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Wheat Culture.
The experience of tlio pr\st few
years has completely exploded the
theory which used lo he so generally
entertained, namely, that wheat is an
uncertain crop at the South, and that
it does not pay to raise it. The
wheat harvest of this year has been
unusually abundant, and wherever
the greatest pains were taken in the
preparation of the land, selection and
sowing of the seed, application of ma¬
nure, rolling, etc., there the yield was
largest and most remunerative.
The time is now nearly at hand to
prepare the land for seeding, and
those who desire to reap abundantly
next June, must see that the pre¬
paration now is thorough, and by
thorough preparation wc mean, close,
deep plowing, complete subjugation
of weeds arid grass, deep subsoiling,
as fine pulverization of the soil to as
great a depth as possible, and a lib¬
eral application of manure suited to
wheat, where the land is not naturally
rich. Soil for wheat cannot be too
fine and comminuted, but it must not
be left too loose and open, as is often
the case with stubble land. It should
bo worked down to make a good
bed, and this can bo most effectively
done by the use of the harrow or the
roller. Where stubble is turned under,
if the work has been done so as to
turn the stubble under completely,
the rest of the preparation should be
done by the harrow,leaving the roller
to finish the work. To cross plow
stubble, where it has not had suffi¬
cient time to become perfectly rotted,
makes the land too loose, and makes
it liable to “heaving'’with frost. The
harrow comminutes the soil and the
roller compacts the seed-bed, pre¬
venting heaving. The first plowing
or breaking the soil must, however, be
close and deep. Scratching the sur¬
face, leaving a hard, impenetrable pan
two or three inches below the scratch¬
ed surface, does not give the seed-bed
to which we refer. We have raised
some large crops of wheat to the acre,
and our mode of preparation was to
break the land with a two-horse turn
plow, as closely and deeply as possi¬
ble, making a Brinly subsoiler follow
tlio turn-plow in every farrow. We
then harrowed the land with a heavy
harrow, and, when we had time, cross
harrowed it, thus leaviug it as finely
pulverized and as mellow as possible.
Where the land was not naturally
rich enough our practice was to scat¬
ter broadcast over the surface, as even¬
ly as practicable, from fifty to seventy
five bushels of green cotton-seed, and
plow them under at the first plowing,
and then to scatter and incorporate
with t!» surface soil by the first liar
rowing, a mixture of 100 lbs. Peru¬
vian guano, 200 lbs. of dissolved bones
or Charleston superphosphate, 50 lbs.
of salt to the acre. We advise all
who sow wheat to do so in drills, and
not broadcast. The drilling saves
more than half the seed, it gives plenty
of room tj the roots, allows the air to
circulate ficdy, and if the drills be left
sixteen or eighteen inches apart, per¬
mits a cultivation of the ground, and
the extirpation of ail weeds and grass.
A wheat drill is not an expensive im¬
plement. There are several pateuts,
all of which, so far as we have seen, do
good work. We ad vise our friends to
buy drills without the “guano attach
merit,” which is sold with many of
theni, and which is said to distribute
the fertilizers in the drill, at the.same
time that the seed is sown and covered,
We regard these attachments as val
ueless. They do not distribute the
manure, and if they did, we are op
posed to drilling manure for wheat.
Wc have no faith in any but broadcast
distribution, for the reason that the
fibrous roots of wheat extend in every
direction, far beyond the narrow limits
of a drill, and need food quite as much
after they have spread as before. Drill
manuring gives the crop a rich,break¬
fast, but nothing to eat for dinner or
supper. It is better than no manure,
but that is all. The seed should be
carefully selected and thoroughly sift¬
ed and cleaned. Thus all email and
imperfect grains, and all cockle and
other weeds will be thrown aside. It
takes very little time to do this, and
in no case should it be neglcctcd
Aftcr this is done, the seed should
bo steeped in a solution of blucstonc
for ten or twelve hours before sowing,
and then dried by rolling in plaster.
After the seed is drilled, the finishing
touch should be given by passing over
the field with a heavy roller, leaving a
compact seed-bed of finely pulverized
soil, and an even surface.
We would also recommend the sow¬
ing seed grown in a different soil and
climate, instead of that raised at home.
Wc arc satisfied that this improves
the quality and quantity of the yield,
and arc strongly inclined to believe
that it is a preventivo against rust.
Such at least has been the experience
of many skillful farmers, with whom
we have conversed on the subject.
Ex.
Let us Reverse.
Of all classes or professions of men,
the planters are the only exceptions in
forming combinations for their own
protection and interest. Individuality
of thought and action, and “what I
know about farming,” seem to be the
great trouble among planters. Rut
the present system of fanning must
be acknowledged by all a perfect
blunder, deficient in intelligence,
wisdom and practical mind sense, thinker and it re¬
quires an astute or to
mark the downward course we have
been pursuing since the war. W e
must reverse, or wc are irretrievably
ruined. Smaller farms, more pasture,
more stock, more small grain and
more manure will solve the problem o(
our success as farmers.
Let us sec. Nature furnishes us in
the atmosphere ninety-live per cent, of
all the elements that enter into the
production of plants and vegetables.
