96 PRINCIPLES OF FARM PRACTICE 



Being an intercrop disease it is especially dangerous, particu- 

 larly in regions where the practice of sowing wheat in corn is 

 followed. Its effects are more like blight than scab. All 

 parts of the wheat plant may be attacked. The disease may 

 be recognized by the " slightly brown and water soaked spots" 

 on the wheat head. These areas rapidly spread over the 

 entire head and often in damp weather to other heads. 

 Kernels of infected heads are generally small in size and very 

 light, making it possible to separate them from the rest of 

 the grain by rescreening. While no complete methods of 

 control have as yet been devised, two practices are suggested: 

 one, the use of disease-free seed on uninfected soil; the other, 

 avoiding a crop rotation in which wheat follows corn infected 

 with corn-root rot. 



The Hessian fly and chinch bug are the only insect enemies 

 of wheat that may be controlled to any extent. The Hessian 

 fly may be controlled by early plowing and late sowing. 

 Since chinch bugs winter in stubble, weeds and grass, the 

 remedy lies in removing, by plowing and burning, every 

 thing that might afford winter protection for them. Especial 

 attention should be given to weeds along fence rows adjacent 

 to wheat fields. The Hessian fly prefers warm, moist 

 weather. The chinch bug, on the other hand, thrives only 

 in hot, dry seasons. 



Harvesting. In humid climates wheat should be harvested 

 before becoming over-ripe. Otherwise the grain would be 

 likely to shatter. Its milling value would also be reduced 

 because over-ripe grain is not uniform. 



After cutting, the bundles or sheaves are placed in loose 

 shocks. The shocks are usually capped by spreading over 

 the top two bundles at right angles to each other. After 

 this operation, the wheat is likely to deteriorate, especially 



