12 



view, underground growth, and when the continued warmer weather 

 of spring arrives the different stems shoot upward and develop 

 their leaves and lengthen their internodes rapidly. 



The depth of sowing depends mainly upon the kind of soil 

 and its physical condition. The object always should be the 

 provision of the best moisture conditions for the seed. In 

 moist soils or soils of a hard texture shallow seeding is prac- 

 ticed, but in loose or dry soils deeper seeding is necessary. 

 The usual depth of sowing wheat is from 1 to 2 inches. When 

 the seed kernel lies deep the portion of the young stem con- 

 necting it with the crown is necessarily longer than when it 

 lies nearer the surface of the ground, as in the case of shallow 

 seeding. Heaving of the surface soil, due to frost or other 

 cause, may break the young stem, separating the crown and 

 other parts of the plant from the primary root system. This 

 condition is detrimental to the plant it if occurs before the 

 permanent roots are large enough to take up the necessary 

 food and moisture. 



The quantity of seed used per acre depends upon the kind 

 of soil and its physical condition, the climate and the season, 

 the time and method of sowing, the variety, and the size and 

 quality of the seed. As a general rule wheat is sown thicker 

 on poor soils, stiff and cold clay lands, and rough and cloddy 

 seed beds than on fertile soils, friable loams, and fields well 

 worked and smoothed before seeding. Late sowing and 

 broadcasting also require more seed than early sowing and 

 drilling. A large-grained variety requires a greater quantity 

 of seed than a fine-grained sort, and a variety with limited 

 stooling capacity more than a heavy stooling variety. The 

 proper quantity of seed per acre varies from 3 to 8 pecks. 



Two common methods of sowing wheat are drilling and 

 broadcasting. Different kinds of machines are used for both 

 operations, but broadcasting is done also by hand. Drilling 

 is done with common drills, press drills, shoe-and-chain drills, 

 disk drills, etc.* Each method has its advantages under cer- 

 tain conditions. The greater portion of the wheat crop is 

 29 drilled. Winter wheat sometimes is rolled in the early spring 

 to counteract in part the results of winter heaving of the soil. 

 Harrowing wheat in the spring after the crop has made some 

 growth has given favorable results hi some instances, but it is 

 not practiced generally. Late rolling and late harrowing are 



often injurious. 



CROP ROTATIONS. 



The place of wheat in the crop rotation is governed largely 

 by the cleanness of the soil, the adaptability of wheat as a 