Oaut we furnish five ? To make our
soil fertile, wo must supply what is
uot contributed from the iuexhaustible
sources of Naturo’s laboratory.—
These are potash, phosphate, lime and
azote, as given in the formula of
George Viile. Supply these when
they are needed on your worn-out and
exhausted lands. Make manure at
home and buy all the chemical fertili¬
zers you arc able. First, to make
j manure, we must have stock mules,
• horses, cattle, sheep and hogs. Sec
j ondly, to support them, we must have
S forage and pasturage. Sow down onc
! third in small grain, one-third in corn
j and one-third and feed in the cotton. hmd liberally Rotate that the
crops Ireland, third of
feeds you. In one
! the product of each crop is returned
to the land. In the South, the land is
worked to death till exhausted, and
then turned out to grow up in old
fields. We often think what a profli¬
gate race wc Southern people are, in¬
habiting a land rielrin all the elements
of nature, soil, climate and production
A land of gonial sunshine, health and
beauty, teeming with fruits and flowers
the most ravishing to human senses,
with mountain and valley scenery,
lakes and rivers that fill us with their
grandeur, and we appreciate with God so
little gratitude the beauties that
has lavished upon us.— Talbotton
Standard.
Practical Hints Mules. on Training
I have read an article in your
paper in regard to break, ng mules.
To succeed in manugiug mules, we
must thoroughly understand the nature
of the one particular mule in hand.
There are as many different disposi¬
tions among mules as among men ; in
fact, a mute is not g creation of God,
but an invention, 1 might say, of man,
and has no settled conviction o! right
or wrong, only as taught. Usually,
however, they are apt scholars, and
learn meanness much more readily
than is safe or profitable for the
owner.
It is necessary to begin right,or tho
auimal is spoiled or. the start. When
the mare has foaled, do not by any
means, or under any circumstances,
allow it to live more than two days, if
you cannot haudlo it with safety.
Handle it continually, uutil it is two
years old. At that age begin the
breaking, which, if properly douc,
will require a good year. This may
seem long, but not a day too much
for a spirited mule, and not enough
for a lazy one, as this class, like a lazy
man, never will learn to do any kind
of work right. During the first year,
they may be kept at light work every
da}% if desired. Presuming, as a
matter of course, that tho mule has
been carefully handled and thoroughly
broken in halter and bridle, we may
place it in harness, ard allow it to
become accustomed to it.
When it will walk around without
fear from tho harness or operator, wo
may bring out our steady old mare,
and carefully get the mule beside her,
and attach them mule to tho wagon, being
careful that the is not frighten¬
ed. This may be dme very easily,
by the mule’s best friend standing at
its head to keep its attention engrossed.
When ready to start, unobserved say not a word,
but with a whip, by the
mule, tap the old mare. If they start,
tho mule will want to run ; if so,
allow the mule to ‘go it.’ Mules
don’t like to run, and usually will not
go above ten rods. On the ether
hand, should the mule refuse to go,
you must sit down in the wagon and
wait, Have the forethought to pro-
j vide yourselves with reading matter
When that mule gets ready, it will go.
Nothing but good resolution and pa
tience are requited to complete the
work.
Whipping is not admissible in any
2 Ycnt, as the mu’e docs not realize
what the application is for, and think¬
ing it means fight, will forthwith
assume an attitude of delence, and
thus we get the kicking mule. When
once put in harness and hitched to a
wagon, neither remove, water nor feed
it, until it goes. I once kept six green
mnles standing alt night in harness, would
hitched to a load, because they
not all go at the same time. When
we made our appearaneo in the morn¬
ing and started them, they were not
only ready, but anxious to do anything
we asked.
I could write all day about mules.
I like good mules, and have bad to do
with very vicious ones. Will at sonic
future time write in regard to the
after management, if desired. \Y oi k
them the first year with a horse.
Thornton, in Western Rural.
- •* ♦♦ --
Causes ol Dow.
If dew fell, it would fall for the
same reason that rain falls; but dew
does uot fall—it is simply a deport
of moisture, always contained in the
air to a greater or lessor dogtec. and
which, when there is euough of it,
will always form on any cold body
exposed to tho moist air, in precisely
the same way that a cold bottle or
stone, taken from a cold cellar and
suddenly exposed, in tho shade, to the
moist, warm Summer air, will be¬
come wet; this is not sweating, nor
docs this moisture come out of the
bottlo or s’one, as many people be¬
lieve, but from the air. It is far the
same reason that moisture will con¬
dense against the window panes when
the air is cold out.side, and moist in¬
side, the moisture slowly freezing,
while its deposits form crystals of ice,
which we so often admire in Winter.
When the weather is cool enough, the
moisture deposited will even freeze* on
plants and grass, and then wc call it
hoarfrost; if it does not freeze, it is
simply dew. The only point left to
he explained is, why does the ground
become so cool during the night, so
much cooler than tho air above it, ns
to cause the latter to deposit its
moisture? ibis was fur many years
a vexed problem, till Wells first sug¬
gested the radiation of obscure hear,
which takes place from the surface of
the earth, through tho clear atmos¬
phere into the space ab jv°>, and so
causes tho surface to beo one much
cooler than the air itself, lie demon¬
strated this by means of thermometers
placed at different bights, and also by
tho (act that dew is only deposited on
cloudless nights. WheD there are
clouds, the reflect the heat, or prevent
it from escaping. The surface of the
earth thus being kept from cooling,
no dew is deposited .—Manufacturer
and Builder.
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By good nature, half the misery of
human life might be assuaged.