206 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 
FACTORS AFFECTING THE DEATH OF PLANTING 
VARIOUS CROPS. 
By HOWARD J. MAUGHAN. 
(Summary. ) 
Experiments showing the effect of the depth of plant- 
ing on the germination and growth of various seeds have 
been recently completed at the Utah Agricultural Experi- 
ment Station. Wheat, oats, corn, barley, alfalfa, peas, 
beans, sugar beets, and sorghum were planted in a fertile 
clay loam soil at depths from 1 to 8 inches under three 
conditions of soil moisture to find the best depth for 
growth under different soil conditions. The growth of the 
young plants was observed at 5-day intervals from plant- 
ing, making a total of 17,280 determinations. 
The tests showed that although the 3 to 6 inch plants 
usually gave a higher percentage of germination, the depth 
of planting seeds does not influence germination or sprout- 
ing very much. The 3 to 6 inch depths were especially 
favorable for the germination of alfalfa, sugar beets, and 
sorghum seed. 
The depth of planting giving optimum germination was 
not materially affected by the percentages of soil moisture 
used, although the soil with high moisture was about two- 
thirds saturated and the soil with low contained less than 
half as much. With beans, however, the optimum ger- 
mination depth was 2 inches and 4 inches for high and 
low soil moisture respectively. 
The plants nearly always grew faster when planted 
from 1 to 2 inches deep in the soil regardless of soil mois- 
ture. This was noticed particularly with small seeds, with 
seeds having poor germinating power, and with the roots 
more than the tops. Deep planting seriously retarded the 
growth of both the roots and tops of the young plants. 
The height of the plants above the soil generally de- 
creased as the depth of planting increased. The largest 
growth of plants above ground never occurred from seeds 
