FARMERS' INSTITUTES. 155 



As many farmers sow wheat after wheat, and wheat after oats, I would say 

 the sooner such fields are plowed, after the crops are removed, the better will 

 be the return for the farmer's labor. I cannot let this opportunity pass with- 

 out trying to impress upon your minds the great benefit to be derived from 

 early plowing. Oft-times have I seen some thrifty farmer take advantage of a 

 wet day in the midst of harvest to start the plow, laying out his work, and 

 perhajis plowing a few rods in width, that he may have a good beginning when 

 his harvest is over. And I have always noticed the difference between the 

 growth of wheat on this early plowing, and that plowed much later; tliat on 

 the early-plowed land coming up the strongest, covering the ground before the 

 other does, and sometimes the difference is so marked that you can tell the 

 early-plowed land up to harvest, and even after harvest the stubble will show 

 that the largest wheat grew on the early-plowed land. 



I would advise that land plowed in June be left just as the plow leaves it, 

 until after harvest, unless there are indications that there will be too large 

 a growth of vegetation before that time; in that case the farmer must 

 find time to harrow thoroughly, and then give sufficient surface cultivation 

 after that to check all vegetation up to the time of sowing. 



Land plowed after harvest, I think, should be thoroughly harrowed as soon 

 as plowed. Some farmers who have good success in raising wheat, harrow 

 each day's plowing the same day it is plowed. This course seems to be best, 

 because any seeds that may be in the ground will grow so much quicker on 

 ground that is harrowed, and it is desirable that such seeds should grow, and 

 that they may be killed in their infancy by frequent cultivation. 



The reason that I do not recommend harrowing land plowed before harvest, 

 as soon as it is plowed, is this : it stimulates the growth of seeds, and makes 

 cultivation necessary at a time of year when the farmer needs all the time of 

 men and teams in securing the harvest. On the other hand, if tlie ground is 

 left rough, and the season favorable, the fallow does not require any work 

 from the farmer until such time as he can give it his undivided attention. 

 Land plowed early has the power to retain moisture, and will retain moisture 

 sufficient to germinate seeds, when land plowed later is dry furrow deep ; to illus- 

 trate this, I would say that a field plowed early, and given the necessary culti- 

 vation, was examined the middle of August last year, and moisture was found 

 within one inch of the surface sufficient to grow wheat. At this time we were 

 in the midst of a severe drought, so much so that many farmers had to stop 

 their plowing on clover sod and pasture land. 



Having our land properly prepared for the seed, let us consider the time of 

 sowing. There are so many circumstances that have a bearing on this subject 

 that I hardly know where to begin, or what to say. If we fear the Hessian 

 fly we sow later than we would if we had no such fears. If we anticipate a 

 short, cold autumn and an early winter, we like to sow early, that our crop 

 may get sufficient growth to withstand severe winter weather. I have seen wheat 

 sown the last of September that did not grow enough to scarcely niake the 

 ground look green ; again, look at last season, wheat sown the last of Septem- 

 ber grew as large by the beginning of winter as any farmer would like to see. 



To those farmers who have eight or ten days seeding, I would say begin the 

 first of September and sow as fust as you can until done, which, in my own 

 case, I would not like to be later than the 20th of the montli. To those who 

 do not have so much seeding, I would advise sowing one day, or one field, early 

 in September; after waiting a few days sow another day or field. I advise 

 this because sometimes the early, and sometimes the late, seeding yields tlie 



