200 THE WHEAT CULTURIST. 



CULTIVATING GROWING WHEAT. 



It has been often suggested, that wheat would yield a 

 much more abundant crop of grain, were the ^growing 

 plants cultivated with a horse-hoe and hand-tools. We 

 have, however, no experiments to establish this point. 

 On the contrary, judging from the habit of the wheat 

 plant, I think that the less the soil is stirred after the 

 wheat is put in, the better it will be for the growing 

 crop. I will tell why. Every wheat plant sends out 

 numerous roots near the surface of the ground. If we 

 examine a stool of growing wheat on new land, when 

 the surface is covered with a fine, vegetable mould, we 

 shall find that there are more roots near the surface, than 

 can be found several inches beneath the surface. Cut 

 off those surface roots with a broad hoe, or with a 

 harrow, or cultivator, and nature will at once appro- 

 priate all the energies of the growing plants to form a 

 new system of roots, near the surface. This fact teaches 

 us that the growing wheat plants do not need root-prun- 

 ing. If a horse-hoe, or hand-hoes be employed to cut 

 up the surface of the ground between the rows, the sur- 

 face, or coronal roots will be seriously mutilated, to the 

 injury of the plants. I think that all good farmers and 

 practical gardeners will coincide with me on this point, 

 that after the seed has been put in, the surface of the 

 soil should not be disturbed by implements of husbandry. 

 If noxious weeds and grass spring up among the growing 

 grain, let them be pulled up by hand, and laid between 

 the rows, where they will subserve the purpose of a 

 mulch to the wheat. Weeds may be pulled up, when 

 they appear among the wheat ; but they should never 

 be cut up with hoes. The soil should be so thoroughly 



