EFT. U 
THE Ry^AL HEW-YORKER. 
Jficltr Crop, 
WHEAT. 
DEFIANCE AND CHAMPLAIN. 
FIRST RKPORTS. 
Comparative Tests of Spring Wheats 
Upon Small Areas. 
EXPLANATION OF FIRST PAGE ENGRAV¬ 
ING. 
The several parts reduced to two-thirds 
natural size. Plot No. I. Spring Mediterranean, 
No. II. Spring Russian, No. III. China. No. 
IV. Defiance, No. V. Champlain, No. VI. Claw¬ 
son. (Winter.) 
■ ♦ ♦ ♦ 
NOTES FROM THE RURAL FARM. 
Spring Wheats. 
We have reason to feel much disappointed at 
the results of onr spring wheat experiments. 
Five plots thirty-three feet square, were sown 
to different varieties April 19, and all were cut 
August 17. The varieties were : 
Plot No. 1. . .....Mediterranean. 
“ " 2.Russian. 
“ “ 3.China. 
“ “ 4... . Defiance. 
“ “ 6 ...CUnuuplain. 
For two years previously, turnips were grown 
upon this laud, mail tired with houe flour drilled 
in. Three years ago rye was sown with a light 
sprinkling of bone. Previous to this for ten 
years at least, the land had not been cultivated, 
For the spring wheat, Mapes’ Complete manure 
alone, was so.vn broadcast upon the five plots, 
at the rate of 500 lbs. per acre. Up to the time 
when the heads began to set, the weather had 
been favorable, and the growth of straw and 
size of the heads were such as to promise a re¬ 
markable yield. We were the more hopeful of 
this, inasmuch as the farmers of this part of 
Long Island have from their own experience 
looked upon spring wheat as not worth sowing. 
About this time, however, showers were of al¬ 
most duly occurrence, followed by a powerful 
sun. The humid atmosphere was scalding. The 
heads set imperfectly, and the yield, as will be 
seen, was not such as to change materially the 
prevailing opinion of the farmers about us. 
Defiance and Champlain 
We were most interested in the new wheats, 
Defiance and Champlain. These originated 
with Mr. Pringle, of Vermont, who is well- 
known as having devoted himself assiduously 
for years, to the improvement of various farm 
crops, by cross breeding. The firm of Messrs. 
B. K. Bliss & Son, offered these wheats for the 
first time last spring, after, as they state, a 
careful trial of six years, and to them we owe 
our thanks for the seed in the experiments of 
which wo are speaking. 
Champlain was produced in 1870, by Mr. Prin¬ 
gle, so Mr. Bliss informs us, in Ilia endeavors to 
unite the remarkable hardiness of the Black Sea 
with tho superior quality of the Golden Drop. 
Several varieties were the result of this cross, 
from which Champlain was chosen as realizing 
the end in view. 
Defiance “ was the result of experiments in 
1871, to incorporate superior qualities upon the 
hardy stock of our common Club Wheat, by hy¬ 
bridizing it with one of the finest, whitest sorts 
of the Pacific coast.” Of the five varieties, De¬ 
fiance bore the heaviest straw, and broadest leaf. 
It would seem, as we have before remarked, that 
it is not at all liable to lodge, and, io fact, while 
others were lodged during several storms, this, 
and the same may be said of Champlain, re¬ 
mained as upright as before. It also tillers 
freely, and would no doubt prove an excellent 
variety to be sown in drillB a foot apart, bo as to 
admiGbf cultivation. 
Tim plots as we have said, were 33 feet square 
or oue-for lidh of an acre in area. 
No. 1 Spring Mediterranean, yielded.12 lbs. 
« 2 
“ Russian, 
tl 
“ 3 
“ Sprint? China, 
It 
.28 
“ 4 
*' Defiance, 
it 
“ 5 
** Champlain 
it 
.18 
The yield of D 'fiance would have been greater, 
had it not been cut too early. It was the laBt 
to ripen, and wo had inteudtd to cut the others 
and allow this to remain awhile. But the in¬ 
structions given were forgotten or disregarded. 
