SEPT.48 
823 
THE BUBAL HEW-VO 
it is true, yet many are they who have been 
condemned to death on 6uch evidence. Could 
there be evidence of the kind stronger or more 
conclusive ? 
Some of the “ charges ” that have been fired 
at the writer respecting the Windsor Chief, 
have .wmded so humorous, that a brief refer¬ 
ence to them may not be amiss, When I first 
published its strikingly close resemblance to 
the Champion, I soon heard a report fired by 
a “Big Gun ” in New York State. In purport 
it wae this: ‘‘He has not the true Windsor 
Chief!" At any rate I received my plants di¬ 
rect from the grounds of Mr. Gardiner, the 
professed originator. Shortly another came 
from a different quarter. That was: “ He has 
a small lot of Windsor and a big lot of Cham¬ 
pion plants, and he wants to make the Wind¬ 
sors sell bis stock of Champions" !!! The truth 
was just the reverse,for from the high encom¬ 
iums bestowed upon the Windsor, I took it 
for granted it must be something of great 
merit, and in consequence planted it largely, 
while it so happened I planted but few of the 
Champion. I had, therefore, in reality at 
least four plants of thefoimer to one of tho 
latter. 
But these and many like statements cleariy 
showed me there were others who liad invested 
largely in the Windsor also. The only differ¬ 
ence was they were more liberal (?) than I, 
and instead of beiug willing to pocket their 
loss, they wished to share it with others. It 
may be well to add that these remarks are 
not intended to reflect in any way upon our 
Western friend, who is far above such little¬ 
ness. J. T. Lovett. 
Jam Sojiirs. 
WESTERN FARMING,—XIII. 
W. I. CHAMBERLAIN. 
Ilonoir/ia Farming. 
The thing that most impressed me in the 
Dakota wheat farming described in No. 13 of 
this series, iu the Rural of August 21, was 
that no fertilizing matter is returned to the 
soil. It would seem to be only a questiou of 
time, therefore, how long that style of farming 
can last. On these immense farms, as at 
present maneged, it seems well-nigh impossi¬ 
ble to make any return. I tulked freely with 
several of the large farmers along the North¬ 
ern Pacific Road, including Mr. Dalryiuple, 
and they all seem to feel not only as 1 have 
last said above, but also that the final exhaus¬ 
tion of the soil is inevitable, and that it is only 
a questiou of time how soon the point will be 
reached when this style of farming shall cease 
to be profitable. Whenever that point is 
reached, these large estates will probably be 
divided up and sold to ‘•small farmers’’ who 
will begin a system of mixed farming with a 
view to making returns to the land for the 
heavy drafts annually made on it. 
I think it is Dr. O. W. Holmes who tells of 
the first time he had funds in bauk, aud a 
check-hook at his elbow. All went glibly 
enough till one day a check came back in¬ 
dorsed by the cashier or teller, “No Funds.” 
He uses the illustration in a literary way to 
show that he who constantly writes for tho 
press without constant reading, study, thought, 
growth, will in time, surely run dry, or, as he 
expressed it, “have to yet the pump to help the. 
cow ." But the truth so tersely put by him, is 
just as true iu agriculture as in literature, 
banking or dairying. Nature has made vast 
deposits of fertility iu our great Western plains 
anil prairies. Bat it has taken her scores of 
centuries to doit. Shall wo be thieves enough to 
exhaust it iu a single score of years ? Shall we 
be so unjust to posterity ? Shall we draw out 
the whole deposit, uutil nature shall refuse to 
honor our drafts and return them to us in¬ 
dorsed, “no funds?" 
