The Dan bury Reporter.
VOLUMK XXXIII
SSO PRIZE ESSAY ON
WHEAT GROWING.
The Fertilizer Manufacturers'
Association some time since
offered a prize of $»0 to the writer
of the best easay on wheat grow
ing. The committee has awarded
the prize to the paper written by
E. E. Miller, of Morristown, Tenn.
The article is as follows :
Wheat may be grown success
fully on a great variety of soils,
but is best adapted to fertile,
clayey loams. Very light soils are
not, as a rule, so suitable as there
is danger of the wheat freezing
out during the winter; neither are
tough clay soils best, as it is hard
to get them in proper condition,
Yet with the necessary care good
crops may be grown on all of
these soils. Very rich alluvial
lands often pay better in other
crops, but a fair degree of fer
tility is absolutely necessary for
a good yield of wheat. Another
thing that is necessary is good
drainage. Wheat is sure to be a
failure on water logged land, no
matter how fertile. Plenty of sun
shine is also required aud much
shade is certain to reduce the
yield.
• • *
On lands adapted to its growth
wheat is often sown-several years
in succession. This method in
variably results in a steady de
crease in the yield; and to it the
japidly diminishing yields per
acre ot° the wheat lands of the
Northwest are to be attributed)
Like practically all other crops,
wheat slioul 1 be a part of a well
considered and steadily followed
rot fit on. In such rotrttion, which,
of course, differs with differeut
conditions, it may follow clover or
grass, corn ur other hold crops, or
itself.
* # »
Whertw» wheat is the leading
crop the common plan is to follow
clover or grass with wheat for two
or throe years, thon seed back to
grass. More often the clover is
followed by corn and other cul
tivated crops and these by wheat
for one or two years. In the South
wheat may follow cowpeas or
other leguminous crops. Potatoes
and other trucking crops are also
excellent 16 precede wheat.
Whatever crop the wheat may
follow tho preparation of the soil
is a matter of prime importance,
and one that should under no
circumstances be neglected. The
ideal to be kept in view during
this preparation is the securing of
a very fine loose seed-bed two or
three inches deep with the soil
beneath fine but thoroughly firm
ed. This permits of even seoding,
gives the young wheat plant the
best possible feeding ground, re
tains the soil moisture and anchois
the young wheat firmly against
the winter freezes and thaws.
* * *
Whon the land is plowed it
should be done as early as prac
ticable, so as to allow time for
settling of the soil, as well as for
working it down. Early plowing
is especially important-when veg
etable matter of any kind is turn
ed under.
To plow un ler a growing crop,
or a large amount of dry grass or
weeds just before seding is to in
vite failure. In all such cases, in
fict whenever any oonsiderablo
quantity of vegetable matter is
turned under, the land should be
rolled as soon as possible with a
heavy roller so as to firm the soil
and aid decomposition of the crop
I plowed down. After this harrows
should bo put to work and kept
j going until the top of the soil is
reduced to dust mulch.
• • *
Where the land is plowed early
it is a good plan to go over it
every week until seeding tiino.
This may seem to be a lot of
trouble, but repeated experiments
have shown that it pays handsome
ly, and with a good harrow several
aereg can be gone over in a day.
Tho fining of the soil at once
gives the young roots of tlu» wheat
a fine field for development, and
fenders more available the plant
food lucked up in the soil. It may
be laid down as a jjoneral rule that
for any crop the more cultivation
thu better when it is judicially
done, and thie preparation before
sowing is the only cultivation the
wheat will receive.
The implements to be used in
this work are those the farmer has,
as any of the ones in common use
can be made to do the work, if
used often enough. Still there are
certain tools adapted to certain
soils. On sod laud the disk harrow
is one of the best, for breaking
clods a harrow will be found.to be
useful, whiie on light and sandy
soils a roller should be used
frequently.
# * »
After some crops, such as corn,
powpeas and potatoes, tho desired
condition of the soil can be betst
obtained without plowing.
