WHEAT 57 



seed patch, the seeds for which are all from plants 

 selected as the best. 



59. Change of seed, — As a general rule, there is no 

 advantage, and often a decided loss in yield, in bringing 

 seed wheat from a different latitude, instead of sowing 

 grain grown in the same climate. Southern seed wheat for 

 Southern fields should be the rule, except where the home- 

 grown crop has been a failure, resulting in small, shrunken 

 grains. There is no inherent advantage in change of seed. 

 Acclimatized seed is more productive and, in the case of 

 wheat, earlier. 



60. Tillage. — Since wheat is usually sown either broad- 

 cast or else in rows 6 to 8 inches apart, it usually receives 

 no tillage after the plants come up. Yet occasionally 

 farmers have drilled wheat in rows far enough apart and 

 have cultivated the crop, with resulting large jdelds. Such 

 tillage, if given at all, should be extremely shallow, espe- 

 cially in the latter part of the growing season, since many 

 of the roots of wheat are near the surface. It is practicable 

 to till wheat by the use of a light spike-tooth adjustable 

 harrow, or weeder. 



The stiffer the soil and the smaller its supply of vege- 

 table matter the greater is the benefit from harrowing wheat 

 before the booting stage. Wheat sown by a grain drill is 

 more satisfactorily harrowed than broadcast wheat. But 

 in neither case is the stand materially thinned by the use of 

 a weeder or harrow when conditions are favorable; for 

 example, — stones and litter absent and plants several 

 months old, but not with stems of any considerable length. 



61. Pasturing wheat. — Since wheat makes an excellent 

 winter pasture for practically all kinds of live-stock, it is 



