182 DRY LAND FARMING 



not be seriously harmed by it. Safety in this respect is 

 further safeguarded by sowing early maturing varieties. 



The aim should also be to avoid sowing grain late, 

 for the following reasons: (1) Because of the hazard 

 which such sowing brings to desirable germination. (2) 

 Because of the hazard that the crop may completely fail. 

 (3) Because of the disturbance to the rotation that fol- 

 lows failure. When grain is sown relatively late, much 

 of the moisture may have gone from the top soil, hence 

 when grain is deposited in the same it may be necessary 

 to plant it too deeply to insure germination. In other 

 instances the moisture may be so far gone that ger- 

 mination cannot be secured as in the case of flax sown on 

 spring-plowed land and under very dry conditions. In 

 yet other instances, the germination secured is only par- 

 tial. Some of the plants germinate and grow on. Some 

 may germinate and then perish, other seeds may not 

 germinate at all. The outcome is a stand so imperfect 

 that a full crop cannot be produced. Of course, where 

 germination does not follow, the crop is not produced, 

 but even though the plants should start in good form, 

 they are much more liable to fail subsequently under ad- 

 verse conditions than plants sown early. A late sown 

 crop may start well in dry areas, and yet fail so com- 

 pletely subsequently that it will never come to fruition. 

 When such failure results, the rotation planned may be 

 seriously disturbed. The farmer may hesitate as to 

 whether the crop should be left or disced over until the 

 season is so far advanced that the larger portion of the 

 moisture has left the soil. The crop may thus be lost, 

 while the land is not left in the most desirable condition 

 for receiving a crop the following season, because of the 

 loss in moisture thus incurred. 



The conditions suitable for sowing include: (1) a 

 properly prepared seed bed, and (2) sowing that is sea- 

 sonable. A properly prepared seed bed includes: (1) one 



