]00 



DRY FARMING 



straw. Each of these in dry seasons and in dry areas is 

 likely to result in lessening the yield. 



74. The Time to Sow. The chief factors in determin- 

 ing the best time to sow are the temperature and moist- 

 ure conditions 

 of the soil and 

 the danger from 

 spring and fall 

 frosts. If crops 

 are sown too 

 early they may 

 be injured by 

 late spring 

 frosts or the 

 seeds may die 

 before the seed- 

 lings get above 

 ground. Aside 

 from this dan- 

 ger the seeding 

 of our hardy 

 cereals wheat, 

 rye, oats and 

 barley should 

 be done early. 

 If the seeding 

 can be done 

 early enough the moisture from the melting snows 

 will germinate the seed, otherwise in fall or spring 

 plowing the germination may be seriously retarded 

 owing to lack of moisture in the furrow slice. Climatic 

 and soil conditions vary greatly from season to season 

 and thus influence greatly the time to put in a crop. As 



Fig. 36. Sudan Grass at the Manitoba Agricul- 

 tural College. 



This grass is very productive in warm moist 



climates, but does not do particularly well in 



Western Canada, except in very warm, moist 



seasons. 



