130 



ELEMENTAEY AGPICULTURE 



Fig. 71. The cradle was a great improvement over the reap hook. 



Wheat in Rotation. Wheat should never be grown 

 on the same fields year after year with no change 

 of ,crop. It was grown in England far many years 

 to test this. When it was grown on the same field 

 every year for twelve years the average crop was a 

 little more than twelve bushels to the acre. When 

 it was grown every fourth year, with three other 

 crops between, the yield for each acre was twenty- 

 eight bushels, or more than twice as much. 



Enemies of Wheat. Wheat seems to have more 

 enemies than any other crop that the farmer raises. 

 He never knows when he sows his fields what he 

 shall reap or whether he shall reap at all. Very hot 

 or cold weather may ruin the crop. Drouths may 

 come and the plants die of thirst; or it may rain too 

 much and drown the wheat. Storms of hail or wind 



