Missouri Corn Growers' Association. 353 



The plot disked and not plowed was double-disked twice just 

 before seeding. The other plots were treated as indicated in the 

 table. An effort was made to prepare the best seed bed possible 

 with each method employed. Thus: All plots were harrowed 

 immediately after they were plowed, except where otherwise 

 indicated, and were worked thereafter as was necessary to main- 

 tain a soil mulch and to prepare a good seed bed. The table 

 gives, in addition to yield per acre and method of treatment, the 

 cost per acre for preparation, which was figured as follows: 



$5.00 per acre for plowing with Spalding deep tillage plow. 

 1.25 per acre for 3-inch plowing. 

 1.75 per acre for 7-inch plowing. 

 .75 per acre for 5-inch listing. 

 .40 per acre for disking. 

 .35 per acre for Acme harrowing. 

 .25 per acre for harrowing. 

 .40 per acre for seeding. 

 The cost of preparation includes all expenses involved in 

 preparing the ground and seeding the wheat. The value of the 

 crop was figured at the market price of wheat at the time the 

 wheat was thrashed. The market price at the time of thrashing 

 this season (1913) was eighty cents per bushel. 



DISKING. 



Two plots were double-disked July 15th. One of these was 

 plowed August 15th and the other September 15th. The plot 

 plowed August 15th produced 29.84 bushels of wheat per acre. 

 The plot plowed September 15th produced 27.53 bushels per acre. 

 This is a difference of 2.31 bushels per acre in favor of the earlier 

 date of plowing. For the best results, ground that is double- 

 disked early in the summer should be plowed within a month 

 after disking. If the plowing is postponed later than this much 

 of the moisture saved by the earlier disking will be lost by the 

 rank growth of weeds and volunteer wheat that grow all the more 

 vigorously after the ground has been disked. Also, if the plow- 

 ing is not done before the middle of September there is not suffi- 

 cient time to prepare a firm seed bed before time for planting. 



When we compare the plots that were disked early with the 

 plots plowed at the same date but not previously disked, we find 

 for the August plowing that the plot not disked produced three 

 bushels more wheat per acre this season than the disked plot, but 

 for an average of three years the early disking has increased the 



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