139 



The qucslion is sometimes asked, "Which produces 

 the hirger yield, hcarded or beardless varieties?" The 

 average yield of all bearded and of all beardless varie- 

 ties of each year is shown in Table III. 



During the first years of the tests only one or two 

 bearded varieties w^ere planted, but in later years the 

 number of bearded varieties was nearly equal to that 

 of the beardless. The difference in yield between 

 bearded and beardless varieties is negligible. 



The choice between a bearded and a iDcardless varie- 

 ty is a matter of convenience in handling and the use 

 to which the straw is to be put. To the casual observer 

 the bearded varieties in the field look jiiore promising 

 because the awns make tlie heads appear larger than 

 those of beardless varieties. If a crop is to be har- 

 vested for hay instead of grain, a beardless variety is 

 more desirable. 



Cultural Suggestions 



Soils: Wheat is not suited to poor land that is ex- 

 trcmly sandy or poorly drained. It does best on loam, 

 silt loam, and clay soils well supplied with humus. 

 In the mountainous sections and the Tennessee Valley 

 are considerable areas that are suited to the growth of 

 wheat. In the Coastal Plain section the soils that are 

 well supplied with vegetable matter will produce good 

 crops under favorable seasons, even though they may 

 be sandy. 



Preparation : The land should be thoroughly plow- 

 ed for wheat. The plowing should be done long enough 

 before planting to allow the surface to become 

 moderately well compacted by rainfall, rolling and re^ 

 peated harrowing; but in case it cannot be done suffi- 

 ciently early, the seed may be planted on a freshly 

 plowed surface. Where corn or cotton stalks or pea- 

 vines or velvet bean vines are present, they should be 

 cut to pieces with a stalk-cutter or disk-harrow, so that 

 the plows can turn them under completely. 



Cotton and corn lands that are soft, mellow and free 

 from a heavy cover of grass and weeds may be planted 

 by sowing the seed and fertilizer broadcast and cover- 

 ing them with a disk-harrow or some other shallow 

 cultivating im])lement. Land where the cotton was 

 picked off early and the stalks destroyed to kill the boll 

 weevil may be planted in the same way; but it is be- 

 lieved that most soils should be plowed in preparation, 

 for wheat, if time and labor will permit. 



