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•example of the last-mentioned method is to be found in the recent intro- 

 duction of the Durum wheats into the United States from the semi-arid 

 regions of Russia. These wheats have done very well on the dry-lands 

 of the West, and last year's harvest yielded over sixty million bushels. 

 Another matter of importance is thin seeding. Most farmers sow far too 

 much seed, forgetful of the fact that every superfluous plant is robbing 

 the land of moisture. It is plain that thick seeding, such as ninety pounds 

 per acre, will call for three times the amount of water as thin sowing of, 

 say, thirty pounds. Moreover, where the seed is too thickly sown all the 

 moisture is liable to be used up near the surface, with the result that the 

 tender plants are burned up before they have had time to send their root- 

 lets into the deeper earth. Further, few varieties. In the Transvaal the dry- 

 farmer grows too many different sorts of grain. A vigorous effort should 

 therefore be made to eliminate as, quickly as possible all inferior types 

 and to concentrate upon one or two. The dominant dry-land winter 

 wheat of Western America is Turkey Red, while the Durum varieties are 

 the dominant spring types for dry-lands. So it behoves the farmers 

 throughout South Africa to agree upon a few dominant types, to keep 

 them pure, to plant only selected seed, and thereby establish a high grade 

 uniform standard for both maize and wheat. Finally, it may be said that 

 success in dry-farming will depend mainly on six factors : — (1) Deep 

 ploughing ; (2) thin seeding ; (3) frequent harrowing ; (4) weedless 

 lands ; (5) few varieties ; (6) moisture-saving fallows. 



