THE WHEAT CULTTJRIST. 313 



enough, and some not at all ; and if the soil be deep and 

 mellow, the feet of teams will press a considerable por- 

 tion of it quite too deep. 



Another advantage in drilling-in the seed is, as soon 

 as an acre or two is ploughed, the grain may be put in 

 immediately, thus finishing the work as fast as the 

 ground is ploughed. When grain is sowed broadcast, it 

 is much more convenient, and rather important, to have 

 the entire field ploughed before sowing, so as to be able 

 to harrow both ways. When a farmer has a drill, he 

 can plough an acre, then harrow it, and drill in the seed 

 all in one day, while the soil is fresh, which is the best 

 condition to hasten the germination of the grain. He 

 thus finishes his work as he progresses, and is always 

 ready for temporary interruptions by storms of rain, 

 which are often attended with more or less injury to the 

 crop. Such delays, especially with spring grain, are 

 often fatal to a good crop. 



The Disadvantages of Sowing Wheat Broadcast. 



The illustration given on the next page is a fair repre- 

 sentation of growing wheat where the seed was scattered 

 broadcast and harrowed in. When wheat is sowed 

 broadcast and harrowed, a portion of the seed is left un- 

 covered, exposed to the drying winds and scorching sun, 

 to the fowls and birds ; and that which is covered, is 

 at very unequal depths, some very deep, some medium 

 depth, and some so near the surface that in case of 

 drought, it fails to mature for lack of moisture. Winter 

 wheat sowed broadcast is much more liable to be 

 raised by the frost, and be thrown out upon the sur- 

 face, there exposed to perish, for the reasons already as- 



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