328 FIELD CROPS FOR THE COTTON-BELT 



soil in settling and becoming firm. Running a heavy 

 roller over the soil soon after plowing to break the clods 

 and firm the soil is often advisable. The roller should be 

 followed immediately with a smoothing harrow. In the 

 drier wheat-growing regions the value of early plowing 

 for wheat cannot be overestimated as is shown by an ex- 

 periment made by the Oklahoma Station, 1 in which plats 

 were plowed on July 19th, August 15th, and Septem- 

 ber llth. All plats were seeded September 15th: 



Date of Plowing Yield to the acre, bu. 



July 19th, 31.3 



August 15th, 23.5 



September llth, 15.3 



Plowing to a moderate depth is usually better for wheat 

 than very deep or very shallow plowing. On soils of a 

 rather loose structure and particularly where the preceding 

 crop was corn that received good cultivation, wheat is 

 sometimes drilled in without plowing, the land being 

 disked thoroughly before the crop is seeded so as to make 

 a good seed-bed three or four inches deep. This method 

 of preparation often gives good results, but in the large 

 number of cases plowing before harrowing is advisable 

 and is absolutely essential on compact clay soils. Soils 

 on which very much vegetation in the form of green- 

 manure, weeds or grass is growing should be thoroughly 

 disked before plowing, to cut up the vegetation and render 

 the soil more easily compacted. 



402. Date of seeding. Wheat is hardier toward 

 cold than oats, and may be needed later. Where the 

 Hessian fly is troublesome, as is the case in North Caro- 

 lina, northern Georgia, and northern Alabama, it is best 

 to delay seeding until immediately after the first frost, 

 1 Okla. Agr. Exp. Sta., Bui. 47, pp. 26-48. 



