286 



THE GENESEE FiVRMER. 



a strip of one or two acres of wheat about the 

 middle of August, so as to be well advanced when 

 the bulk of the crop is to be sown, and then turn- 

 ing this strip under with the plow after the rest is 

 sown, and re-sowing it immediately. 



AVe have always been in favor of rather thick 

 seeding. A few years since, Hewitt Davis and 

 other English writers contended that by dibbling 

 in the seed a foot apart, one peck to the acre was 

 amply sufficient. That good crops were obtained 

 ill this way, there can be no doubt ; but still it was 

 found that those who practiced such thin seeding 

 frequently had several acres where the crop was 

 destroyed or much injured. The loss on these por- 

 tions more than counter-balanced the gain from the 

 saving of seed on the whole breadth of land sown. 

 Thin seeding was a new thing, and the successes 

 were paraded in the public papers, while little was 

 said of the failures. Haedt, of Exeter, and ^Meciu, 

 of Tiptree, still advocate thin seeding; but the 

 majority of English farmers jjrefer to sow i)lenty 

 of seed, in order to guard against the numerous 

 casualties to which wheat is liable. 



We do not need to sow as thickly in this country 

 as in England, owing perhaps to the fact that we 

 sow 80 much earlier; but still the same remarks 

 !)old good here. "We must sow more than would 

 lie absolutely necessary provided everything was 

 favorable, in order to insure plants enough under 

 tU circumstances, whether favorable or otherwise. 

 Is it not true, too, that wheat thin on the ground 

 is apt to be late ? In this section we should not 

 ~o\v less than two bushels per acre broadcast, or 

 ><ne and three-fourths bushels with the drill. 



In regard to drilling, we do not think tlie ad- 

 vantages are so decided or so numerous as is gen- 

 erally claimed. A standard English author, and a 

 practical farmer of great experience, asserts that 

 unless wheat is hoed there is little if any advantage 

 in sowing it in drills. This may be so in England ; 

 but in this country, where we have not unfrequent- 

 ly very dry weather about the time wheat is sown, 

 there is one advantage in drilling which should not 

 be overlooked — it deposits the seed evenly and 

 below the dry surface soil, and thus insures imme- 

 diate and more regular germination. There are no 

 better wheat growers in the United States than 

 Joim Johnston and Robeet J. Swan, of Seneca 

 county, N. Y. Their farms adjoin ; are both 

 Uioroughly underdrained ; both summer-fallowed 

 in the best manner. In 185G, a drouth set in at 

 the time of wheat sowing, in September. Mr. 

 Swan sowed his wheat witli a drill ; Mr. Jounston 

 jroadcast. Mr. Swan's drilled wheat camo up 



thickly and grew luxuriantly, while Mr. Johns- 

 ton's was thin, and he found that "none of th( 

 seed vegetated except that deepest in the ground ;' 

 and he is of opinion tha-t had he sown with th( 

 drill, he would have gained, "in all probability 

 500 or 000 bushels of v.-heat." (See Gene.tee Farm 

 er for November, 1857, page 338.) This, fronr 

 such a man, is strong testimony in favor of drilling 

 — when the soil is dry at the time of sowing. 



We have written so much in regard to manure 

 for wheat, that nothing Inrther need be said at tlii 

 time. Of all artificial manures, we know ofnon.. 

 that can be profitably used on wheat, except Peru 

 man gnano; and it is very doubtful if this pay 

 when wheat sells for less than $1.50 })er bushel 

 If our readers wish to test the matter for them 

 selves, sow from 200 to 300 lbs. of guano broad 

 cast before or at the time of seeding. Do not k 

 it come in direct contact with the seed. Be care 

 fill to get Peruvian guano, and do not be persuade 

 into buying any of the numerous phosphatic guanc 

 now in market. In most cases, for wheat, they ar 

 not worth the freight charges. 



John Johnston finds that a barrel of salt pe^ 

 acre has a decidedly good effect on wheat on hi 

 soil — increasing the growth and the early maturit 

 of the crop. The good elTect' of the salt is probt 

 bly owing to its increasing the solubility ot th 

 double silicate of alumina and ammonia in the f^oil 

 and of course the salt would have little eft'ect o 

 such poor soils as do not contain tliis or simila 

 substances. It does not follow, therefore, tliat sa! 

 will in all cases be beneficial on wheat. But it ca 

 do no harm, and every farmer might readily ta 

 the matter for himself. Mr. J. sowed the salt l 

 the time of seeding, but agrees with us in thiukia 

 that if sown earlier it would be better. 



h 



Hat fok Sheep and Fatting Stock in Summb 

 — Hay might be profitably givcH to stock tliat arJ 

 being fatted on grass. It is a well-known fact tl| 

 an exclusive diet of green food will not fatten 80 

 mals as well as a variety of different materi.'ds 

 Australia, animals always attain their be^-^t coni 

 tion in the partly burned np gniss of mid-sumiiH 

 It is an old saying, "Sheep do better on roast ni( 

 than on boiled." 



ExTiHPATiNO Thistles fkom Grass Land. — V( 



said that the use of the roller is a most effeclJ 

 method of getting rid of thistles as well as mnlleil 

 and other large weeds. No doubt the scytl 

 makes a " clean sweep ;" so does the snrgeon, whi 

 he cuts off a leg; but let a crushed limb remi 

 attached to the body, and the end will be mo! 

 cation and death. 