A medium-sized head of 
Mediterranean 
matured. 
grains. 
Russian 
ft 
.27 
«t 
China 
ft 
..33 
tt 
Defiance 
<1 
..67 
it 
Champlain 
ft 
a 
while a medium-sized head of Clawson (fig. vi.) 
taken from a field which averaged at least 25 
bushels per acre, bore but 32 grains. The large 
number of grains in the Bingle head of Defiance 
as compared with the weight of the grain of the 
entire plot of this variety, will show the extent 
to which they were shriveled, and the same, 
though less forcibly, may be said of Ohamplain. 
Judging by the samples of Defiance which we 
have seen, the grains are fully as large as those 
of ClawBon. Taking the average head of Claw¬ 
son as a guide, it would appear that had the 
grains of Defiance fully matured, the yield would 
have been nearly twice as great. To state it ex¬ 
actly : If 32 grains of Clawson give 25 bushels 
to the acre—57 grains of Defiance would give 
44.53 bushels, and as great a difference as this 
would have been conjectured by anybody com¬ 
paring the one with the other, judging by ap¬ 
pearance alone. 
Our faith in Champlain and Defiance is not 
weakened by this failure, which we attribute en¬ 
tirely to an unfavorable season. 
--- 
DEFIANCE WHEAT. 
The head of Defiance Wheat presented on 
p. 583 represents one of a small bundle received 
by an acquaintance a day or so since. No letter 
explaining where, or by whom raised, has as yet 
arrived. Among the heads of this bundle there 
was scarcely any choice, the one from which our 
accurate sketch was made being as large perhaps 
as any. The grains were plump, light amber 
colored, and as large as the best specimens of 
Clawson. 
---- 
CHAMPLAIN AND DEFIANCE WHEATS. 
Department of Agriculture,) 
Washington, D. C\, Aug. 28, 1878.) 
Editor Rural New-Yorker— My Dear Sir: 
Reports thus far received of the “Defiance” 
and “ Champlain" wheat are as follows: Miss 
E. L. Howard, top of Lookout Mountain, 
Walker Co., Ga.—“Rust and fly destroyed it. 
Not as much yield as sown aud poor quality of 
grain.” Mr. Ernst, of Iowa, reports, “Champlain 
yields at the rate of twelve bushels per acre, 
small, shrunken. Defiance yields at tho rate of 
14 bushels per acre.” Mr. Plumb. Genesee 
Co., Michigan, reports, “ Champlain grew well, 
but was destroyed by midge and rust.” Mr. Ste- 
ver, of Tama Co., Iowa, says, “both varieties 
grew well with long beads, looked fair, but ma¬ 
tured no grain." Ho thinks they ire winter 
■wheats, particularly tho “ Defiance.” These are 
all tho reports thus far received of these spring 
grains. 
Tho “Silver-Chaff" wheat, distributed by the 
Department last year, has an uusually good 
record; but it is too early yet to make up a full 
account of the different varieties and their 
value. Yery respectfully, 
Wm. G. Le Duo. 
Commr. of Agriculture. 
- *■+■* - 
WHEAT SOWING. 
L. 3. TEMPLIN'. 
PREPARATION OF THE SOIL. 
As one of tho great, staples of the United 
States, the wheat crop is worthy of every advan¬ 
tage that it can possibly have. The profit of 
wheat raising depends not so much on the area 
in cultivation, as on the yield per acre. In near¬ 
ly all items of expense it costs about as much 
to raise 10 bushels as it does to raise 20 bushels 
per acre. A little difference in the preparation 
of the soil and seed, and in putting the latter in 
the ground, will often make all the difference 
between a profitable crop and one that does not 
pay expenses. It is important, therefore, to 
give Btriot heed to all the conditions essential to 
success in this business. Mach depends on the 
condition of the soil. I shall not stop to con¬ 
sider the different kinds of Boils or the ma¬ 
nures by which they may be fertilized, but shall 
proceed to invite attention to Borne of the me¬ 
chanical means to be employed to bring it into 
the best condition for the reception of the crop. 
