73 

 CHAPTER XVIII. 



JOHN JOHNSTON AND OTHERS ON RAISING WHEAT. 



In 1874, one of the editors of the Country Gentle- 

 man, after a visit to John Johnston said : 



u Mr. Johnston showed us a field upon which he 

 had raised wheat for more than thirty years every 

 alternate year, the average yield constantly increasing. 

 His plan was to fallow plow about the middle of June ; 

 plow again about September first and top-dress heavily 

 with manure and sow wheat. Early the next spring 

 he sowed on clover seed and plaster. After harvest? 

 if the clover grew large enough to head out, Tie 

 pastured it more or less ; but if no blossoms appeared 

 he put no stock on it. The next spring he pastured 

 the clover lightly until it blossomed when it was 

 turned under as before. He had found this two-crop 

 rotation very successful." 



Now, can there be any objection to the addition of 

 one more green crop as a top-dressing to this very 

 successful mode of raising wheat ? You recollect how 

 strongly he is in favor of some kind of protection, to 

 save the crop from the blasting winds and other 

 injuries. After plowing in the clover, there would be 

 ample time to raise ten or fifteen tons per acre of 

 green corn, and to cultivate and clean the field as 

 effectually as if nothing was growing on it. 



We should notice this fact, that he " top-dressed 

 heavily with manure." Yet even that did not prevent 

 the wheat from being killed when exposed to north- 

 west winds. 



If the free use of the very best manure, will always 

 insure a heavy crop of wheat, his crops should never 

 fail. He was in the habit, every winter, of feeding 



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