GRAIN CROPS 



47 



straw is likely to remain on the land, and as most soils are 

 better supplied with potash than nitrogen and phosphoric 

 acid, these are the elements likely to be depleted. Clover, 

 as green manure, will add nitrogen, and stable manure, 

 vegetable matter. It may, then, be necessary to supply 

 phosphorus in a commercial fertilizer. Otherwise com- 

 mercial fertilizers are required only when the land has been 

 too long cropped without rotation or natural replenishment. 



Preparation of the Land. — Land is usually and prefer- 

 ably plowed to a medium depth of from four to six inches. 

 For winter wheat seeding the soil should be harrowed at 

 once very thoroughly to 

 pack down the lower part 

 of the f^irrow slice so that 

 it will retain sufficient 

 moisture for the growing 

 crop, as it would not do 

 if left loose or lumpy. 

 It is claimed that early 

 plowing effects an appreci- 

 able increase in the crop, 

 even July plowing being 

 preferable to August or 

 September plowing. 



For spring wheat fall 

 plowing is preferred. The* 



soil may then be left Figure is.— a good shock of wheat well 



rough, open to the air and capped. 



moisture, to be harrowed or disked, or both, in the spring, 

 to secure a fine, smooth mulch. Fall plowing also enables 

 the vegetable matter to decay to some extent before the 

 spring crop is sown. 



Seed and Sowing. — Seed should be carefully selected 

 and graded and free from weed seeds. The heaviest and 

 plumpest kernels may be obtained by running the grain 

 through a fanning mill. Constant selection of the best seed 

 is sure to result in improvement. 



Wheat is sown at the average rate of one bushel to one 

 and a half bushels per acre as the soil ranges from light and 

 warm to heavy clay. It may be sown in drills, usually six 



