THE WHEAT CULTUlilSJT. 271 



and sow in the mud, rather than not put in the seed 

 early. On the contrary, others contend, that it is better 

 to put in the seed quite late in the season, even after 

 sowing oats and barley. One party contends that spring 

 wheat should be put in before the ground is done freez 

 ing and thawing, as spring frosts greatly improve the 

 productiveness of the soil and increase the yield of 

 grain. Others insist that all these things are decidedly 

 injurious to the crop. 



I think the abettors of these theories are both right 

 and both wrong. My own experience leads me to fix 

 upon an intermediate period for putting in spring wheat. 



I am satisfied, that if the ground be put in order soon 

 after the growing season has commenced as soon as 

 may be practicable after the soil has become sufficiently 

 warm to cause germination and growth that the crop 

 of wheat will be more satisfactory, than if the seed were 

 sowed very early, or rather late. Whether other farm 

 ers will admit the assertion or not, I am satisfied that 

 cold, frosty weather often injures young wheat plants, 

 more seriously than most people are aware of. After 

 the young plants have appeared, and a cold, stormy pe 

 riod ensues, the leaves turn yellow, cease to grow for 

 several weeks, become stunted, and will never produce 

 so much grain, as if those same plants had received no 

 check in their growth. If the seed be put in late, the 

 growth is liable to be too rapid and too luxuriant ; and 

 the consequence is, that the crop is seldom so satisfac 

 tory, as if the seeding had been attended to a few days 

 earlier in the season. Late sowed wheat may as it 

 often has succeeded well ; but the same crop would 

 doubtless have been much better, had the seed been put 

 in a few days earlier. I do not think that the advocates 



