186 



THE WHEAT CIJLTUEIST. 



Wheat after Potatoes. 



From a letter penned by J. W. Hutchins, a practical 

 farmer of Templeton, Mass., the following extracts are 

 taken on this subject, which will corroborate the point 

 that has been repeated and again reiterated, that in order 

 to raise wheat successfully the ground must be thoroughly 

 fertilized with rich manure at least one or two seasons 

 previous to the time of putting in the seed. The writer 

 says : "In some parts of 'New England there is con- 

 siderable prejudice among farmers in regard to the cul- 

 ture of wheat. Many having tried once or twice to raise 

 this kind of grain and failing, declare that wheat can- 

 not be grown successfully except on certain farms. I, 

 however, believe that wheat can be cultivated with 

 profit by most farmers in E"ew England, although it re- 

 quires some experience to raise a good crop. In saying 

 this, I do not wish to be understood that wheat can be 

 raised with satisfactory profit on all kinds of soil, for it 

 cannot. Still, I do believe that most farmers in the 

 l^ew England States can, by judicious management, and 

 they ought, to raise wheat for their own families. Wheat 

 ought to be grown because it is an excellent article of 

 food ; and when successfully cultivated, it is more profit- 

 able than any other grain. Moreover, a crop of wheat 

 exhausts the soil where it grows, less than a crop of oats 

 or barley ; and grass seed when sowed for stocking down 

 the land, will germinate and grow better than when 

 sowed where other cereals are growing. IIa\dng had 

 considerable experience and good success in raising 

 wheat and other crops, perhaps it may not be amiss to 

 record some of my observations and practice, for the 

 benefit of my brother farmers ; although I feel that I am 



