CHAPTER XVII 

 WHEAT CULTURE 



ALL the great cereal crops are grown by comparatively simple 

 cultural methods. On clean, fertile soil, as the new prairie soils, 

 little or no art is required to grow a crop. It is then simply a 

 question of securing a variety adapted to the region, breaking the 

 soil, sowing and covering the seed. 



As a country becomes older, however, problems increase. Insect 

 pests come sooner or later, plant diseases are apt to became more 

 general, and the soil is depleted of fertility. As the new problems 

 develop they are usually met in some degree, and the final system of 

 cropping is an adjustment to changing conditions. Ordinarily the 

 best and most thoughtful farmers of a community probably practice 

 both practical and successful methods. The details of culture can 

 best be found out by observation of successful farmers, and some 

 experimenting with methods found successful in other places. In a 

 text-book on culture only the most general principles can be dealt 

 with. 



Soils for Wheat. Wheat has been in cultivation for a long time 

 and at least some variety of wheat will grow on every productive soil, 

 if it is properly prepared. There are at least two details, however, in 

 which we may contrast wheat with corn and oats : 



(a) Wheat is more sensitive to its surroundings and requires the 

 fertility of the soil to be in a more available condition than does corn 

 or oats. That is, if barnyard manure is applied or sod is turned 

 under, it must reach a more thorough state of decomposition to pro- 

 duce a good effect on the wheat crop, as compared with corn or oats. 

 In practice, it is much more common to grow corn, oats, or potatoes 

 on a clover sod, or directly after manuring, than wheat. Also in 

 practice, as soil becomes depleted the farmer generally begins apply- 

 ing commercial fertilizer to wheat before other cereal crops. 



(6) Wheat, being more sensitive to its soil conditions, requires 



a more thoroughly pulverized soil, well compacted, than is the case 



with corn or oats. For example, in the Central States, where good 



oats are secured without plowing the soil in its preparation, but only 



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