Often, iudeed, when a corn orop
is taken off it is necessary to get
the wheat in with as little delay as
possible. In such cases all that is
necessary is to work the top of the
soil into a dust with disk or other
harrow and finish by smoothing it
down with n drag or roller. The
plowing for aud cultivation of the
corn crop will, if properly done,
have left the soil in splendid
shape. The stubble and trash on
the land will also serve to protect
the wheat during the winter, while
if turned under they would only
be a disadvantage,
* # #
Of equal importance with prep
aration of the soil is the selection
of the seed, The question of vn
rieties is of course, an important
one, but it is impossible as an ar
ticle of a general nature to give
any advico on this point. E.ich
farmer must choose for himself
some variety that is known to suc
ceed in his own locality. New
kinds should certainly be tried on
a small scale, but the main de
pendence should be placed on
those that have proved best suited
to local conditions.
' There is often more lost than
gained by bringing seed wheat
from a distance, and a vnriety can
! be grown year after year on the
same land and kept up, or even
improved by careful seed selec
! tion,
In selecting wheat for seed
miny experiments havo shown
that it pays to havo all small nnd
imperfect grains removed by the
fun or grader. In some cases the
yield from seed so selected has
been 25 per cont. greater than
that from ungraded seed. No one
can afford to sow shrivelled, im
' mature or diseased seed, if good,
| plump healthy grain can bo ob
i tained at all. It should go with
-1 out saying that the wheat sown
should bo free from cheat, cockle
and other weedß.
Along with seed selection and
STOKES AND VA ItOLTSA
DANBURY, N.C., THURSDAY, AUGUST ;>, 1!K)5.
•oil preparation comes the ques
tion of fertilization. The use of
commercial fertilizers on the
wheat crop has become the rule
over large areas of the country,
and is yearly becoming more
general. This is sufficient evi
dence that fertilizers pay, yet it
is evident that the large sums an
nually spent for them are not
expended to the best advantage.
Too many farmers use fertilizers
without any regard to the special
needs of their soils, often buying
the cheapest grades, using very
small quantities, and using these
impartially on lands of different
types. That suoh unscientific use
of fertilizers has proved profitable
is some indication of what they
Would do for wheat growers )f
used more carefully and lntel r
ligently.
* • *
To use them intelligently it iq
necessary for the farmer to know
something of the nature and needs
of his soil f something of the de
mands made Upon it by the vqrioyß
crops, and something of the com
position of the fertilizers he uses.
Practically all fertilizers are
used to supply one or more of the
three elements of plant food in
Which soils are most commonly'
deficient, phosphoric aoid, nitro r
gen and potash.
Of these the phosphoric acid
promotes the growth and develop
ment of the grain and hastens
maturity; nitrogen, or ammonia,
increases the growth of leaves and
stalk, and potash gives strength to
the stalk and assists in the de
velopment of the grain. It will
thus be seen that each has a
necessary function to perform, and
that a deficiency of either will
inevitably reduce the yield. The
crop is limited not by the most
abundaut, but by the scarcest ele
ment of plant food, and no excess
of one element can remedy the
jack of another. A good supply of
each must he maintained if good
crops are secured. As tweuty
bushels of wheat take from the
soil approximately 14 pounds of
phosphoric acid, 35 pound* of
nitrogen and 14 pounds (18 ptr
pont.) of potash, the necessity of
using fertilizers of some kind is
obvious. Green and stable ma
nures can sometimes be profit
ably used on wheat, but they are
usually poorly balanced and on
some soils, those very rich in ni
trogen for example, would be pos
itively injurious. Commercial
fertilizers, on the contrary, can be
adapted in composition and quan
tity to almobtany soil.
