careful cultivation. 

 With our virgin soil we had no difficulty in raising wheat. But 

 now exhaustion is written on every hand, and without systematic 

 culture and a bountiful supply of fertilizers adapted to its growth, 

 we may well expect to fail. 



We must awake to a realizing sense of the situation if we would 

 reap a golden harvest from our labors. But if we would bestow the 

 same care and expense upon the preparation of the soil and the 

 cultivation of the wheat crop, that we do upon breeding " fast 

 horses " or fine-wool sheep, we should be amply remunerated, 

 though there might be fewer 2.40 horses, or thousand dollar bucks 

 in the State. If wheat is a legitimate crop, as stated, it is 

 assumed that our soil, in proper condition, is sufficiently adapted 

 to its growth to warrant its cultivation. As a prerequisite to 

 proper condition, underdraining, where the soil is not naturally dry, 

 is essential. Next in importance is a free application of suitable 

 fertilizers. With the soil in its virgin state, a good crop may be 

 produced "by working blindly and by main force," but with our 

 present worn-out fields, farmers need to work " understandingly 



