CHAI>T1£R XI. 



WHEA T. 



Culture. — The ideal seed-bed for wheat, in the 

 opinion of the majority of intelligent wheat raisers, is 

 one that is compact below, being pulverized at the 

 surface merely. When the soil is loose and open 

 below, the spaces fill with water in the winter time 

 and the freezing and thawing heave the plants and 

 kill them. On the other hand, in times of drouth the 

 soil dries out more completely down to the solid earth 

 below and below the mass of the roots, to the injury 

 of the plant, while, if the surface merely is pulverized, 

 the soil immediately below, and that which is in con- 

 tact with the bulk of the roots, remains moist. 



Drilling wheat in the standing corn is practiced in 

 some localities where there is a friable loam soil. In 

 this case the soil has the proper surface pulverization 

 from the cultivation of the corn, and is compact be- 

 low. The wheat is sown by drawing a five-hoe 

 drill between the rows of corn. Afterward, at the 

 proper time, the corn is husked. In the winter or 

 spring, when the ground and stalks are frozen, the 

 stalks are broken off by drawing a heavy drag over 

 the surface. In some cases the corn is cut and 

 shocked before the proper time to sow the wheat and 

 the wheat sown with the five-hoe drill between the 

 rows of stubs. This method makes it possible to fol- 

 low corn with winter wheat and the expense of putting 

 in the wheat is small. It is thought also that the 

 stalks are some protection to the wheat at times in 

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