WHEAT 67 



formed by heavy rains, but care should be taken 

 not to loosen the soil too deeply so as to disturb 

 or loosen the roots of the plants. The harrowing 

 of young grain by covering the slender blades, 

 may injure the stand. 



The results of experiment station trials in har- 

 rowing wheat have not always been favorable. 

 Winter wheat may often be rolled in the spring 

 with advantage when there is much heaving of 

 soil, in order to pack the soil about the roots. 

 Rolling winter wheat in the spring at the Nebraska 

 experiment station (Lincoln) increased the yield of 

 grain five bushels per acre as an average for five 

 years. In a windy climate it is dangerous to roll 

 wheat as the smooth, pulverized surface soil left by 

 rolling will drift, and destroy the crop and waste 

 the soil. The writer has used the subsurface 

 packer in place of the roller at the Fort Hays 

 experiment station in Kansas with good results. 

 The subsurface packer presses the soil about the 

 wheat roots and leaves the surface slightly fur- 

 rowed, which tends to resist soil drifting. 



PASTURING WHEAT 



It is a common practice to pasture winter wheat, 

 and when done judiciously there may be no reduc- 

 tion in yield. In fact, aside from the pasturage 

 value which is estimated at from fifty cents to 

 two dollars per acre, there may result an actual 

 benefit to the crop from pasturing a rank growth 

 of wheat on fertile soil. The grazing reduces the 

 straw growth and may prevent winter smothering 

 as well as lodging and blighting. The firming of 



