YALE AGRICULTURAL LECTURES. 117 



two, retain a tendency to ripen at the same time it did at the 

 south. The importance of this question will be seen when it 

 is understood that if we could get wheat in bloom 10 days 

 earlier it would receive little injury from the midge, and if it 

 could be sown later, as at the south, the Hessian fly could do 

 it no harm. 



We have an early wheat the Mediterranean which gener 

 ally escapes the midge, but it is of comparatively poor quality, 

 though it improves much in this respect by cultivation. In 

 regard to the quantity of seed per acre, I am in favor of rather 

 thick sowing, say two bushels and a peck per acre if sown 

 broadcast, or two bushels if sown with the drill. If the land 

 is in fine tilth and high condition, less seed will be required. I 

 know the quantity I have recommended is unusually large for 

 this country ; I know that a much less quantity is amply suffi 

 cient to seed an acre if the seed all germinates and the plants 

 are not winter-killed; but we must sow enough to guard 

 against these and other casualties, and I think I am "warranted 

 in saying, that thick seeding has a tendency to produce early 

 wheat. This at least is certain : where wheat is thin from hav 

 ing been partially killed by snow-drifts or by what is known 

 as " winter kill," the crop is always late, and generally suffers 

 from midge and mildew. It is true that this late ripening may 

 be owing to the same causes which produced the destruction 

 of the plants. I know of no decisive experiment bearing on 

 the point, but it is the opinion of several intelligent wheat- 

 growers in western New York that thin seeding gives late 

 crops. An experienced English writer contends that there is 

 no advantage in drilling wheat unless it is hoed afterwards in 

 the spring. This may be true of England, where the soil at 

 the time of seeding is always moist enough to insure germi 

 nation, but in this country, where we sow earlier and the soil 

 is dry, there is this advantage in drilling : the seed can be 

 deposited evenly, and at sufficient depth to insure germination. 

 For this idea I am indebted to John Johnston ; it cost me 