* * *
Perhaps the most commonly
used fertilizers are those contain,
ing Bor 10 por cent, phosphoric
acid, 2 or 3 per cent, nitrogen and
2to 4 per cent, potash, and on
some soils, partieolarly some
clays, these furnish a well bal
anced ration for wheat. On some
clays and most sandy lands, liow
evor, fully twice this per cent, of
potash should be used, while mauy
soils need more nitrogen. On rich
alluvial lands and where wheat
follows a leguminous crop, less
nitrogen, often none at all, should
bo used. The only way for any
farmer to learn just what fertili
zers will pay him best, is to make
comparative tests with different
grades on similar soils. These tests
should, of course, be on a small
scale, and if carefully made, will
soon show what kinds and amounts
of fertilizer will be most profitable
lon his land. As to the amount to
use thero can be no hard and fast
! rules laid down, but it has been
shown by many trials that from
to 500 pounds per acre may be
considered a fair quantity. Many
'farmers use much less, but the in
creased yield from tho larger am
ounts will usually more than off
set the difference in the cost. It
is worth noting, too, that more
fertilizers can bo used profitably
on good than on poor land. With
fairly good land in good condition
fertilizers, if judiciously used, will
invariably pay well and can be
used with a generous hand. Hoavy
fertilization is one of the best
safeguards against the wheat
freezing out, as the increased
growth and vitality render it bet
ter able to resist sudden changes
nf temperature and to keep a firm
hold on the soil. They also give
it more power to resist ur to re
oover trom tho injuries of insects
and diseases. Then, too, any ex
cess of phosphoric acid or potash
will not be lost from the soil, but
will be held for the use of suc
ceeding crops. This is not true
of nitrogen, however, and that the
element should bo used only in
§uch quantities as the crop de
mands
» # *
The most common method of
applying fertilizers for wheat is
through the drill when the wheat
is sown, and the convenience and
economy of this practice makes it
likely that it will be continued.
A better understanding, and a
more rational use of fertilizers,
with olose attention to the details
of soil preparation and seed selec
tion, would undoubtedly increase
not on.'J the average yield of
wheat, but also the wheat growers'
profit.
Donation For Danbury School Li
brary.
Monday's Winston Sentinel con
tains the following :
One of the most beautiful of the
many tributes of love that have
been bestowed on Miss Claytor
Candler, whose memory is so
deeeply enshrined in the hearts of
her many friends in this city, is
the very touching memorial which
Mrs. Lindsay Patterson is prepar
ing to send to the Danbury school
library. She will give a shelf of
books to this school, in which she
i» especially interested, in each
of which is to be inscribed ''Clay
tor Candler Memorial, presented
by Mrs. Lindsay Patterxou."
DALTON ROURE ONE.
Dalton Route One, Sept. 20.
If you will allow me space in your
valuable paper I will give you a
few items from our section
Miss Elcie Gordon visited Miss
Daisy Lawson Sunday. Come
again, Miss Elcie, we are glad to
have you with us.
Mr. Willie Boyles and brother,
of King, visited Mr. John South
ern Sunday.
Miss Daisy Lawson is all smiles
this week as her best fellow called
Sunday.
Mr. J. H. Gordon called on his
oousin, Miss Myra Turpin, last
Sunday.
HORNY.
Finding health is like finding
money—so think those who are
sick. When you have a cough,
cold, sore throat, or chest irrita
tion, better act promptly like W.
C. Barber, of Sandy Level, Va.
He says: "I had a terrible chest
trouble, caused by smoke and coal
dust on my lungs; but, after find
ing no relief in other remedios, I
was cured by Dr, King'* New Dis
covery for Consumption, Coughs
and Colds." Greatest sale of any
cough or lung medicine in the
I world. At all druggists; 50 and
j $ 1.00; guartnteed. Trial bottle
' free.
MADISON TO Th E FRONT.
A Write=Up of the Citizens and Resour=
ces of a Leading Town of
Rockingham.
Madison, Sept. 18. -Brick kilns
aro burning at edge of town, and
tho new era of building Madison
is evident in the center thereof,
where Vaughn cfc Webster are
causing the erection of a two story
brick double store,
West Busick is adding progress
with a two story general merchant
building and G. W. Martin is
building likewise.
l)r. C. B. McAnally has ordered
some of tho material for a two
story brick structure and all those
buildings will be substantial and
commodious,
Tho J. A- Pratt planning mill
is busy and the capacity will bo
greatly increased and the admir
ably constructed box factory own
ed by Ben M. Cahili is receiving
additional machinery for chair
manufacture.
The two tobacco houses are
open and have commenced busi
ness for the season.
The Batik of Madison has a
satisfactory increase of deposits
and the railways bear out the fact
that Madison is on tho up grade
commercially. Madison has two
railroads, the N. 6c W. main line,
and the Madison & Greensboro
branch of the Southern system.
By the N. & W. go about 20 car
loads of lumber per month, aloo
furniture which is hauled here
from Shelton, 15 miles away, aud
stacks are shipped to Winston,
also tobacco, and groceries go to
small stations from the Madison
wholesale houses. By the South
ern 500 to >oo car loads of .shale
are shipped annually to Pomona
and yarns hauled hero from Ava
lon and Madison are forwarded,
and tobacco goes chiefly to Dur
ham, Danville and Reidsville.
