266 CAMPBELL'S SOIL CULTURE MANUAL 



CHAPTER XXXIII. 



STOOLING OF GRAIN. 



The real cause of small grain stooling is not a question 

 well understood by the average tiller of the soil, and yet 

 it is a subject that if well understood would pave the way 

 to the comprehension of other even more puzzling and yet 

 most important subjects. The simple fact that the farmer 

 has not understood this question has led him to do things 

 that has cost him money as well as bring an actual detri- 

 ment to his crop. To understand these principles is to 

 explain and make clear why the farmer should be so very 

 careful to carry out many of the principles laid down under 

 the chapters on Plowing, Sub-Packing and Summer Cul- 

 ture. 



To more clearly explain this phenomenon we call your 

 attention to Cut No. 24, where we show the two condi- 

 tions, one of which promotes stooling the other does not. 

 At the left is the more common condition of the soil in the 

 average western field. This represents soil that has not 

 been packed and has been plowed when in fair conditiou 

 and harrowed. The root system here is not large because 

 soil of this nature does not carry a large amount of moisture, 

 on the other hand it carries large quantities of air. This 

 unbalanced condition brings about slow chemical action 

 which liberates small quantities of plant elements or fer- 

 tility, consequently the development of roots is but little 

 in excess of what the first and original main stalk can take 

 care of, consequently little or no stooling has taken place. 



