WHEAT GROWING.

Waikato Times, Volume XX, Issue 1702, 2 June 1883, Page 4

WHEAT GROWING.

Exveuiknce and experiments prove conclusively that the seed is by far the most important factor in field, garden, and lawn. I am asked "how I make so small a quantity go over an acre." The results of one or two experiments will show the value of good seed, and the reason why sound and genuine seed goes so far. In 1870 l planted "th pounds of nice hand picked wheat, on the exact square aci c, in 1 ows 18 inches apart. I cultivated it three tunes, and at haivest thieshed out 67 bushels, 17 pounds,— ">3B fold. In 18S0 I planted, on 40 square rods, 32 ounces of very iine selected wheat, cultivated and irrigated it twice. The product was IS bushels, 6 pounds— s43 fold, or nearly 12h bushels per acre. The same year, on 76 square feet, I planted 76 kernels of extra fine seed, weighing 45 grains, troy. This was cultivated and fertilized very carefully. The pioduct realised exactly 10-jr pounds, almost 1600 fold, and nearly at the rate of 100 bushels per acre. These experiments, I repeat, as well as many more on record, show conclusively the value of good seed, and the impoitancc of keeping it pure and improved by crossing and careful selection. One of the most natutal habits of wheat, oats, rye, etc., is the process of tillering — not suckering. It consists of a growth of new stems liom the first or parent stock. In the first stages of its growth the patent stem has a ring around it just below the suif.ice of the soil. From this ling new stems or tillers use, sunounding the parent stalk as the biaees ot an umbrella do the handle. livery new tiller has its rings also and stems. lua\e known 181 tillers come from a single kernel of wheat, all of which boie good heads, averaging 42 giains, or 7602 fiom one planted. Thin sowing and cultivation of wheat vciy much encourages this habit. Winter wheat in particular, when the conditions of the boil are favourable, thrives much better and yields much more abundantly m hen sown thin. Thin seeding will always and invaripioduce a greater yield and of better quality when the seed is pure and the conditions of the soil are favouiable. It is within the reach and power of e\eiy fanner to make his seed pure and the conditions favourable. Herein lies the .secret of making laige crops from thin seeding. The encouragement of the tillering process and of cultivation necessarily gives new vigour to the plant ; consequently, the maturity of the grain is retaided, and at the same time, I think, it i-5 made butter. Tlicie is danger, however, of rust when a ci op of wheat is forced or permitted to gtow beyond the time it should niatiue. When thickly sown it makes but few if any tilleis, and its tendency is t> lipen eailiur, with shorter straw, shorter heads, and tewer kernels. 1 ' The greatest enemy to wheat is wheat." Wheat cannot bear to be crowded. It fails to carry out its natural habits ; as well as it fails to develope hilly in stiaw and grain. iii making the conditions of the soil favourable, the farmer must thoroughly understand the nature of his soil, and what his w-heat wants an I Avhatit doesn't want,— its likes and dislikes, to put it in plain language. For instance : It likes a high, dry, clay soil, not too finely pulveiised,— one that will pack well, and with but little alluvial matter in it. It dislikes shade, damp low lands, and too much manure. The selection of the seed has much to do with the yield. Poor seed makes poor yields and poor crops generally. The grain takon from the parent stalk, above-mentioned will be found to be the best in all respects. The top ear on a stalk of corn is the best for seed. The ceutre stalk of a cabbage, beet and radish panicle bears the best seed. — Profe^oii A. E. Blodnt, Colorado College, in American Garden.

Men of Mite— Dwarfs. Bacon says : " Reading makes a full mau." So does eating, Bacon. — Baltimore News. Temperance sailors have a way of potting around the horn. — New Ot leans I'icaijuw. It is not an easy thing to account for the milk in the cocoauut, but any fruit dealer can give you the whole thing in a nutshell. • A careless printer made a dancingmaster say : " I offer my shanks to those who favoured me with their patronage last year." Can such things be ? An advertisement in the London Tunes cills for a "wet nur&e, single and respectable." NEWSPAPER men scarcely ever read their o\v n papers. They only skim them, and yet they find fault with the honest milkman lor doing the same with his issues. — Boston Transcript. " I was drunk when I married her," pleaded the defendant to the Court. " Most men are who marry pretty wives," returned the the judge. " Beauty is always intoxicating." — Brooklyn Eagle. Tiik Great Eastern cost her owners £4,000 last year, while her total receipts were only Ll3. Somehow this reminds one of the newspaper business. — Tost Exjires?. Buy the best sewing machines, packed in boxes, carriage paid. Home Shuttle, £3; White, £3 10s ; Wertheim, £i 10s ; Fnster and Rossman's, £i 10s :in walnut cover, £5. Knit-ning-machines, £7; Singer's, Howes, Davis, Jones', Standard, and all the better classes of machines in stock. Cash, or deferred. D. S. Chambers' Wholesale and Retail Machine Depot, 70, Queen-street opposite the Bank of New Zealand. You will do well to furnish your house from G.irlick and Cranwell's. They have now the most complete Furnishing Warehouse in Auckland, furniture to suit nil classes, good ••tr n ng, nnd chi'.'ip. The\ hn\e Tapes>try Carpets from 2> ,h\ per j.ud, Hr'issels fiom .'!•. lid per V ird. l.im K-uiii fiom 3s i),l lo (is, Oil Cloths from Is Oil to 4s Oil per \aid, good 12 leet wide Oil Cloths .it Its Od pei \<ud. Immense assortment of Iron liedste.ids from Infants' Cots to 5 feet «'<!.■ li.iH-trMcr l'idste;ids. Double iron Hcd'toads fiom 25*. 480 lirdbtrnds in slock toselert from, lleddings ot jI! kinds and .sizes kept in loadmoss. Dining. Silting, Drawing-room L'uinitnro and and al.irge assortment of Manrhesti r and Furnishing CJoi da, including' f .i lbti^i.f Cretf»nn-.*s. ])nuk Cata'ognes sent free io in- • tt:nd.jng pun ha^fers. Ga<li>k and Cranwol], Qity Hall Argade, O.ueciHtrcet, AmcW£^d4, '