438 



THE SEEDING OF GRAIN. 



Owing to differences in seed, soil, and climate, all farming 

 operations vary immensely in one part of the country com- 

 pared with another. In none of these are there greater differ- 

 ences than in the seeding of grain, to the' consideration of 

 a few of which this article principally refers. The amount of 

 seed which it is necessary to use to give the maximum crop 

 must be such as will give the requisite number of stalks per 

 square yard or acre. That number of stalks varies consider- 

 ably according to soil, season, and climate, but what 

 that number is few have any idea, although the ordinary 

 practical farmer can, from experience, very often tell whether 

 a crop on his land is too thick or too thin to produce the 

 maximum yield. Some land and seasons can carry a larger 

 number of stalks than others, without weakening the straw or 

 reducing the production of grain ; but, as a rule, any increase 

 of stalks over a certain number not only reduces the length 

 and strength of the straw, but the yield of grain also. On 

 the other hand, any material lessening of the number of 

 stalks from the profitable maximum will cause a corre- 

 sponding diminution of crop in an unfavourable year, while in 

 a favourable one there may be no diminution. Under favour- 

 able conditions, the ears are larger on a thin crop than on a 

 thick one, and both may yield an equal quantity of grain. 

 In this way, slightly thin crops so accommodate themselves 

 to the circumstances that in a good year there is little, if any, 

 diminution, although in an indifferent one there may be a con- 

 siderable shortage. Therefore, in seeding grain, the aim should 

 be to produce such a number of stalks, after taking variety, 

 seed, soil, and situation into account, as may reasonably be 

 expected to give the maximum yield ill a season under aver- 

 age rather than over average. 