1 know this is the strong temptation in the 
West. Repeatedly while I was traveling in 
Illinois recently, farmers said to me, “ How 
is it that you Eastern writers are all the time 
talking about manure?” And 1 always an¬ 
swered from my firm belief, “ You’ll begin to 
write and talk about it too beforo long.” Last 
week in a Western agricultural paper an Illi¬ 
nois mail almost deplores the fact that he has 
got to draw out 100 loads of manure before he 
can put in his Winter wheat! 1 wanted to 
comfort him by telling him that on the writer’s 
little farm of ISO acres, we have just finished 
apply iug over 400 loads of home made manure 
to our Winter wheat ground. On this manure 
question at the West I am sure we shall soon 
see “a change come o'er the spirit of their 
dream.” Eveu in immensely fertile Illinois, 
where ou millions of acres Nature has depos¬ 
ited black, rich earth to the depth of three feel 
before you reach the clay, even there 1 notice 
that on the best farms the com is fed on the 
place to cattle aud hogs, and that clover aud 
Timothy follow corn and other grain in suita¬ 
ble and wise rotation. And these farms are 
best because the fertility has thus been wisely 
retained and developed in the soil. But where 
corn has followed corn for a series of years 
and been sold oft of the place, the productive¬ 
ness has greatly diminished. Ohio, with origi¬ 
nally not so rich and deep a soil, ha8 been 
through the same experience, and been forced 
to enter on a recuperative system of agricul¬ 
ture, and to-day our crops, especially our 
wheat, among our best farmers, are fur better 
than they wore tweuty years ago. Last year 
there came up to the State Board of Agricul¬ 
ture well attested yiel Is of over 40 bushels of 
wheat per acre from nearly every county in 
tho State. Ohio Is yearly increasing her 
fertility. 
Now, what is the lesson of all this for the 
Dakota wheat farmers? Successive crops of 
wheat exhaust the land even more rapidly 
than corn, and not even all-fertile Illinois, 
with 6oil aud climate especially adapted for 
corn, can stand corn forever. How, then, shall 
Dakota stand wheat after wheat forever ? It 
goes glibly now. Why shouldn't the farmers 
make money? They have fallen heirs to an 
almost priceless heritage of fertility. They 
are drawing funds from banks that it has taken 
many, many ages to deposit there. They are 
taking a rich heritage and apparently not 
caring whether they leave a rich one to their 
successors or descendants. They are repeating 
the old blunder that has followed the march 
of population from New England westward, 
viz: to suck the life from the virgin soil and 
then hasten on to newer lands beyond. North¬ 
ern Illinois and Iowa have alieadv almost 
ceased to produce wheat profitably, aud Wis¬ 
consin and Minnesota are fast coming to the 
same fate apparently. And if Dakota is bound 
to follow the same ruinous policy, and raise 
wheat after wheat indefinitely, barn the straw 
in piles, raise no grass and keep no stock, why 
then we might almost say the sooner the 
chinch bugs come and force a change of agri¬ 
culture, the better it will be. 
But will grass and clover and vegetables 
grow, and cattle thrive, and men Jive in Win¬ 
ter in such a climate as Northern Dakota ? Or 
must men own largo farms and go iu Spring 
with troops of meu and teams, and skim the 
earth of another crop of wheat each year, and 
retire to warmer climes iu early November ? 
Is that cold climate likely to be settled up 
with thrifty and eonteuted farmers, like Ohio 
or New York? On the whole I think yes, but 
must say why at another time. 
#elt) (Crop, 
WHEAT CULTURE AND EXPERIMENTS. 
PROFESSOR I. P. ROBERTS. 
Thorough preparation of the soil and lib¬ 
eral application of fertilizers during the last 
few years by the few advanced farmers, are hav¬ 
ing a marked influence in the New England and 
the Middle States. In this immediate locality 
these pine and hemlock lauds thirty years ago 
were considered poor or second-rate wheat 
soils j to-day it is not uncommon for entire 
fields to yield thirty, forty and even fifty bush- 
eis per acre. This is not due solely to the use 
of phosphates, for some of the largest yields 
have been obtaiued ou lands treated to a light 
dressing of farm manures or on clover leas 
without extra fertilizers. Better preparation 
of the soil by improved implements of culture 
and better knowledge of the requirements and 
habits of the plant have been the largest fac¬ 
tors iu the good work. An average wheat 
soil has locked up. more or less securely, 
plant food sufficient for from 100 to 200 crops 
of 25 bushels per acre. The science of wheat 
culture consists in tickling this soil with 
the plow and cultivator until the myriad 
mouths that have swallowed up the fertility of 
ages are set wide agape, while the grain filches 
from their stony teeth the golden setting. 
