8 



tioa of tlie soil for broadcast sowing as mmt be done for the drill, there would 

 be no advantage in drilling; perhaps the advantage would be the other way." 



Whitney county. — " We suppose wheat much better drilled than sown broad- 

 cast, and I am inclined to the opinion that it is best to have it drilled north and 

 south, as our winds mostly come from the west. It saves the snow from being 

 blown away from the roots of the wheat, and the Avhole field will not sweep as 

 clean of snow as where the drilling is east and west." 



Henry county. — "Harvesting of the wheat crop has still further shown the 

 advantages of drill over broadcast sowing. I think the difference may be esti- 

 mated at the lowest at one-tenth in favor of drilling. £arZy-sowed wheat is 

 also much the best, say one to two tenths." 



OHIO. 



Marion county. — "Although on the subject of drilled and broadcast sown winter 

 wheat,I have made considerable inquiry, I have hesitated to make a positive state- 

 ment. I found on one farm near town that 10 acres were sown broadcast by 

 one person, and 12 acres were drilled in by another, and there was no appre- 

 ciable difference in the character of the soil — that is, there was about the same 

 proportion of black and clay soil. Now upon the 12 acres of drilled wheat 

 there is three times as much standing in good condition as upon the 10 acres. 

 Going about half a mile further east I found a field of, say 30 acres of wheat, 

 which had been drilled in, but which was such an utter failure that oats have 

 been drilled in upon the field this spring. This field was of a cold, wet, clay 

 soil, perhaps as unfavorable for wheat as could be selected. Another farmer 

 stated that after a crop of flax he had suficred a field to lie in fallow last sum- 

 mer, and in the fall ploughed a part of it ; finding it very mellow, he put in his 

 wheat by drill, both that which he had ploughed and that which he had not. 

 This spring it is in excellent condition, all parts being about the same. He 

 had sown the same field in wheat several times before, and on a certain portion 

 of it (perhaps somewhat wet) he had never before raised any wheat, but this 

 year (drilled in) there is no appreciable difference in the whole. I have asked 

 the question of a great number of farmers as to the comparative value of drilled 

 and sown wheat, and the almost uniform answer is in favor of the former — 1st, 

 because it is evenly sown; 2d, because it is a protection against the effects of 

 frost. Many, indeed, say they cannot prove this by their own experience, and 

 yet they are decided in their own opinion ; only one farmer I met with said he 

 had tried both, and was positively in favor of sowing broadcast, even having in 

 view the effects of the frost." 



Two months aftei', this excellent correspondent thus writes : " The crop of 

 winter wheat last year was very deficient, and consequently, although that of 

 this year was seriously injured, it was still better than the former. Continued 

 inquiries respecting the comparative value of drilled and sowed wheat show 

 the decided advantages of the former. One fixrmer reports, for example, that he 

 has two pieces, side by side, of like soil, and the drilled portion was injured by 

 frost, say ^jy, the sown ^o. He says that many in his neighborhood ploughed 

 up their solved fields ; one field, sowed late in August, produced a fine crop." 



Clermont county. — " In my report you will see that I have given 8, or 

 2-tenths, as the average amount destroyed by winter (cold) of that sown by drill, 

 and 6, or 4-tenths, of that sown broadcast I do not know but what the differ- 

 ence in favor of the drill is greater." 



Van Wert county — " Early and drilled wheat decidedly best." 



Hocking county. — " The winter wheat in this county was damaged mostly 

 by the severe winter and winds ; where it is protected from the sharp winds it 

 is good, but where it was exposed it amounts to very little. Some of our farmers 

 ploughed in their wheat, and such is better than that harrowed in." 



