THE GENESEE FARMER. 



DEPTH OF SOWING WHEAT. 



We have heard of an instance in England where 

 wheat had been sown broadcast on the land, and 

 before it could be harrowed in, rain fell and con- 

 tinued to fall for days, so that the seed never was 

 covered, yet the crop did well. On the other 

 hand, we have known seed wheat plowed in three 

 or four inches deep, and this also did well. 



SHEEP HUSBANDRY IN IOWA. 



Mr. M. K. Mkrkitt, of Grinnell, Iowa, has been 

 awarded a prize of $10 for an essay on Sheep Hus- 

 bandry. It is published in the Iowa Homestead. 

 His experience is interesting and instructive. 



In July, 1860, he purchased 500 cross-bred sheep 

 that had been driven from Michigan. He joined 

 flocks with a friend who had 300 head. The 



Still, the depth at winch it is best to sow wheat whole flock was turned out on the prairies 'under 



is a matter of some importance. If all the condi 

 tions are favorable, tliere may be little difference in 

 the result of covering deep or shallow, or not at all. 

 But in the case of a very dry fall, and especially on 

 land from which a spring crop has been removed, 

 it is very important to bury the seed deep enough 

 to insure moisture sufficient for its germination. 

 Hence one advantage of sowing with the drill. 



One of the editors of the Country Gentleman 

 sowed some wheat on the 21st of last May at vari- 

 ous depths, and carefully noted the result. That 

 which w as covered half an inch deep came up in 5 

 days ; 1 inch deep in 6 days ; 2 inches deep in 7 

 days ; 3 inches deep in 8 days ; 4 inches deep in 10 

 days; 6 inches deep in 12 days. Five weeks after- 

 wards, there was no perceptible difference in that 

 planted half an inch and an inch deep ; that planted 

 two inches deep was not quite so good; and so on 

 decreasing in quality as the depth of planting in- 

 creased. At six inches depth, there were but very 

 few slender stalks. 



In the fall of the year, the ground is warmer 

 than in May, and it is well known that the warmer 

 the soil, other things being equal, the sooner will 

 seed germinate. On this account we should per- 

 haps sow a little deeper in the autumn than in the 

 spring. 



charge of a boy. They were herded mainly on 

 short grass, furnished by burning over a prairie in 

 June. This grass is then sweet and tender, and 

 sheep thrive well on it. The sheep were yarded 

 nights and for two or three hours during the hot- 

 test part of the day. The yard was on a side hill, 

 with a slope sufficient to allow the manure to be 

 washed off by the rains, and to leave the yard dry 

 and clean. The yard was surrounded with a post 

 and rail fence sufficiently close to prevent dogs and 

 wolves from creating havoc. 



The fall feed began about the 10th of October. 

 This consisted of sheaf oats. About 60 or 70 

 sheaves a day were fed to the 500 sheep before they 

 were turned out in the morning on to the prairie. 

 On the 18th of November the flock was taken 

 into winter quarters, separated into five lots. The 

 food consisted of prairie hay and corn. On the 

 15th of April the flock was turned out to pasture. 

 He lost but one sheep during the winter. He 

 raised 200 lambs. The whole flock averaged 3£ 

 lbs. of washed wool each. 



Mr. M., who is a native of Vermont, thinks Iowa 

 destined to be a great wool-growing State. The 

 air is dry— the winters free from rain— the country 

 rolling, and millions of acres of good sheep pas- 

 tures in nature are undipped. It costs but little 

 to transport wool to the East, but the freight on 

 grain is very heavy. It is becoming the general 

 opinion, he says, that farmers in Iowa cannot 



They 



As a rule, we may conclude that the shallower 

 grain is covered, so that a constant and adequate 



supply of moisture is furnished, the more rapidly I thrive by wheat and con 

 will germination proceed. If wheat is sown early | must raise m °re sheep and cattle, 

 enough, rapid germination is not very essential, 

 and therefore the aim should be to get the wheat 

 well and evenly covered, even if germination is 

 delayed a few days. In the spring, when the 

 ground is moist and cool, wheat need not be cov- 

 ered more than an inch deep. In the fall, it may 

 be covered deeper, say from one to two inches— 

 and if the ground is very dry, a little deeper. 



Spring Wheat in Iowa.— A correspondent of 

 the Iowa Homestead says the wheat in Muscatine 

 county is not half a crop. The Club wheat which 

 was formerly so successfully raised there, is this 

 rear almost a total failure. The Tea or China va- 

 riety does much better. 



Legislation on the Canada Thistle.— At the 

 last session of the Pennsylvania Legislature, a law 

 was passed to prevent the spread of the Canada 

 thistle. " Hereafter, any individual or corporation 

 in that State, allowing the Canada thistle to ripen 

 on his or on their premises, shall be liable to a fine 

 of ten dollars, upon each complaint that is properly 

 established ; and any one who may fear the spread 

 of the Canada thistle upon his premises from the 

 lands of his careless or thriftless neighbor, may, 

 after five days' notice, enter upon any lands where 

 the weed is found growing, cut it, and recover full 

 | costs for the labor and trouble," 