Fifth Continuous Crop Without Fertilizers. 
So thoroughly persuaded have I been for 
years that early plowing aud thorough surface 
culture were the true preparation for Winter 
wheat that in 1874 I began a series of experi¬ 
ments in order to gain more accurate knowl¬ 
edge. The land selected was a stiff, poor 
clay, which had produced an inferior crop of 
oats in 1873, aud which had been in Blue Grass 
for at least three years previously. The land 
was thoroughly summer-fallowed in 1874. Ou 
a portion of this land no fertilizers of any kind 
havo been used up to the present time. The 
land was summer-fallowed again in 1879. 
„ bu lbs, 
Season poor. 1876......... 7 64 
Seaaou lair, 1876. is'vj 
Seasou superior, 1877. a4*42 
Season fair, l->78 ... .st ’si 
Seaaou fair, 1880 . 31*00 
This Beries of experiments will now be dis¬ 
continued. the object being not to exhaust the 
Boil but to determine the effect of superior cul¬ 
ture practically applied to poor clay soila. 
The summer-fallows of ’74 and ’79 consisted of 
three plowings, the last one about the first of 
August. After that date the harrow, roller 
and cultivator were freely used. The other 
yearB the land was plowed but once, usually 
the day after the gram was cut, the wheat 
being drawn off and shocked on adjoining 
ground. It was then left for about two weeks ; 
after that the harrow, roller and cultivator 
were frequently used. 
Experiment in Wheat Culture, 1879-1880. 
Land clayey; summer-fallowed in 1879, The 
four preceding years the land had produced 
annually a fair crop of wheat. All plots, ex¬ 
cept 13 to 22 inclusive, in the four years had 
received no fertilizers. The preparation of the 
soil was similar to that described above. 
Yield 
per acre. 
No. bu. lbe. 
1. 360 pounds Dead-Hare phosphate.30,00 
3. Nothin*. 31.00 
3. 200 pounds sulphate of ammonia.24.30 
4. Nothin*. 36.40 
6. 54o pounds D. 8. phosphate. ... 42.40 
6. Nothin*..33.00 
7. 3oo pounds sulphate of ammonia.32.50 
8. Nothin*.43,20 
9. 180 pounds D. S. phosphate and loo pounds 
sulphate of aiumouia.44.40 
10. 260 pounds I>. 8. phosphate aud 200 pounds 
sulphate of ammonia. 42.00 
11. 14 loads manure—about five cords.45.16% 
12. Nothin*.....37.30 
13. Nothin*, bush, seed.37.50 
14. Nothin*, % buaii seed. 35.20 
15. Nothin*. 3 oush. seed.33.05 
18. Nothin*, bush, seed...26.65 
17. 730 pounds plaster. . 33.00 
18. Nothin* .. 34.05 
t9. 50 bush. lime... 37.uo 
20 , Nothin*...35.20 
21. 730 pou 11 da salt.8H..-5 
32. Nothin* .33.15 
23. Every alternate drill vacant, 1 bush. Heed, 
hoed twice. 19.16 
24. Broadcast.....29.10 
25. 360 pounds D. 8. phosphate.....38.30 
26. 2110 pounds sulphate or ammonia .28.40 
2L 640 pounds plaster.23.25 
28. 180 pounds IX 8. phosphate and 100 pounds 
sulphate ammonia and 270 pounds plaster. 33.55 
39. Nothin*..29.45 
The liability to errors in field experiments 
is so great from the variation of soils, depre¬ 
dations of insects, etc., that one year’s results 
can very seldom be implicitly relied upon; but 
the average of several years of duplicated plots 
should reveal some reliable facts. Without 
trying to explain some of the seeming anoma¬ 
lies in the above table, 1 will leave the reader 
to gather from it such hints as he may, and 
proceed to give tbe average of the results of 
the experiments for the last five years. 
