98 



FOR BETTER CROPS 



ings was a little more than seventeen bushels per acre, the 

 largest being twenty-eight bushels and the smallest ten. The 

 highest yields were obtained where five pecks of seed were used 

 and the lowest from four pecks. These are average yields for a 

 series of years on good land, and show what farmers have actually 

 done on a large scale. From the many experiments tried to 

 determine what amount of seed to sow per acre to insure the 

 largest yield, it has been found that on most soils five and one- 

 half pecks give the maximum result. Heavier seeding may be 

 necessary on worn-out soil, while four to four and one-half pecks 

 will give an abundant yield on fertile land. 



The smoothing harrow^ adds the final touch of preparation 



Time of Seeding— After the preparation of the soil, the 

 selection of seed, and the decision as to how much seed to sow 

 per acre, comes the important question of time of seeding. 

 Shall we sow early and court the ravages of insect pests? Shall 

 we sow late and take the chances that growth will be sufficient 

 to carry the wheat through the perils of winter? No invariable 

 rule can be laid down as to date of seeding, as weather conditions 

 and other factors, over which man has no control, may determine 

 the possibilities at seeding time. Much, however, can often be 

 done to modify adverse conditions. In a time of drought, a 

 thoroughly prepared seed-bed with a well pulverized surface is 

 of even more importance than under ordinary conditions; as the 

 mellow soil at the surface acts as a mulch to retain moisture 

 and prevents evaporation from below, and even a slight shower 

 will put the soil in condition to receive the seed. If the land, 

 under such conditions, is only half prepared and seeded before 

 sufficient rain has fallen, almost certain failure is courted. 



