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badly damaged. Wherever we noted a horse foot track 

 the wheat in or at the edge was invariably green. Where 

 we found fields plowed round the field, at the corners 

 where the horses had tramped the portion in turning, we 

 also found green wheat. This was especially true in one 

 field in Northwest Kansas, where the farmer had harrowed 

 his field thoroughly after plowing as above mentioned and 

 before seeding. Other marked contrasts were shown in the 

 dead furrows and the back furrows. In the latter the 

 wheat was almost invariably found dead entirely, while 

 along the edge of the former we found good stands of green 

 wheat. These observations together with many others led 

 us to one conclusion, viz. ; that winter killing of all autumn 

 sown grain would never be known, if the following prin- 

 ciples were carefully observed: 



1. Conservation of soil moisture. 



2. Plowing of fields only when moist. 



3. The use of the sub-surface packer well weighted at 

 the proper time. 



It is exceedingly difficult to put too much stress upon 

 these three requisites, especially is it true with reference 

 to the packer; its work is most vital for the development 

 and support of strong and healthy plants. 



We would also call attention to some very strong cor- 

 roborating evidence in the quotation from Bulletin No. 52, 

 issued by the Agricultural Experimental Station of Illinois 

 in 1898 referred to at length under tree growing, the sum 

 of which was that fruit trees winter killed frequently in 

 early fruit growing in Illinois, and it was finally agreed 

 that soil and climatic conditions were not favorable for 

 fruit growing, especially apples. After the Agricultural 

 College began to take notes it soon became evident that 

 the trouble all came from trees going into the winter with 



