THE WHEAT CULTURIST. 



127 



wheat, that they have no more hold on the soil than 

 if just transplanted. Hence, they are apt soon to die. 



The next consideration ?.s shallow seeding, and cul- 

 tivating the soil so as to keep the mould, or the richest 

 part of the soil, at the surface. 



I will endeavor to make this point more intelligible 

 by an explanation of the accompanying illustration, 

 which represents a young wheat-plant which has sprung 

 from a kernel of wheat that was planted about six inches 

 deep. The seminal or primary roots that have sprung 

 from the kernel take such a firm hold of the soil, that 

 when the surface is lifted the stem will be severed, as 

 shown, at some point between the two systems of roots. 

 Unless winter wheat is put in very early in autumn, the 

 coronal, or secondary, or upper set of roots will not 

 attain one-half the size herewith represented. I have 

 shown a bulb just below the surface of the ground, much 

 larger than it really grows, for the purpose of illustrat- 

 ing the principle on which the young wheat-plants 

 grow. The upper set of roots seldom appear as large 

 as they are here represented, until the plants have begun 

 to grow luxuriantly the next spring after the seed is put 

 in. We can perceive, at once, how easily the frost 

 would heave out the growing plant, if there were only 

 a few small roots issuing from the bulb, to hold it in 

 the ground. 



When seed wheat is ploughed in deep, if we examine 

 the plants just before winter, we shall find that there 

 are roots issuing from the kernel, as shown by the 

 illustration, and none — or very few — at the bulb. After 

 a period of freezing and thawing of the wheat field, in 

 some wet place, let the stems be examined, and they will 

 be found severed, as represented by the preceding cut. 



