78 Progressive Agriculture 



large shocks. This field has an interesting history, 

 as it was summer tilled in 1911 with a great 

 amount of care, for the main purpose of ascertain- 

 ing whether a certain soil condition in the heated 

 part of the season during the summer tilling would 

 bring about a more marked, rank growth the 

 following year. Our theory in this was based on 

 the keeping of the mulch at a fixed depth, loose 

 and dry as much of the time as the more or less 

 rains and timely cultivation would permit, there- 

 by, holding the high per cent of capillary water in the 

 top of the firm soil beneath the mulch contin- 

 uously to permit a process of chemical or bacterial 

 action, expecting to materially increase the avail- 

 able fertility. 



Whether we were successful or not is evidenced 

 by the growth of this wheat crop when we realize 

 that moisture was stored to a depth of only 32 

 inches during the summer tilling process in 1911, 

 and the rainfall up to the cutting of this crop in 

 1912 was very light and the last thirty days it 

 was very warm giving our ideas a most thorough 

 test. 



A further fact is, that only 18 pounds of seed 

 were sown per acre and that the field was twice 

 harrowed in the spring to thin it, for early in its 

 spring growth it showed too thick a stand from 

 its prolific stooling. At one end of the field where 

 the seed was quite thin, one stool was found with 

 213 stalks from one seed and numerous stools in 

 the other part of the field with one hundred and 

 over. As you look at this picture, think over 

 carefully our statements. 



