262 



THE WHEAT CULTUEIST. 



that the roots acquire very little toiiglmess, and the 

 leaves attain only a small size before cold and freezing 

 ■\veather comes on, the growing plants will suffer such 

 serious injury by the intense cold, and freezing, and 

 thawing, and upheaval of the soil, that a fair crop of 

 grain will not be produced the next season. Our best 

 wheat-growers understand this point perfectly ; and our 

 horticulturists and pomologists know how eminently im- 

 portant it is, that a plant finish growing and attain a pro- 

 per ripeness and solidity of juices, and some tenacity of 

 fibre, before the tender plants are exposed to the destruc- 

 tive influences of cold weather. In order, therefore, to 

 be still more definite and explicit, respecting the best time 

 to sow winter wheat, we may fix the time at this period, 

 viz., let the seed be put in as late in the season as it can 

 be, and still have sufiicient time to throw out a system 

 of roots and leaves, sulficiently large to cover nearly or 

 quite the entire surface of the ground. 



In this latitude, the great majority of wheat-growers 

 agree that about the lOtli of September is the most de- 

 sirable period to sow winter wheat. But, I think, that 

 every intelhgent farmer, who understands the habit of 

 the wheat plant, will agree with me, that if the ground 

 be put in such excellent tilth, that the young plants will 

 attain the desired size before cold weather comes on, 

 the first or even the 10th of October will be found 

 a more desirable period for autumnal seed-time than any 

 time in September. But, let it be understood, that un- 

 less the soil is in an excellent state of fertility — really 

 rich — friable, and sufl&ciently moist when the seed is 

 sowed to insure immediate germination, it will not be 

 safe to defer seeding to that late period. Let me assure 

 wheat-growers, however, that in practice, they will find 



