PIVOTED EXCLUSIVELY T 
IMPROVEMENT OF SOUTHERN AGRICOTUEE. 
\0L. Kill. 
willia; 
AUGUSTA, GA., OCTOBER, 1855. 
NO. iO. 
r * M'B'7^ERMS on LAS7' 
.WHEAT CULTURE IN THE SOUTHERN STATES. 
rejoice to know that the cultivation of Wheat in 
, the Southern Stales meets with such encouragement as is 
^feely to make it a valuable staple in a new system of ro 
lation of crops. should be considered in cotfmection 
with planti^j^f^pUfcthe natural and the cumulative wants 
of the soil, as well as the almost universal desire for Wheat 
bread. Ast<|^w3|l.e of human food, in no part of the 
world^lTR^t^mnk^:id*vo!antarily lessened their daily con- 
sumption of Wheat, because they preferred bread made of 
the meal of maize, 15^, rye, barley, oats, or any other 
cereal. On the contrary, thousands of families in all the 
-States, to say nothing of the daily bread of the masses in 
iffurope, annually consume less meal and more Wheat flour, 
as their means enable them to consult their taste. On good 
Wheat land, one can raise a bushel of Wheat quite as 
cheaply, as one of corn; but such land is not common, 
and of course 100 pounds of flour cost more labor than a 
dike quantity of meal, to most producers. If they had all 
the experience and skill in growing Wheat wliich they 
possess in the cultivation of com, such an increase of 
knowledge would enable them to reduce the first cost of 
a bushel of Wheat nearly one half. This valuable know- 
iedge will lie acquired, sooner or later, for the increasing 
rmiliions are sure to perpetuate an increasing market for 
this grain. 
In Dr. Schmitz’s translation of Nir.nuaR’.s “ Lectures 
on Ancient History,” may be found the following re- 
marks: (Vol. f, p Id) “Man was first created at Baliylon 
corn [wheat.] there grew w''Vl ; and the new race of being^ 
there found the first necess. ry food, especially Wlieai 
Tiiis tradition is the rr.ore reniarkaide because several 
naturalists have made the observation that com [Wheat] 
does not grow wild in any part ofthe world. I do noi 
ktiow wlir-tlter by a process of im[)rovemenl our garden 
fruits can be derived fro n wil l fruit; it is well known, 
howi ver, that the noble Vine Grapes grow wild in Col di; .s 
Whence, then, does C jrn ct)tne'! My opinion is that 
DANIEL LEE, M. D., .and D. REDMOND. Foutors. 
God made direct provision for man ; something was giver* 
to all, real Wheat to the Asiatics, and Maize to the Ameri- 
cans.” ® 
We cite the above, not so much to record in these pages 
the “opinion” of so ripe a schc'lar and so careful an ob- 
server us N’f.durr, in reference to “the direct provision 
made for man” by his Creator, as to indicate the fact that 
the warm valley of the Euphrates, if not that of the Nile, 
is the earliest known habitat of the Plant under consider- 
ation. The fact that Egypt has been able to feed indefin- 
ite millions at home on Wheat, and export a large surplus 
for three thousand years, prove.s tiiat our Southern cli- 
mate should be at least as friendly to the cultivation and 
growth of this grain as any north of us, so fit r as^m^era- 
tare effects the crop. The uncertainty of getting timely 
rains i'=i, probably, the most serious impediment and risk 
encountered by the Southern Wheat grow'er. He has not 
the waters of the Nile nor of the Euphrates to^irrigate his 
land v/hen it suffers from protracted dry weather. If a 
kind Providence sends him fruitful seasons he is grateful 
for the same; but when the “early and latter rain” fail,, 
he has bo remedy. There is, however, us gooil a chances 
for Wheat as for corn or cotton, and }>erhaps a better one 
than for either, as Wheat is ripe in May, and some months 
in advance of cotton and corn. Wheat is liable to injury 
by insects and parasitic plants ; but not more so than cor» 
and cotton. 
Not to dwell on hazards and casualiiies which are too 
numerous and important not to be named, we remark that 
every one who sows wheat should see that the land is^eelR 
prepared far the seed. Defective plowing will certainly tell 
against the hm-vest. The most commnji defects in plow- 
ing are : — 1st, leaving a part of the ^il unbrokci'^ 26, not 
stirring it to a sufficir-nt depth, and ,'h],n->ot killing grass, 
weed.s, husho.s ami other hostile plants wliich. growing, 
absorb much of the strength of the eavtli Foul wheat 
fiel is are rarely, if ever, profiiaolc. There are soil.-, whicH 
it is unwise (o plow deeply immef'i -tely l-i fore seeding, 
for the subsoil is niiturally sour, or life. ess, r. nd can only 
■ c amelinrateil by mmiy montlis exposure to the sun, rain, 
im' gases, afier t!,py h .ve been plowed Liming gener- 
.illy ba-it, n.s tliH improve merit of sucb lands; but whether 
limed or not, they ought to be thoroughly pulverised to 