Nummary of Reaulta, 
Thick and thin seeding for five years: 
bu. ibs. 
3 bush, per acre. 25.19 4-5 
2 buBh. per acre. 23.42 
3 years, l'A bush, per acre: 3 years, 1% bush... 23.46% 
Comparison of all phosphated plots with a 
like number of adjoining unfertilized oues for 
one year (1880): 
bu. lbs. 
Thosphated. 38.36?-, 
Unfertilized. 34.28% 
Comparison as above for five years: 
, bu. lbs. 
Phospbated......20.32% 
Unfertilized... 24.56 
Comparison of all sulphate of ammomated 
plots with a like number of unfertilized ones 
for two years: 
„ , . bu. lbs. 
Sulphate of ammonia. 23.44 2-7 
Uniertilized...31.46% 
It is quite evident that sulphate of ammonia 
used in such liberal quantities as above, pro¬ 
duces straw at the expense of grain. 
Comparison of plastered with unplastered 
plots for four years : 
, , bu. lbs. 
Plastered. 34 
Unplastered.. 26.59% 
Comparison of hoed with unhoed plots for 
three years. The hoed, plots contained the 
same amount of ground, but only half as mauy 
drills, and therefore half the amount of seed. 
„ . bu. Ibs. 
Iloed. 18.58S 
Unhoed...35.10 
Comparison of salted with unsalted plots for 
two years: 
bu. lbs. 
Halted. 28.30 
Unsalted.......... 25.47% 
Comparison for two years: 
bu. lbs. 
Limed. 24.32% 
Unlimed. 26.12% 
I judge from the above and from the unsat¬ 
isfactory results from the use of phosphates 
that there is au abundance, and possibly a su¬ 
perabundance, of lime already in the soil. Our 
landis of drift formation; the timber upon it is 
pine and hemlock, interspersed with chestnut, 
oak aud hickory. 
Comparisou for two years: 
Manured, 14 loads—about five cords. 35.27% 
Unmanured. 25.50 
Drill and broadcast seeding for five years : 
bu. lbs. 
Drilled.25.48 
Broadcast.. , 23.23 
Gain in drillin* per acre. 2.26 
The peculiarity of this experiment Is that 
for the five years during which it has been 
conducted, the drilled plots have given a near¬ 
ly uniform yearly increase of two bushels over 
the broadcast sowing. A few of the results 
given above I am aware are of local value only; 
but most of them will, i tru t, be of use in at 
least most of the State. After 30 years’ expe¬ 
rience and observation in wheat culture my 
advice to the young wheat raiser, in brief, 
would be as follows: 
First—Manufacture and apply an abundance 
of farm manure; do not Jet it make itself, 
bnt attend to it as carefully as you would to 
the curing of cheese. If too dry, wet it; if too 
wet. dry it; if too hot, cool it; or if too cool, 
heat it, and do not let it leach, bleach or evap* 
orate. 
Plow early and, unless for special purposes, 
but once; usually plow deeplyr you can hardly 
roll, harrow and cultivate too frequently. 
Apply fertilizers oa or near tbe surface aad 
thoroughly mix them with the soil. Do not 
sow too early (but from 5th to loth of Septem¬ 
ber) and spend the time in unlocking plan- 
food by mechanical methods. Approximate 
as nearly as possible to tbe conditions repre¬ 
sented in Fig. 1. 
if a 
iVv oN \> 
Fig. 1. 
