6 The Bulletin. 



State make wheat growing a profitable branch of their farm economy? 

 Everything seems to be in their favor. The wheat growers of the 

 West must harvest their crop and let their land lie idle till the next 

 season. One crop per year is all they may hope to get. But in our 

 State many of the growers can follow their wheat with either a crop 

 of cowpeas for seed or hay or green manure, or they may sometimes 

 put corn on the newly broken stubble. This latter practice is rarely 

 advisable, however, except where heavy fertilization is practiced. It ia 

 quite feasible and generally advisable, however, to have a crop of either 

 cowpeas or soy beans follow the wheat crop to be plowed under as green 

 manure and thus leave the land in better condition for the growth of 

 succeeding crops. 



CULTIVATION 



The farmers in the Piedmont and mountainous sections are familiar 

 with the ordinary methods of wheat culture as practiced in the State. 

 Usually, the crop follows wheat or peas which have grown on a wheat 

 or other small-grain stubble, or is sown on corn stubble after the crop 

 has been removed. In the eastern part of the State cotton is some- 

 times all picked out in time to allow wheat to follow this crop. More 

 generally wheat follows corn. Where level cultivation of the corn has 

 been practiced, and where the land was well prepared for the corn 

 crop, the wheat may be put in with a drill after the corn has been 

 removed, by giving the land a thorough disking beforehand, going 

 over it a sufficient number of times to make a good seed bed two to 

 four inches deep. Many farmers, however, prefer to give the land a 

 light plowing before putting in the crop, even where corn has been 

 grown. This latter practice is likely the best where there is much 

 weeds and grass on the land, which should be cut with a disc harrow two 

 or more times before plowing; but the plowing should be shallow. The 

 disc harrow should be run over the land after it is plowed so as to 

 further fine the surface, cut up the vegetation, and aid it in settling 

 and becoming compact. If land is still somewhat loose a heavy roller 

 should be run over the surface just before seeding. This will still 

 further compact the subsurface and lift the moisture into the upper 

 stratum of soil where the wheat plants can utilize it. When we recall 

 that every pound of dry matter in wheat requires over 300 pounds of 

 water for its production, the necessity for so preparing the land that 

 the greatest amount of moisture may be rendered available to the plant 

 will become apparent. With a view to the conservation of moisture, 

 the land intended for corn which precedes a crop of wheat should be 

 well and deeply broken in the fall or winter and thoroughly disked in 

 the spring before planting the corn. Where possible, a crop of green 

 laanure for soil improvement should occupy the land during the winter 

 and be turned under in the spring to precede the crop of corn. Where 

 practicable, the cultivation of the corn should be level, as this is best, 

 as a rule, for corn, and leaves the land in the best shape for preparation 

 for wheat or other small grain. 



Where wheat is to follow peas, wheat, or other crops, the same prin- 

 ciple as to seedbed should be kept fairly in mind. Not infrequently 



