WHEAT. 249 



be covered over with sacks or a tarpaulin for three to four 

 hours, after which it should be spread out to dry. If forma- 

 lin is unobtainable copper sulphate (blue vitriol) may be dR«;d 

 at the rate of one pound to ten gallons of water. The seeds 

 should be sprinkled until wet, and then dried immediately, 

 not being left in a heap, as in the case of the formalin treat- 

 ment. In both cases about one gallon of the solution is 

 required for each 50 pounds of seed. 



In practice, " Loose Smut " can be treated only with 

 difficulty by Jensen's hot water treatment. 



Rate of Seeding. — On dry-lands 30 to 45 lbs., on irri- 

 gated land 60 to 80 lbs. should be sown. Drought is better 

 withstood by thin seeding, because each plant develops a 

 stronger root-system, and the available moisture and plant- 

 food go further than in the case of thick-seeding. The rate of 

 seeding, however, is governed by : — 



(1) Climate. — The lower the average rainfall of the area 

 the less seed is required. 



(2) Time of Sowings. — Crops sown early require less seed 

 than the same variety sown late, because wheat sown late 

 does not have the same chance of stooling as that sown early. 



(3) Character of the Seed-Bed. — To choke weeds, wheat 

 should be sown more thickly on foul land, and on sandy soil 

 less than on good clay loams. 



(4) Character of the Variety. — Some varieties stool more 

 than others ; while some varieties are much earlier than 

 others. 



(5) Methods of Sowing. — Whether drilled or broadcasted, 

 25 per cent, more is required when broadcasting than when 

 drilling. 



Where possible wheat should be put in a seed-drill. The 

 advantages of drilling over broadcasting are briefly as follows : 



(a) Economy of seed — which is no mean consideration 

 over large acreages. 



(b) Uniform planting and covering of seed. 



(c) Better stand, and more even ripening of crop. 



(d) Even and easy distribution of fertilisers, when fertili- 

 ser-attachment is used. 



(e) Increased yield, as shown repeatedly by experiments. 

 The seeding takes place from April to the end of July. 



The bulk of the crop under irrigation is sown during May and 

 June. On the Highveld wheat is sometimes put in as a spring 

 crop during the months of August and September. 



