1272 



gp:nesee farmer. 



De( 



Wheat Culture. 



NUMBER TWO. 



IIow can oiie best increase the elements of 

 ~-*chcaf in soi/s where such elements are lacking ? 



This is a question of great practical moment. 

 ' To show, in the first place, what one acre of 

 ^- land can t^o, where Science had supplied it with 

 ' 3ach element used by Nature in forming this in- 

 ' valuable plant, so far as such elements were lack- 

 ^ing in the soil, we ask the reader's attention to 

 the following facts : 



in part VIII, vol. 2, page 206, Mr. Colman 

 •'says : " It is well attested that a crop of wheat 

 .grown in Norfolk county in the same year (1845) 

 ';^)roduced 11 quarters, 2 bushels, 3 pecks per acre, 

 ■«that is to say, 90 bushels, .3 pecks per acre." — 

 The evidence of the truth of this statement being 

 satisfactory to the Royal Agricultural Society, 

 4ts Council directed Prof. Playfair to make a 

 -critical analysis of the soil that produced this 

 remarkable crop. He did so, with the following 

 result : 



Organic matter, 2.4:} 



Hydrate water, 2. GO* 



Carbonic arid, 0.9,! 



Silica, Gl.2'3 



Per oxide of Iron, 3.41 



Lime, 1.2:1 



Alumina, [{.5o 



?<u]plinricacid, 0.09 



Phosphoric acid, 0..38 



Slagncsia, ...... i.jo 



Potash, 0.80 



•■Soda, 1..50 



Chlorine, -...,. a trace. 



Loss on analysis, .... 0.C3 



Total, - . . 100.00 

 In SO small an amount as 100 grains, this soil 

 allows an appreciable quantity of each element, 

 d^l4 in number,) found in perfect wheat plants. 

 And yet, more than four-fifths of the soil is noth- 

 ing but silica, or pure flint sand. The propor- 

 tion of silica is about the same as we find in our 

 best wheat soils in Wheatland. It differs from 

 ■*hem in containing more soda, potash, and phos- 

 .iphoric acid ; while the amount of lime, magnesia, 

 alumina, oxide of iron, and chlorine, correspond 

 ■very exactly with the results of our own analy- 

 '-.ses. We have, however, never so small an 

 amount of organic matter (vegetable mold) as 2i 

 per cent. The fact that over 90 bushels of wheat 

 -»can be grown on an acre with so little organic 

 matter in the surface soil as 2.43 per cent., is 

 ^'^vorthy of mature consideration by those that de- 

 '.sire to prepare their land for producing large 

 crops of wheat at the least expense. It is not 

 vegetable, but mineral matter that our soils lack 

 to give a large yield of plump wheat. An abun- 

 dance of mold will increase the growth o[ straw, 

 but not oi^ grain. To promote the growth of the 

 latter, no one thing is so valuable, as a general 

 rule, as that of hones boiled to a powder in strong 

 lye. To this the addition of gypsum and com- 



" Water not driven off at 212' of heat. 



mon salt will be of great service. The phos- 

 phate of lime contained in bones is an indispens- 

 able ingredsent in forming the seeds of the wheat 

 plant. The gluten in this grain contains sul- 

 phur, which the sulphate of lime (gypsum,) will 

 furnish. Tiie plant also needs potash, soda mag- 

 nesia, and chlorine ; idl of which the common 

 salt, and ashes leached to obtain lye, will supply. 

 The liquid excretions as well as the dung of 

 animals abound in elements most useful in form- 

 ing wheat. But an excess of manure will be ru- 

 inous to the crop. And why this is so, let us 

 now consider. Suppose, for an experiment, one 

 should make 2000 Ib.s. of ripe wheat, including 

 both straw and grain, into a heap of manure for 

 feeding a second crop of wheat plants. Let this 

 manure be spread over the ground eight or ten- 

 inches deep, so that the plants would have to or- 

 ganize their tissues, seed, &c., from the appro- 

 priate elements contained in the manure. Could 

 a large yield of good seeds be thus grown ? We 

 think not. Why not? Every thing the kernels 

 of wheat need, as well as all that the stems and 

 leaves require, would be present in great abun- 

 dance. The difficulty is this : Nature designs 

 that this plant shall derive from the atmosphere, 

 througli the medium of its roots and leaves, a 

 large portion of the carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, 

 and hydrogen, used in organizing its seed. — 

 Hence, to feed wheat plants with an excess of 

 tliese elements in rotting manure, is to inflict a 

 surfeit and disease upon the same. All organ- 

 ized beings, whether vegetable or animal, may 

 be injured, more or less, by having an excess of 

 nutritious matter thrown into their circulating 

 systems. Wheat can endure this surfeit far less 

 than corn, oats, or barley. There is a natural 

 limit beyond which we can not force any plant 

 or animal, by the use of its most appropriate food. 

 But in regard to wheat culture, we are far behind 

 the maximum of product consistent with the high- 

 est profit. Something can be gained on most 

 farms, by the droppings of domestic animals, ap- 

 plied directly to wlieat fallows. They are not 

 generally too rich for a dose of barn-yard ma- 

 nure ; especially if it be well rotted, and contain 

 an admixture of gypsum, salt, ashes, and lime. 

 Don't spare the clover seed, the plaster, nor the 

 leached ashes, where you wish to enrich your soil. 



Most farmers, in our judgement, sow too little 

 seed per acre. Tliey seem to have too many 

 acres to do full justice to each rood of land. — 

 Having contrived, some how, to obtain posses- 

 sion of a large surface, they aj)pear too poor in 

 ready money, to prosecute their business to the 

 best advantage. Pride and avarice in agricul- 

 ture, as in other pursuits, over-reach themselves. 

 Less capital in land, and more in ready cash, 

 would effect a change most advantageous to more 

 than one reader of our paper. The great objec- 

 tion to buying the things required to form good 

 crops of wheat, is the want of funds for that pui-- 



