With the foregoing causes in full action, and an adequate supply of moisture, whether from rains, dews, or artificial irrigation, the crop will draw largely from the atmosphere for the supply of its required organic constituents. Carbon will be furnished from its carbonic acid; nitrogen from its ammonia; hydrogen from its vapor, dews, and ammonia; and oxygen from air, water, and soil.
The use of all these materials, together with the selection of the best varieties of seed, will give the first three requisites of a wheat crop; large measure, heavy weight, and much flour.
Manures peculiarly adapted to the object, will tend in the highest degree to produce the greatest quantity of gluten, the most valuable portion of the flour. It is true, that climate has much to do in condensing, and of course, improving the value of wheat. It is a general principle, that the warmer and drier the climate where it is grown, the more valuable the grain. Wheat from the south of Europe, is worth more than when grown in the north; and that from any portion of the United States, owing to our superior dryness of climate, is more nutritive than what is produced in Great Britain. This difference is increased from 8 to 14 per cent. in favor of the American. Gluten varies in wheat from 8 to 35 per cent.; in rye, 9 to 13; barley, 3 to 6; and oats 2 to 5. The quality of wheat with regard to the quantity of gluten it contains, is nicely estimated and fully regarded by accomplished bakers.
The nitrates of potash, or soda, are frequently used in England to increase not only the quantity, but especially the quality of their flour, a practice the high prices of land and produce may render profitable there, though it is hardly to be expected they could generally be used in this country to a profit. In an experiment lately tried in England, one acre of wheat dressed with one cwt. of nitrate of soda, gave 42½ bushels, weighing 60¾ lbs. per bushel; another acre dressed with two cwt. yielded 47-3/8 bushels, weighing 60½ lbs.; while an undressed acre, in every other respect similar to the others, yielded only 27-7/8 bushels, weighing 61 lbs. Numerous other instances could be given equally conclusive.
Although we may not be justified in using these somewhat expensive salts, so highly charged with nitrogen, there are sources of supply within our reach, especially rich in this material, and abounding in many of the other ingredients of fertility. These are animal manures of all kinds, but more particularly urine, human excrements, and the offal of animals, such as uncalcined bones, horns, hair, hides, flesh, blood, &c. All of these contain large proportions of nitrogen, and if carefully incorporated into the soil, would tend largely to the increased production and value of the wheat crops throughout the country. An experiment was made in manuring wheat with cow dung, which contains the smallest proportion of nitrogen, and this yielded 11·95 per cent. of gluten. Another parcel, grown on land manured with human urine, gave 35·1 per cent. Thus it will be seen, that the maximum of value in wheat, may be reached, by the application of an article, almost everywhere wasted in the United States.
It is by skilfully feeding the wheat plant with all the nourishment that it can take up, that the crops may be indefinitely increased. Lord Hardwicke stated, in a speech before the Royal Ag. Soc. of England, that the fine Suffolk wheat had produced 76 bushels per acre; and another and more improved variety had yielded the astonishing quantity, of 82 bushels per acre. There is no comparison between the capacity of an animal and seeds, to produce results; for while the former is limited to a definite growth, which no effort of science or skill can augment, a seed may multiply beyond almost any assignable limit. We have been shown a stool of wheat, originating from a single seed, the growth of the present season, with 30 stalks, averaging from 100 to 110 grains on each head. Over 3,000 perfect grains, is thus the product of a single parent in one season. It requires, then, but the proper pabulum to produce good wheat, within the wheat latitudes, in every portion of the Union. Some of our worn-out eastern lands may be so totally unsuited to its growth, as not to justify the efforts of reclaiming or fitting them for this object, especially, while we have a region in the west, every way adapted by nature, to its most successful cultivation. But we can not for a moment doubt, that when those western fields become comparatively full, industry and science will combine to clothe again those hills and valleys (now but partially robed with a scanty herbage), with teeming crops of wheat, such as gave to them, in their pristine days, a fame for fertility seldom exceeded.
R. L. Allen.
For the American Agriculturist.