In the preparation of the Boil by mechanical 
means, the object should be to stir it deeply aud 
pulverize it thoroughly. It is impossible to get 
a soil too finely pulverized for a wheat crop. 
Indeed much of its vigor and healthfulness, and 
especially its productiveness, depends on this 
condition. The fine, feeding roots will not 
enter a hard clod any more than they will a 
stone: and hence in a soil that is largely com¬ 
posed of these, the growing crop will be unable 
to get the benefit of a considerable proportion 
of tho plant-food Btored up in it. The harrow 
and roller should be employed to reduce the soil 
to as fine a tilth as possible. The finer tho soil 
is pulverized, the greater the amount that will 
be accessible to the roots of the growing crop. 
And where it is sufficiently fine, the roots will 
find tbeir way to all parts; their number will be 
greatly increased, and the crop will derive tho 
greatest possible benefit from the soil. 
But depth of soil is of as much importance to 
a wheat crop as finoness. The roots of the 
wheat plant penetrate deeply when the circum¬ 
stances are favorable. The average depth is 
about three to four feet, but in favorable soils 
they run considerably deeper. In one case 
the rootB of wheat of only forty-five dayB’ 
growth, were fouud to have penetrated a light 
soil to a depth of seven feet. From these ex¬ 
amples we may see the importance of a deeply 
pulverized Boil in order to get the moBt vigor¬ 
ous growth possible. This depth of soil be 
comes especially useful in seasons of drought. 
If by shallow plowing, and a compact subsoil, 
the roots of the wheat are oonilnod to a few 
inches of the surface soil, a severe spell of dry 
weather will prove very damaging to the growth 
of the crop, and cannot fail to greatly reduce the 
product. A deeply stirred soil will admit the 
roots to a depth, that will give them access to a 
constant supply of moisture, even during times 
of severe dry weather, and thus a good yield 
will be insured when otherwise it would prob¬ 
ably be rather meager. A soil prepared as here 
suggested, seldom fails to give satisfactory 
returns. 
ROTATION. 
The preceding crop often has a very import¬ 
ant bearing cn the fate of its successor, and it 
is well, even in the absence of a regular rota¬ 
tion, to have regard to the coming wheat crop 
when planning for other crops. Probably the 
very best crop to precede wheat is red clover. 
This, even when mown, leaves a large amount 
of organic matter in the soil, and this is com¬ 
posed largely of those substances most needed 
by the wheat plant. To get the most good from 
a clover crop, it Hhould be turned under when 
the flowers are generally drying up. If the sur¬ 
face is well cultivated once or twice before the 
time to sow wheat, it will prove very beneficial. 
Flax is an excellent crop to precede wheat. It 
seems to leave the soil just in tho best condition 
for the wheat to prosper. Buckwheat and the 
various root crops leave the ground in good con¬ 
dition for wheat, but they do not generally 
come off the ground as early as it iB best to sow 
wheat- In the Eastern and Middle States it is 
not advisable to sow wheat after wheat, as the 
later crop seldom succeeds well under such cir¬ 
cumstances. But in the wheat regions of the 
West, it is a common practice to keep tho same 
ground in wheat for a considerable number of 
years. And the practice does not seem to have 
any injurious effect upon the crop. 
MANNER Df SOWING. 
Having the grain properly prepared, the man¬ 
ner of sowing becomes an important question. 
The advantages of drilling over broad-cast sow¬ 
ing are now so generally understood that it would 
hardly seem necessary to argue the point; yet 
there are some who still seem not to understand 
these advantages. It is certainly a matter of 
considerable importance to have a perfectly 
even distribution of the seed over the surface. 
