I5G i?TATE LOAKD OF AGllICULTURE. 



best; again, for the convenience of harvesting, it is well to have a field ready 

 for the sickle in advance of tlie balance of tlie harvest. 



I sow my wheat with a force feed tooth drill, eight inches between the drills. 

 This I consider the best way to sow wlieat, taking one year with another. 

 Some years broadcast seeding may be as good, or even better than that sown 

 with tlie drill; then, again, when we have severe winter weather, with fre- 

 quent freezing and thawing, the position of drill-sown wheat is such — being in 

 the depressions between the ridges — that freezing and tliawing tends to cover 

 the roots deeper, instead of leaving them bare. I do not think wheat should 

 be sown very deep, one inch has been recommended as deep enough for corn, 

 unless in time of drouth, and wliy should wheat, which is a much smaller 

 kernel, be planted any deeper than corn? I am always satisfied wlien seeding 

 if the seed is all deposited out of sight. I have sown two bushels of wheat to 

 the acre, and as low as one bushel to the acre. I think one bushel is preferable 

 to two ; of late years I sow a trifle over one bushel to tlie acre early in the 

 season, and increase the quantity slightly later in the season. 



I endeavor to select my seed from a field that is well matured, and as free 

 from foul seeds as possible. I prefer that the grain stand in the stack until 

 near the time of seeding, as I think much seed is injured by being threshed 

 from the siiock and placed in large bins Avhere it Avill heat, thus destroying its 

 power of germination. This I think is one of the reasons why we hear com- 

 plaints of a poor stand of wheat, from heavy seeding. 



I wish here to say a discouraging word to those farmers, who sow their wheat 

 as it comes from the thresher ; although it may appear comparatively clean, 

 there is danger that small seeds may be concealed, that if once sown may cause 

 the farmer years of toil and trouble. I have found the seeds of cockle the 

 most objectionable of any foul seeds when I go to market, and the most trou- 

 blesome to separate from seed wheat. Chess is another seed that is not a very 

 desirable mixture for our seed wheat ; it is much easier to separate from seed 

 wheat than cockle, and I advise my brother farmers to use due diligence, that 

 none be sown, as it might fail to turn to wheat. 



Smut is objectionable in seed wheat, although I have never found that it 

 had any effect on the growing crop; sometimes when smut has been sown, the 

 following crop has been free from smut, and vice versa. 



Having our crop sown it requires but little attention from the farmer until 

 it is ready for the sickle, therefore we will pass over this interval of time, and 

 consider for a few moments this part of our subject. Perhaps I cannot do 

 better here, than give you a little of my last year's experience, thinking it will 

 be more satisfactory to you than any theories that I might advance. 



I had a field of wheat on soil suitable for the early ripening of wheat. One 

 corner of this field of about four acres, was once a black ash swamp, the soil 

 was black and cold, consequently, when the majority of this field was ready 

 for harvesting the low land was very green; it would not be amiss to say, it 

 was as "green as grass." At first we thought it would be best to leave this 

 part of the field until the balance of the harvest was cut ; but, as the field 

 was some distance from home, it was desirable to make a clean sweep of the 

 field, and we did so. 



This field was the first harvested, and as the wheat was very well shocked, it 

 was left until the last to stack. When this wheat was stacked, it was noticed 

 that the wheat cut on the low ground was considerably shrunken, and it was 

 decided that Are had made a mistake in cutting this wheat so green. 



At threshing time it was noticed that the Avheat cut green was the plumpest 



