THE WHEAT CULTHRIST. 217 



and by spreading finely pulverized compost on the sur- 

 face, and simply harrowing it in about the time the 

 grain is sowed or drilled in, the roots, for the most part, 

 will strike out horizontally, or nearly so, and will be- 

 come so thoroughly interwoven with each other near the 

 surface, that they are not drawn out at the surface, as 

 they are when they strike down nearly vertically; but 

 the entire soil rises and settles back in the same manner 

 as sod ground does, without heaving out the plants. 



I have made particular inquiry of those farmers who 

 have adopted the practice of manuring on the surface, 

 in every locality where I have travelled during the past 

 season, and I have found that in most instances they are 

 satisfied that winter grain will not suffer so much injury 

 from freezing and thawing, when the manure is well 

 rotted and spread thin on the surface, and harrowed in 

 about the time when the grain is put in, as it will if the 

 manure is ploughed under. 



Growing wheat on clover lay is practiced in many in- 

 stances. When the clover is in full bloom it is turned 

 under with the furrow about six or seven inches in depth, 

 during the latter part of July ; and if the clover is the 

 large kind, which is considered preferable, it is not 

 ploughed in until the former part of August. Of course, 

 circumstances will determine the most proper time for 

 ploughing it under. If the clover is pastured for several 

 weeks in the spring, it will not have attained its full 

 growth until after the middle of summer has passed. 



If the ploughman be expert, and can turn a well pro- 

 portioned furrow, and make his work uniform, one 

 ploughing for a clover sod is sufficient. But it should be 

 done one month before sowing, to impart to the surface 

 a suitable mellow condition for the seed, and also that 



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