THE WHEAT CUXTTJRIST. 263 



it more profitable to make their soil doubly rich, and 

 pulverize it more thoroughly, and put in their seed as 

 late as the first of October, than to cultivate tolerably 

 well, manure moderately, and sow at an early date. 



As we move south of this latitude, the period of seed 

 time should be fixed at a still later date in autumn. We 

 should keep in mind this one great fact, to put whip and 

 spur to the growing wheat plants between the period 

 when insects would injure its growth, and the influences 

 of winter. Then, the crop will be safe, so far as its sal- 

 vation can be secured by choosing the most propitious 

 period for putting in the seed. But one of the most im- 

 portant considerations in the whole system of wheat cul- 

 ture is to have the soil in the right condition, bounti- 

 fully fertilized with such pabulum as will develop a 

 healthful and stiff straw and a plump and shining ker- 

 nel. 



It would seem that early sowed grain in autumn 

 would mature the next season just as many days earlier 

 than other crops, as the seed which was put in. But 

 experiments have shown that, in practice, we cannot 

 count upon any advantage, from early seeding, in se- 

 curing an early harvest, as wheat sowed the middle of 

 September and the first of October, on the same kind of 

 ground, will mature at the same period the next season. 

 If we would have wheat ripen early in the season, an 

 early variety must be obtained, as early seeding will not 

 secure an early harvest. 



The following extract taken from the report of a com- 

 mittee appointed by the Kentucky Agricultural and 

 Mechanical Association, will be read with interest. The 

 Committee say : 



The fly, or as it is popularly known, the Hessian 



a T1 