This can be done only by the use of the drill. 
A matter of even greater interest is to have the 
seed placed at a uniform depth, and more espe¬ 
cially to have it put in direct contact with the 
moist soil. The impossibility of accomplishing 
these ends by any other means than by the drill 
will be oonoeded by all. In broad-cast sowing the 
grain is generally thrown on the top of a dry 
surface, and, even if covered by the drag or 
harrow, it is just as likely to be iu contact 
with dry soil as with moist. That which comes 
in contact with moist soil will probably germi¬ 
nate and grow at once, while that which is left 
in dry dirt, will have to wait for a rain or for a 
Blow and tedious germination, owing to a defi¬ 
ciency of moisture. It is easy to see that, un¬ 
der such circumstances, the growth will be quite 
uneven. 
Reno Co., Kansas. 
- ♦♦♦ - . 
SPRING WHEAT-PRINCIPLES OF CUL¬ 
TURE. 
W. H. WHITE. 
The wheat plant was cultivated at as early a 
date as any plant on record. Its origin is un¬ 
accounted for, although many theories have 
been advanced therefor by different scientists. 
Whatever or whorever its origin, it is the most 
important of bread-plants or grains known, and is 
more generally used by civilized man than all 
other grains adapted to the purposes of food. It 
is cultivated in all climates adapted to its 
growth. Being so universally cultivated in so 
many varying climates and in such different 
soils, what wonder that there are so many va¬ 
rieties, differing in some important, or unimpor¬ 
tant, particulars? 
WINTER AND SPRING WHEAT. 
Wheat is grown as a biennial or an annual; 
and that either may he produced from the same 
seed iB proved by experience; for It is on record 
that winter wheat allowed to commence ger¬ 
mination in fall, then frozen and kept frozen 
and sown in spring, ripened grain in fall, which 
sown the following Bpring, ripened its Beed in 
summer, and thus became permanent Bummer 
wheat. Others have changed winter wheat to 
summer wheat and vice vena in two or three 
seasons, each way; so that it would appear from 
such experiments that winter and summer wheats 
are one and the same in nature. However they 
may differ in time of growth or composition, 
in chemical analysis there is scarcely more dif¬ 
ference than is fonnd in different varieties of 
winter grain Why then is fall-sown wheat so 
much more generally preferred to Bpring by the 
great majority of cultivators ? There may be 
several reasons adduced therefor; but I only 
name one or two. Of these the first is that 
winter wheat is sown at a season when there is 
more leisure, and the soil is generally more 
easily fitted for the seed than in spring. The 
plant alBo tillers more and produces more 
abundantly from the same amount of seed; and 
the grain makes a superior quality of flour, 
more sought for by oonsumers. Such reasons 
are sufficient to Induce farmers to continue the 
practice; and they will keep on doing so, to a 
greater or less extent, whether with or without 
reason. Some of the arguments used in favor 
of winter wheat are well founded; others now 
have no valid support, owing to improved 
methods, such as improved systems of culture 
of spring wheat, and the introduction of the 
“ New Process ” for making flour from it. 
CULTIVATION. 
There are certain principles underlying and 
governing all culture and growth; and when 
those principles are understood and applied, cul¬ 
ture will be less intricate and more remunerative 
The first requisite in the cultivation of spring 
wheat, or indeed of any other crop, is to so pre¬ 
pare the soil as to fit it in the manner best 
adapted to carry out the natural demands of 
successful growth. Next, seed of the requisite 
quality is needed, such as is most suitable to 
the soil; and then tho seed must be planted at 
the right time,—learned by observation and ex¬ 
perience—and iu the best manner conformable 
witli the laws of germination and growth. 
