THE BLADE 379 



more than ten days. This I disced and harrowed 

 for all surface seed to spring, and it was settled that 

 it should not be ploughed until it was well up. He 

 came along one day to see how things were going, 

 and I anxiously inquired his opinion concerning the 

 wheat in the blade. 



" The seeder don't ever clog," he assured me. 

 " I see that everything is clear at the end of each 

 furrow and I look in the seed-box pretty frequent, 

 and get off to see what's wrong if the seed don't 

 appear to be shrinking even like. None's perfect 

 I guess. But 'twould take a better man than any 

 round these parts to learn me my work on the land. 

 And your wheat is the best about, way ahead of any 

 other." 



" It's the most forward," I allowed. " But you 

 can't deny that those over-thick patches are out of 

 order. I was hoping you might be able to explain 

 them away with some irregularity of the seeder. As 

 you can't we may just as well look the only explana- 

 tion in the eyes — wild oats ! " 



" Well, maybe. That field can stand a few." 



" There is no wheat-tract in any country that 

 can stand wild oats, and you know it," I replied. 

 " It is not only that they can cause excellent wheat 

 to be rejected from its own grade, but sooner or later 

 it is annihilation to the wheat. It is of no use 

 attempting to cross your bridge before you come to 

 it, but it is foolish to deny the existence of a bridge 

 which is already within sight." 



" Wild oats have been in that patch this ten years 

 and they've got them all round in these parts. It's 

 shame that the fellows you had to plough last year 

 didn't know their work better. 'Twould have 



