58 



Campbell's 1902 Soil Culture Manual. 



long toothed weeder. This will loosen the surface and destroy the weeds. 

 The cheeking of evaporation by this cultivation will urge on your wheat 

 when it will soon cover the ground then the danger of evaporation is much 

 less. 



Don't think for a moment that you can get this rapid growth and 

 early heavy stooling of the wheat unless your ground is thoroughly fined 

 and firmed and you have held the moisture below, forming a seed bed in 

 which there will be a rapid development of strong roots which is the direct 

 result of prolific stooling. The use of the weeder or harrow, on wheat after 

 it has begun to stool, or is three or four inches high, when your ground is 

 loose and porous where the roots should grow is not always a safe proposi- 

 tion. The root development is so light that much of the w^heat may be 

 easily pulled up and destroyed. Keep in mind three important points, a 

 finely pulverized and firm root bed, abundance of water conserved, and the 

 loose mulch to prevent evaporation, then don't worry about results. 



. WINTER WHEAT 



is a little different proposition from the spring wheat. Here again we 

 believe when the farmer in the winter wheat belt has learned the value of 

 summer culture and how it will not only greatly increase the average yield, 

 but make a failure so far as drouth is concerned an impossibility, a larger 

 acreage will be thus treated. Especially in the more arid portions. In 

 sections where wheat is grown exclusively and continuously care in the 

 preparation of the seed bed, and the storing and conserving of the rain 

 waters is the foundation of success. The experience on the Pomeroy Model 

 Farm, and our results there, certainly carry very strong evidence as to the 

 value of this class of work, where by this very thorough and careful 

 fitting of the soil, having plowed about seven inches deep, followed our 

 plow closely with the sub-surface packer, and the packer with the Acme 

 harrow, going over our fields immediately after the heavy rains or as soon 

 as the soil w^as suflBciently dry to permit it, we had formed a fine, firm and 

 very moist seed bed. Under these conditions twelve quarts of seed was 

 found to be ample. Its germination was so quick and the rapid develop- 

 ment of roots brought about by the very favorable physical condition of 

 the soil caused the liberal stooling, and in thirty days after seeding our 

 ground was nearly or quite covered with the wheat. The immediate 

 discing after the winter wheat crop is removed is of very great importance; 

 as we have repeatedly said, it is of two-fold value, as it prevents the loss 

 by evaporation of any moisture in the soil, and puts the surface in the best 

 possible condition for the rapid percolation of later rainwaters. The plow- 

 ing may be done a little later, and to get the best results a good depth of 

 plowing is necessary, and then the plow should be follow^ed with the sub- 

 surface packer. Mark you, we are after a condition that will not only 



