Campbell's 1902 Soil Culture Manual. 



enable us to get the best possible results, but prevent the serious damage 

 by drought and assure good crops annually, which means prosperity in its 

 highest degree. A fine, firm seed bed. or root bed, has many advantages 

 over the coarse, loose condition. In the first place one-third of the seed 

 only is necessary. In the next place the growth and development of the 

 plant is much more rapid and will soon cover the surface. In the third 

 place the development of roots is much greater, we are able to draw 

 moisture and plant food from a much larger percentage of the soil, and 

 last, but not least, we have a condition of soil that will hold a much greater 

 per cent, of moisture as well as one having a greater power of capillary 

 attraction, enabling us to keep up the supply of moisture w^hich w^e draw^ 

 from below where, by careful work, much of the rainw^aters are stored, 

 that under ordinary conditions would have been lost by evaporation or 

 run off. 



The plan of raising wheat by plowing every third or fourth year and 

 simply using a disc for two or three consecutive years, or even reducing 

 the cost still farther of putting in the crop by using a disc drill, is alto- 

 gether w^rong. While it is not at all surprising that many farmers resort 

 to this in lieu of simply plowing three or four inches deep, leaving the 

 plowing without even harrowing, laying up light and loose, full of cavities, 

 a condition that could scarcely produce anything but weeds in an ordin- 

 arily dry season. Yet it seems like folly for a man to so prepare his ground 

 that nothing but a very favorable season could give him even a fair crop, 

 when with a little additional work, following out the general principles 

 involved, as above explained, he is able to so materially increase the yield, 

 as well as to guard against a failure. No farmer should be content to call 

 20 bushels of wheat a good crop. Our prairies of the semi-arid belt are 

 capable of producing 10 and 50 bushels, with the conditions nature has 

 provided. It simply remains for man to till the soil properly. 



The necessary quantity of seed per acre depends upon the manner 

 you have fitted your ground. In a fine, firm seed bed, with due care to 

 conserving moisture, 20 lbs. of wheat is ample seed. 



If you have simply done as little work as possible, then you should 

 add about 60 lbs. more as a sort of a jack-pot, for in such kind of fitting it 

 is a gambling proposition, pure and simple. 



If you have your seed bed firm and fine and do not believe in har- 

 rowing your wheat, just try a little and note results. If you have a weeder, 

 or can borrow one. then be sure to try a good piece. In using the harrow 

 or weeder, always, if possible, catch the ground as soon after a rain as you 

 can get onto it and not have the soil stick to the teeth. There is big 

 money in such investments. 



