354 Missouri Agricultural Report. 



yield over a bushel an acre. The plot double-disked in July and 

 plowed in September produced 27.53 bushels of wheat per acre 

 this season, while the plot plowed on the same date but not 

 double-disked produced 16.39 bushels per acre. This is an 

 increase of 11.14 bushels per acre in favor of double^disking and 

 an increased return of $7.71 per acre after paying for the disking. 

 There is absolutely no doubt of the benefit resulting from double- 

 disking ground early in the season when it can not be plowed or 

 listed. Double-disking early in the summer not only insures an 

 increased yield of wheat, but holds moisture in the ground, so 

 that the plowing can be done later with greater ease and at less 

 expense. 



Disking is a desirable method of preparing the seed bed 

 when used in connection with plowing, but is a poor method 

 when used alone. In this trial the plot that has not been plowed 

 for three years, but where the seed bed has been prepared by 

 disking just before planting, produced only 9.39 bushels of wheat, 

 and the average yield for the past three years has been but 6.63 

 bushels per acre. This is not a sufTicient yield to pay for the 

 cost of production. On lighter types of soil in the central and 

 western part of the State this method has produced satisfactory 

 crops of wheat for a single season, but when the method is fol- 

 lowed year after year it can not be expected to equal plowing 

 or any other good method of preparation. 



LISTING. 



Two methods of listing were tried in this test. One plot 

 was listed July 15th, leveled with a lister cultivator about August 

 1st, and worked as necessary thereafter to maintain a soil mulch 

 to prevent the growth of weeds. The other plot was listed on 

 the same date, left one month without being worked, then the 

 ridges split with the lister. About two weeks later the land 

 was leveled with a lister cultivator and thereafter worked as 

 was considered necessary. The plot single-listed produced 27.81 

 bushels per acre while the plot double-listed made 29.40 bushels 

 per acre, a difference of 1.61 bushels in favor of double-listing. 

 For the first two seasons of the test single-listing produced 

 slightly more wheat than double-listing. This year, however, 

 the reverse is true. It will undoubtedly be found, as the test is 

 continued, that the plot double-listed will produce more grain 

 than the single-listed plot. When single-listing is practiced, 

 especially when the listing is done each year in the same direc- 



