212 Our Farming. 



say last winter at an institute, when inquired of about how to 

 avoid injury from Hessian fly, that it made more difference how 

 wheat was put in than when. That was just solid truth, as I 

 believe. We will consider this point later on, but remember that 

 this grand start helps even to preventing damage from the fly. 

 You can see how damage that would nearly destroy a poorly started 

 crop would hardly be noticed in a good one, and would be soon 

 outgrown. 



Now, I wonder if any reader of this book will again put in 

 wheat on land all covered with clods, from little to very large, per- 

 haps arguing that these will protect the wheat ? I hope not. 

 Wheat needs feeding properly and it will protect itself just as a 

 well-fed man might go through a terrible storm all right, while 

 he would freeze to death if half fed, and thus weakened and 

 feeble, although there might be sacks of provisions piled up all 

 around him to shelter him slightly from the wind. Pulverize 

 the shelter and let the plants feed on it and gain extra size and 

 strength. There is no winter protection equal to a large fall 

 growth falling down around the plant. 



But now we have the properly prepared soil, well drained 

 naturally or with tiles, and plenty of available plant food ready, let 

 us think about preparing the seed. This is a matter of some im- 

 portance, but not as much as the former questions, perhaps. First, 

 we want a variety suited to our soil and that will sell well. 

 Occasionally our farmers get hold of some variety that yields 

 well but is soft and not wanted by millers at full price. A variety 

 that may do finely on certain soils may not do well at all for me. 

 There is no question about this. I have tried varieties that I 

 know did well in certain sections that were very poor with me. 

 One cannot spend much time in experimenting, and still he must 

 spend some in order to know that he has what is best for his 

 soil. I would advise that you watch the Experiment Station 

 reports, and when on land similar to yours and in something 

 the same latitude, they decide from some years' experience that a 

 certain new variety is a real acquisition, get enough to sow an 

 acre and try it on your farm. If it fails, you will not lose much. 

 If it is better than what you have you can sow more. But do not 

 put the new variety on the best acre on your farm. Be fair. Give 

 it an average chance only and watch it in every way. After two 

 or three years you will know something about it in this way. I 

 have tried two promising varieties that shell badly, which alone 

 will prevent my ever growing them again. The land where I 

 grew them was full of wheat in the clover the next year. This 

 report did not get to me and it cost me a good deal of trouble to 

 find it out. Really I doubt whether there is any better wheat on 

 earth to-day for my farm than the old original Fultz. It has done 

 well here for a long time and has no serious fault. I sowed noth- 

 ing else last fall. I have had it ever since it first came around. 



