CEREAL CULTIVATION EASTERN AREA 329 



latter. More pecks of a large-kerneled variety (not more 

 kernels) should be sown on an acre than of a small- 

 kerneled variety. The increase in stand from a bushel 

 of small kernels more than balances the ranker growth and 

 greater space occupied by the plants from the bushel of 

 large kernels. The usual rate for wheat under ordinary 

 conditions is 6 pecks to the acre. Rye is seeded at about 

 the same rate. Normal seeding of oats runs from 8 to 

 12 pecks, while the rate for barley is about 8 pecks to the 

 acre. Usually there will be a larger proportion of straw 

 in the thinner seeding. 



Zavitz (1913, pp. 39-42) made 32 tests of the thickness 

 of seeding oats, each continuing 4 years. In each test 

 the oats was sown at 7 different rates, running from 0.09 

 to 12.34 bushels an acre, in which the plants were spaced 

 respectively 12 to 1 inches apart each way. The best 

 yield was secured from seeding 3 inches apart each way 

 or at the rate of 1.36 bushels an acre. The most straw 

 resulted from the highest rate of seeding, 12.34 bushels 

 an acre. However, 3 pounds of seed produced more than 

 half as much straw as 414 pounds of seed. It is interest- 

 ing that both the percentage of rust and length of period 

 of growth increased exactly in the inverse proportion to 

 the rate of seeding. 



356. Depth of seeding. As stated in previous 

 chapters, the crown from which arises the permanent 

 roots of the cereal plant is formed just beneath the sur- 

 face of the ground, less than an inch. It is needless there- 

 fore to sow deep. Experiments bear out this idea. At 

 the Ohio Experiment Station, experiments in this line 

 resulted in an average yield of 3.56 bushels of oats to the 

 acre larger for the 1-inch than for the 2-inch depth, and 

 7.73 bushels more for the 1-inch than for the 3-inch or 



