Wheat 



9 



quite ripe and should be kept spread out on the granary floor as long as possible. In order 

 to obtain seeds which unite all these qualities, the grains from the finest ears are laid aside 

 as soon as the harvest has been threshed ; this is the first selection. These grains are first 

 passed through the winnower, which takes out the dust and light grains. Mixed with the 

 corn, however, there may also be seeds of other plants, the growth of which might afterwards 

 do injury to the wheat. These must be taken out ; this is the task of the sifter and the bolter. 

 But still the finest-looking grain, having the right weight and the right shape, may, notwith- 

 standing the most energetic winnowing and the repeated shocks of the bolter, contain in the 

 folds of the furrow which runs on one side of the seed the germs of diseases, the spores of fungi 

 which might develop and spoil the whole crop. It is prudent to prevent this by destroying 

 the germs without killing the embryo of the future plant ; this is done by liming or by treat- 

 ment with copper sulphate. In the former process a liquid mixture of lime and water is 

 thoroughly mixed by continual stirring, and poured on the seed, which is energetically stirred 

 with a spade to enable every separate seed to come into contact with the disinfecting liquid. 

 This method is chiefly followed on small farms, but the copper treatment is most 

 generally practised. The seeds are sprinkled with a solution of sulphate of copper or blue 

 vitriol, or preferably the grains are completely immersed in a receptacle containing this solution. 

 Immersion has, in addition, the advantage of allowing a last selection to be made, for the grains 

 which are too light float on the surface and are easily removed. The disinfection should 

 be accomplished little by little, for a heap of wet corn, although it is aired by continuous 

 agitation with a spade, grows warm, and soon commences to sprout. 



Wheat is sown either broadcast, by hand or by a sowing-machine, or by means of a drill, 

 which buries the seed in the soil at regular and equal distances. When broadcast sowing 

 is adopted, the harrow is passed over the field, making light furrows into which the seed disap- 

 pears. But many grains remain on the surface, and are killed by frost or heat, or are 

 picked up by birds. This method is therefore usually only carried out on small farms, 

 where the plot is too small to allow a sowing-machine profitably to be employed. 



On large farms sowing-machines are generally used. There are two kinds : (a) those 



which sow broadcast, and (b) drills, which distribute the seed over the light furrows or drills 



they make in the soil, and cover them over at once. The work of these latter machines is 



-_ £. '„ - ~ ~ „ - perfect, and large quantities 



of seed are saved by using 

 them, only about half as 

 much seed being required to 

 sow an acre with a good drill 

 as when sown broadcast. 

 The money spent on a good 

 machine is accordingly soon 

 repaid. 



Once the seeds have been 

 buried in the soil, their 

 development begins. About 

 a fortnight after the sowing 

 the first leaves appear ; their 

 number increases, and the 

 field looks as if it has 

 suddenly become a meadow, 

 with here and there a bare 

 spot, where for some reason 

 or other the wheat is late, or 

 perhaps does not appear at 



