how important it is to get the varieties best suited to the locality. 

 As a rule it is better and far cheaper to continue the standard home- 

 grown varieties rather than buy from professional seedsmen expensive 

 new kinds which have not been previously grown in the neighborhood. 

 In the case of large and small varieties of com, I think, if you will ob- 

 serve closely, that you can discover why the smaller kinds have an 

 .advantage in dry seasons. 



7. Time of Sowing. When to sow or plant is an important matter 

 with the farmer. It is not easy to determine, as the time will vary 

 with the locality and the season. By keeping a record of early and 

 late sowing or plantiag for a series of years one may learn approxi- 

 mately the best time for these operations. This has been done with 

 wheat and corn on the University farm. In the experiments with 

 wheat, covering eight years, the dates of sowing and the average 

 yields per acre were as follows: 



Time of Sowing. Average Yield. 



Sept. 18 to 20 30 bushels. 



Sept. 25 to 28 28.7 bushels. 



Oct. 2 to 5 26 bushels. 



Oct. 10 to 12 21.2 bushels. 



It would perhaps be better still to sow about the middle of Septeiu- 

 her in the latitude of Lafayette, but for the Hessian fly, which is more 

 likely to seriously damage very early sown wheat. 



The experiments with corn have not been quite so decisive, but 

 better yields have been produced by planting in the first third of ilay 

 than later. 



The time of sowing or planting will vary also with the latitude. 

 For each sixty miles north of the latitude of Indianapolis wheat may 

 be sown about one week earlier, and for each sixty miles south a week 

 later. This is true also of corn, but the order is reversed. That is, 

 the planting should be later to the north but may be earlier to the 

 south. 



In this connection it will be interesting to note how much earlier 

 than others the naturally or artificially drained soils get into condition 

 for planting in spring. 



8. Rate and Manner of Sowing or Planting. The following gen- 

 eral rule, as to amount of seed, will apply to those crops which "stool" 

 ■or tiller as wheat, oats, rye, etc. Sow less seed (1) if the date is early, 

 (2) if the seed bed is thoroughly prepared, (3) if the soil is fertile, 

 and conversely sow more seed (1) if the time is late, (3) if the prepara- 

 tion of the seed bed is not thorough, (3) if the soil is impoverished. 



