BUCKWHEAT 
155 
buckwheat. It is well suited to light, well- 
drained soils such as sandy loams and to 
the silt-loam soils. It will not grow on 
land that is wet and heavy, or where the 
water stands and dries up gradually, leav¬ 
ing the soil in a hard condition. It is very 
frequently grown on land which for some 
reason was not planted early, or on land 
on which some other crop has failed to 
grow. Altho the poorest soil may be used 
a fertile soil will, of course, give a larger 
yield of both grain and straw. In gen¬ 
eral, the land should be prepared as for 
any other grain. The best results are 
obtained when the land is plowed early 
and is well prepared, but good results 
may be obtained by sowing immediately 
after plowing and harrowing. Buckwheat 
needs but little lime, growing well in an 
acid soil without lime where alfalfa and 
red clover would not be a success. 
FERTILIZER. 
•Where the soil is poor it is profitable to 
use fertilizer, but where good wheat and 
corn crops can be produced it is unneces¬ 
sary for the buckwheat crop. On the poor¬ 
est hill land a small application of nitrogen 
and phosphorus is advisable, but generally 
nitrogen is not needed. The plant, how¬ 
ever, responds very readily to applica¬ 
tions of phosphates. Low-grade fertilizers 
containing phosphates and a small amount 
of potash can be used to advantage on the 
crop where the land is poor. The use of 
100 to 150, to even 300 pounds of bone 
phosphate per acre has been recommended. 
Potash will usually produce a favorable 
effect on a sandy soil, altho it may not be 
required on heavier soils. 
VARIETIES. 
Three varieties of buckwheat are com¬ 
monly grown in the United States, the 
Japanese, Silver Hull, and Common Gray, 
the last two being best for honey. Japa¬ 
nese has a large dark-colored seed, while 
Silver Hull has a smaller seed, glossy 
or silvery in appearance. The plant of 
the Japanese variety has a larger stalk, 
and the flowers do not blast so readily from 
heat; but it is believed not to yield nectar 
as freely as the other two varieties. 
RATE OF SEEDING. 
Buckwheat should generally be seeded at 
the rate of 3 to 4 pecks to the acre. If the 
soil is fertile and a drill is used and the 
seed is of good vitality, as little as two 
pecks may be sufficient. As many as five 
pecks are sometimes used. It is best to 
use a grain drill, but this is not essential 
as the seed can be broadcasted and har¬ 
rowed in with satisfactory results. It 
should be sown from one-fifth of an inch 
to two inches deep, depending on the con¬ 
dition of the soil. It is better to sow 
while the land is dry, rather than imme¬ 
diately after rain. After sowing on such 
soil it should be immediately rolled to com¬ 
pact it, as the grain sprouts better and 
more quickly, sometimes making its ap¬ 
pearance in less than four days. 
HARVESTING. 
Buckwheat is usually harvested in Sep¬ 
tember as soon as the first blossoms have 
matured their seed, and before there has 
been a frost. The old-fashioned cradle will 
do the work well, or the drop reaper will 
prove a very satisfactory machine for this 
purpose. Many farmers use the ordinary 
binder, which practice is advisable where 
it can be followed. The seed will mature 
in a few days if, after cutting, the crop is 
left in loose bundles where they are 
dropped from the cradle or reaper. After¬ 
wards they may be tied near the top with 
the straw and set up on end singly to dry. 
As the straw remains partially green and 
is liable to heat, these shocks are seldom 
stacked or stored in the barn. It should 
be thrashed either with a flail or thrash¬ 
ing machine on a dry 'windj 7 day, and 
should be at once winnowed as the damp 
chaff may injure the grain. The grain 
should be stored in bags and not in large 
quantities in bins. 
THE YIELD PER ACRE. 
The average yield per acre in the United 
States is from 14 to 18 bushels, but it 
may vary from five to forty bushels. In 
Pennsylvania three fields were sown on 
July 6, 11 and 19 respectively, with buck¬ 
wheat, the seed being drilled in. The first 
yielded 16 bushels per acre with medium 
straw; the second 22 bushels with heavier 