Where many other plants require a loose, 
yielding, mellow soil, particularly at or near the 
surface, wheat rather luxuriates iu one less loose, 
yet still finely pulverized for the first inch or 
two below the surface, and at a lower depth 
more open, mellow, etc. ; but its greatest storo 
of plant food should be within an inch or two 
of the surface. To form graiu, seed-wheat re¬ 
quires plant-food adapted to its support, just 
the same as all other varieties of plants do; 
and unless the toil holds all the ingredients of 
this in abnndanoe in an available form, the de¬ 
ficiency must be made up by applies’ion of 
manures, or the crop will fail in proportion as 
they are deficient. The wheat plant must also 
have suitable moisture in the soil in which it 
grows, yet a wet foot-bed is death to the crop, 
so that natural or artificial drainage is essential. 
General laws governing culture must be adapted 
to individual cases, or crops, and, in this oaBO, 
grain, not foliage, is the object aimed at, 
therefore culture should be directed to this ob¬ 
ject, by applying fertilizers which go farthest 
towards developing seed rather than stimulating 
growth of foliage. 
EFFECTS OF FERTILIZING AND CULTIVATING. 
Although we may not precisely understand 
how the plant elaborates its elements, prepares 
gluten, starch, etc. from these elements, we 
know that it is done, and that, unless these ele¬ 
ments can be drawn from some source, earth or 
air, the grain is not formed at all. In order, 
therefore, that the plant may absorb into its 
growth any particular element from the soil, 
such element must be iu excess of any fixed 
compounds of the same in that soil, or, in other 
words, be free. Among the reasons given above 
why winter wheat is grown in preference to 
spring, one is that winter wheat tillers more, or 
that a greater quantity is grown from the same 
amount of seed. The reason why it tillers more, 
or produces a larger number of seed stalks from 
a single seed, 1 will not here attempt to set 
forth; but I will rather say how spring wheat 
may bo induced to tiller more than it does as a 
general rule. 
In germinating, the seed firBt sendB out seed- 
roots, which serve to take np nutriment for 
the young plant until it has grown sufficiently to 
form a crown, joint or knot, jnst below the sur¬ 
face. From this point the plant tillers, or sends 
out new roots, from which additional stems rise. 
Now, if the soil is right in all respects, filled with 
food and suffieiently comminuted, new plants 
will form freely; but if not thus well-condi¬ 
tioned, the tillering is proportionally less, or 
does not take place at all. This statement every 
observing farmer will or easily can corroborate. 
Now, in order that spring wheat may bo induced 
to produce, tiller, more from the same seed, the 
soil needs to be put in a condition most conducive 
to this result. 
PREPARATION FOR SPRING WHEAT. 
As it can hardly bo expected that early spring 
plowing can be done, to any considerable extent, 
thoroughly aud properly iu season for spring 
sowing ; it is necessary to plow the ground thor¬ 
oughly aud deeply in fall or early winter. In 
the spring, work the Burface, an inch or two 
deep, with & pulverizing harrow, thus forming a 
line seed-bed, while the lower stratum will usually 
be in fine condition for the crop, provided it was 
properly worked in the fall, and the soil be 
loamy, not clayey. Phosphates, lime, ashes, 
charcoal, fine or in dust, furnish suitablo pabu¬ 
lum for the prodnotiou of superior quality as 
well as greater quantity of grain, aud one or 
more of these fertilizers should be applied at the 
time of seeding—the quantity per acre must de¬ 
pend upon circumstances of 80*1, etc. A wheat 
soil ought to have been previously cultivated to 
some dissimilar crop, for which clean culture is 
requisite, and should not be used for the same 
crop oftener than once in a rotation of three to 
five years, unless special treatment is adopted. 
THE BEST VARIETIES? 
Soils vary so that thcro is little necessity of say¬ 
ing anything concerning best variety for grow¬ 
ing, aud even if one particular variety were 
recommended, the soil might bo uncongenial, for 
It is well-known that a wheat which does finely 
on one man’s farm or in his hands, if given to 
another fanner in some other locality, although. 