Fig. 2. 
fig. 803. 
Alternate freezing and thawing would cer¬ 
tainly destroy the plant by breaking the roots 
if the conditions were as represented in Fig. 3; 
but if, as iu Fig 1, little or no harm would be 
sustained, as the roots would rise and fall with 
the grouud. 
Use a drill; run it north and south ; roll the 
ground before the drill, but never alter except 
in the following Spring. 
Do not try to raise two crops at the same 
time on the same ground, as it has never been 
an entire success. Therefore if yon want 
wheat, sow wheat; if cheat, cheat. If you 
desire good, grain, tuoic good , one and three- 
fourihs to two bushels par acre, according to 
the size of kernel aud tendency to tiller. 
Cornell University. 
Jnkstrial Societies, 
THE OHIO STATE FAIR. 
[Rural Special Report.] 
The thirty-first annual Ohio State Fair was 
held in the city of Columbus from August 30 h 
to Sept. 3rd inclusive. It wasasuccessiueveiy 
sense of the word. As an exhibit it has prob¬ 
ably never had an equal in Ohio, and few 
superiors in any State. The total number of 
entries of animals and articles actually placed 
on exhibition was 5 300, and they varied in in¬ 
dividual value from a few dimes each up to 
four or five thousand dollars, very many run¬ 
ning above a thousand each both in live stock 
aud machinery. 
Under the last two heads the exhibits were 
especially fine. Of cattle there were 400 eu« 
tries against 175 last year. Some of the finest 
herds of cattle in the land were represented, 
as well as some of the best of other stock, en¬ 
tries having been made not onlv from every 
part of Ohio, but also from N. Y.. Pa., West 
Va., Ky., Ind., III., Michigan and Canada. 
The breeds represented, in cattle, were Short¬ 
horns, Devons, Jerseys, Holsteins, Angus, 
Herefords and Galloways, and in other stock, 
all the leaditg varieties. The show of Short¬ 
horns was magnificent, and the competition 
lor prizes was very strong, but tbe awards 
were, I think, on tho whole, just and satisfac¬ 
tory. The show of Jerseys was also fine, as 
this beantiful deer-like breed is rapidly nam¬ 
ing in favor, especially among amateurs or well- 
to-do villagers who are partial to cream and 
nice home-made bntter for family use. The 
show of horses, sheep and swine was also ex¬ 
cellent, as well as the display of farm products, 
textile fabrics, manufactured articles of ail 
kinds, aud of fruits and flowers and fine art 
exhibits. 
But the show of agricultural machinery and 
implements seemed to surpass all. For ex¬ 
ample, there were 35 large, portable engines, 
entered for premiums and to propel other ma¬ 
chinery ou exhibition. AU kinds of machinery 
were worked by them, from a portable saw¬ 
mill, in actual operation, down to a thrashing 
machine, self-binder, or reaper, or mower. 
Several of these engines were of the locomo¬ 
tive or traction kiud. aud a parade of half a 
dozen of these self-propelling, living, moviug 
monsters through the grounds, when the time 
for awarding premiums came, was a most in¬ 
teresting feature. The limit of velocity seems 
to be about six miles per hour, but they go up 
hill aud dowu with ease, and draw the water 
tank and thrashing machine in the rear. 
The machinery in Power Hall was run by a 
fine 75 horse-power engiue lurnished at a 
reasonable price by Lord, Bowler & (Jo. It 
was itself entered for a premium and took the 
first, a silver medal. It rau some pretty heavy 
machinery ; for example, several tile aud brick- 
makiog machines which were keDt constantly 
iu operation, using the same clay over and 
over again to show the crowd how the thing 
was done. It takes considerable power to 
grind the clay and ruu through a stream of 
ten or tweive-ineh tiles. So far as i noticed, 
nearly all the machinery and implements were 
more or less agricultural, the furthest removed. 
