62 WHEAT 



space between drills, seven to eight inches, and 

 even wider space is often preferred. The practice 

 of planting wheat in rows in semi-arid areas, 

 eighteen to twenty-four inches apart, and cul- 

 tivating the crop has not given profitable results. 

 There is a disadvantage in planting the drills too 

 far apart because the wide spaces allow the growth 

 of weeds and the wheat does not make so good a 

 covering in its early growth, favoring soil drifting 

 in windy climates. The proper thickness of stand 

 should be secured by planting the seed thinner 

 in the drill rows rather than to make the space 

 between drills wider than six or seven inches. 

 Comparative tests have usually favored planting 

 in the closer drills. The amount of seed required 

 to sow an acre varies from two to three pecks 

 in the dry farming area to six to eight pecks in 

 the more humid climates. 



DEPTH OF SEEDING 



Wheat should not be covered too deeply. A 

 usual depth of drilling is two to three inches. To 



Fig. 17. Drilling in wheat with a tractor. 