Madison has ton stores and
merchandise comes by car loads
and by local freight.
M. W. Gant, tho agent for the
Southern, is also express agent
aud possesses 15 years railway ex
perience. He was born 7 miles
from here at Rocky Spring and it
would be difficult to find a more
popular man in business. He is
| cheory with everybody and not
afraid to take hold. Mr. (iant was
married at Stokosdalo where he
was agent for 8 years and will
build a love of a cottage in Mad
ison.
T. J. Toague, agont for tho N,
& W. has been at his post here
for fifteen years with the excep
tion of a few days taken to recup
erate. Mr. Teague is also manager
of the Western Union and punc
tilious to duty.
The Madison postoffice is a
busy one receiving 5 daily mails
by rail and 4R. F. D. and two
star routos and it has a first class
postmaster in P. A. Peatross, who
for 14 years was connected with
"The Art Preservative." He was
proof reader whon Stuart Bros,
had the State printing and be
edited the Madison News and other
papers and has been successful
in insuance business and ho is
an able man and cultured gentle
man.
R. L. and W. T. Ledbettor,
Bros., havo put a five horse-powor
gasolene engine in their black
smith shop, which measures 75x75
feet and have added planer, band
saw, rip saw, and turning lathe,
for the manufacture of building
material. Tho Led hotter Bros,
are young men. who own farms
NUMBER .'{.l
and other property in Mayodan,
whore they formerly sounded the
anvil clious.
J. A. l'ratt has been turning
vuf building material here for 10
years anil will require to double
the capacity, although he has two
planers, moulding nud matching
machinery, turning lathes and
numerous saws. Mr. l'ratt owns
also a grist mill (four foot burr)
g jud residence, four tenant houses,
stock in tobacco vvarhouses and
a farm of 150 acres, and he is an
ind 'iatible worker and enterpris
ing goahead citizen.
Ben M. Cahill is putting the
machinery in place for chair manu
facture capacity 300 chairs per
day. At the plant by R. R. track
ne owns 17 acres and his main
factory building is lllxtJO feet,
two stories, wherein are chair and
box shook machinery from Mc-
Knight, Thomasville and from
New York and other states, special
ly chosen by or made for himself,
lie, being a fino machinist and
practical wood worker. With
engine of 50 and boiler of 80 horse
power, the machinery will soon be
in motion and many families, will
have work at homo during all
j kinds of weather, bottoming the
|chairs. Air. Cnhilfc has invested
•'ihout i.i butldingjs and
machinery and stock, and he gets
the cut from many mills and he
will make the Cahill chair from
the log to the finish.
Madison should have furniture
factories; it lias the material ship
ped out and brick and tile factor
ies should burn here as shown in
nearly two car loads of shale aday
going away.
It is evidently however, that
Madison's llip Van Winkle-like
! sleep is over, and energy with pull
together will make a live and pros
perous community.
JAMES CARSWELL.
Central Caroli la Fair.
\\ e are in recipt of complimen
tary tickets to the Central Caro
lina Fair, which is to be held at
Greensboro  )et. 10-l;j Secretary
Cook informs us that the fair this
date is the Sixth Annual of this
Association and every indication
points (o the greatest yot held.
The speed ring and live stock ex
hibit, including the famed chick
en show will be of more interest
this time than ever. All manner
of attractions have been secured.
Railroad rates will be reduced and
Greensboro will sustain her
reputation in taking care of all
visitors.
ARE YOU ENGAGED t
Engaged people should remem
ber, that, after marriage, many
quarrels can bo avoided, bv keep
ing their digestions in good ocn
dition with Electric Bitters. S. A.
Brown, of Bennettsville, S. C.,
says: "For years, my wife suffer
od intensely from dyspepsia, com
plicated with a torpid liver, until
sho lost her strength and vigor,
and became a more wreck of her
former self. Then sho tried Elec
tric Bitters, which helped her at
once, and finally made her entire
jly well. She is now strong and
i healthy. All druggists sells and
| guarantees them, at 50c a bottle,
I — mmmmmmmamm
C hamhprliiin'e Colic, Cholera and
S Diarrhoea Remedy.
Never fails. Buy H uow. II may save life.