TIME OF SOWING 151 



cast a portion is left on top, where under ordinary conditions 

 it will not grow, and where it is readily picked up by birds. 

 Drilling also insures a more uniform distribution of the seed. 

 190. Time of Sowing. The time of sowing winter wheat 

 varies with the locality. It is desirable to sow it early 

 enough so that considerable root growth can be made before 

 winter. In the northern wheat regions, winter wheat is 

 usually seeded in September. Farther south, it may be 

 sown much later. Spring wheat, as a rule, does best when 

 sown early in the season. Wheat will germinate at a corn- 



Fig. 49. Plowing, seeding, and harrowing at one operation. A common 

 method of sowing wheat on the large wheat farms of the Western states. 



paratively low temperature, and a crop of wheat is very sel- 

 dom injured by cold or freezing weather. On this account, 

 the general practice is to sow wheat as early in the spring as 

 a good seed bed can be prepared. When wheat is sown early, 

 the cool weather of spring causes the development of a heavy 

 root system and induces stooling; while if it is seeded late, 

 the stems shoot up so quickly that there is little chance for 

 stooling. Other reasons for early seeding are to avoid as 

 much as possible the ravages of diseases and insects and to 



