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The mode of putting in wheat, almost uniformly practiced, 

 was by summer fallow. They never put it in after an oats 

 crop or in corn ground, unless forced to do so by existing 

 circumstances. The summer fallow was performed in the 

 following manner: About the first of June, being the time 

 between the planting of corn and its ploughing, the ground, 

 intended for wheat, was deeply broken up — about eight inches 

 in depth. It was then left until the weeds and grass came 

 up, when sheep were turned upon it. If the farmer had ma- 

 nure to spare, it was spread all over the ground before it was 

 first ploughed. About the first of August, the ground was 

 again ploughed, and suffered to lie, until from the first to the 

 tenth of September, when the wheat was sown broadcast 

 with from one to one and a-half bushels to the acre. The 

 wheat was then, either harrowed in, or ploughed in with the 

 barshare plough. If harrowed, it was gone over twice — the 

 soil being sandy and easily mellowed, especially under the ef- 

 fects of the following system : When ploughed in, the plough 

 was so set as not to run deeper than three inches. 



The average yield depended upon the condition of the soil 

 and the kind of wheat sown. They had five qualities of soil 

 in Elkhart — the prairie, thick wood, burr oak, white oak, and 

 black oak. The first yielded from 25 to 35 bushels to the 

 acre, the second and third from 20 to 25, and the others 

 from 15 to 20. 



The quantity of seed proper to be sown, depended some- 

 what upon the mode of putting in. If ploughed in, a bushel 

 and a quarter was sufficient, for all the grains were covered. 

 But when harrowed in, a bushel and a half ought to be sown. 

 It is a common error to sow too little seed in all our farming 

 operations, for by so doing a chance is given to the weeds. 



But the best mode of putting in wheat was by the drill. 

 It saves seed, deposits it evenly, allowing regular spaces be- 

 tween the rows, thus giving to all parts of the plant a free 

 circulation of the air. But its protection against freezing 

 out, was its most commendable advantage. The wheat being 



