150 WHEAT 



produce the moisture required, even in the driest 

 spring, to germinate the seed for the next crop. 

 The stubble-land can readily be burned on a day 

 in the spring with a warm, steady wind and the 

 seed may be sown with or without further cultiva- 

 tion. In a case where the grass roots have not 

 been entirely killed by the backsetting, a shallow 

 cultivation before seeding will be found advan- 

 tageous but as a rule the harrowing of the land with 

 a drag-harrow after seeding will be sufficient. 



"The principal objection urged to 'breaking and 

 backsetting' is heavy work for the teams required 

 in backsetting, but if the disking required to 

 reduce deep-breaking and the other cultivation 

 that must be done to obtain a second crop, 

 be taken into consideration, it must be conceded 

 that in the end 'breaking and backsetting' is the 

 cheaper and better method. 



" When two crops have been taken from new land 

 it should be summer-fallowed." 



In his "Methods of Preparing Soil for Grain 

 Crops/' Professor MacKay says: 



"In view of the .fact that every year brings 

 to the northwest many new settlers who are un- 

 acquainted with the methods of breaking up and 

 preparing new land for crops, a few suggestions 

 with regard to this important work may not be 

 amiss. 



"In all sections where the sod is thick and 

 tough, breaking and backsetting should be done ; 

 while in the districts where bluffs abound and the 

 sod is thin, deep breaking is all that is necessary. 



"The former is generally applicable to the 



