WHEAT 71 



upon, the wheat should be run through a fanning mill. 

 This will select the heaviest and plumpest grains, as well 

 as remove the seed of noxious weeds. If care is taken thus 

 to secure the best of the crop for seed each year, there need 

 be no fear of the seed "running out." On the contrary, the 

 variety may actually be improved. 



Methods of planting. The method formerly used in 

 planting wheat was to sow it broadcast on the plowed 

 ground, and then harrow it in. This is a very wasteful way 

 of planting, however, since some of the wheat fails to be 

 covered, and is picked up by the birds ; some of it is cov- 

 ered too shallow, and fails to secure good roots ; and some 

 of it is covered too deep, and grows imperfectly. 



The method now used in all successful farming is to 

 plant the wheat with a drill. This sets the seed at a uni- 

 form depth, and gives it a moist fine bed of soil. Nu- 

 merous experiments have shown that the best depth to 

 plant wheat for average years is from one and a half 

 to three inches. Wheat, like corn, loses both time and 

 strength by being planted too deep. 



Wherever possible, wheat should be drilled in rows run- 

 ning east and west. In dry regions, the prevailing winds 

 then blow snow and dirt into the drills instead of out of 

 them, as is the case when the rows run north and south. 

 In east-and-west rows the drill also tends to shade the roots 

 of the plant, and so protect them from the frequent thaw- 

 ing and freezing which occur in the case of winter wheat 

 when the sun shines directly into the drill. Because of 

 these uses of the drill ridges, the ground should not be 

 harrowed after the wheat is sown. 



Harvesting the wheat. Except in the semi-arid re- 

 gions of the West where practically no rain falls during the 

 harvest season, wheat should be cut as soon as it is ripe 

 enough. Many farmers allow their wheat to become so 



