Published by 
The Rural Publishing Co. 
333 W. 30lh Street 
New York 
VOL. LXXVI. 
Getting Ready for 
Wheat 
How It Is Done in Western 
Canada 
B KE AKIXd AXI> 
HACKS CTTIjS'G. — 
The large acreage yield;? of 
wheat, as of other grain 
<-rops which have been 
harvested i n Allterta. 
Saskatchewan and iSIan- 
itoba, in the past few 
years are credited by 
those who have closely 
watched the situation, to 
the methods of 'i>reparii\g 
the soil for the seeding. 'I'he 
wheat farmer must work- 
with Xature. These “wheal 
kings” seem to havt* won 
their enviable reputation 
Itecause they have evolved 
a system of cropping which 
meets the reciuiremcnrs of 
their section. Tluuisands 
of Americans hav«> gone to 
these districts to win fame 
and fortune in the p.-i-^t 
three years, and not a few 
have won. In fact, theia' 
are approxijiiately 1.*50O,- 
(tOO American citizens on 
Western Canada farms 
now. The success or fail¬ 
ure of a new settler often 
del lends on the method em¬ 
ployed in the preparation 
of the land for his tirst 
crop, and he must give the 
niH'stion of “breaking” or 
“breaking and backsetting" 
the consideration it de- 
S( rve.s*. For thirty years 
the method of conserving 
moisture by the latter 
method has been adopted 
by the older .settlers. This 
'is more commonly known 
as “Summer-fallowing.” 
GENERAL I‘RACTICE. 
—For some years iii(st the 
genei'al practice through¬ 
out the country has bef'ii 
to continue breaking three 
or more inches deep so long 
.‘IS the teams can 'turn over 
the sod. Of course, the usi* 
of the high-i)Ower tractor 
insures ability to do this. 
Then in the Fall the land 
is disked and the following 
.Siiring .seeded. From the 
breaking so done before 
the end of .Tune, a good 
crop of wheat, oats or bar¬ 
ley is usually obtainod. 
After the first crop has 
been harvested, the soil is 
usually in a perfectly dry 
state and remains so, in 
spite of any known method 
of cultivation, until the 
rains come in the .‘^juing 
following. 
THE SUMMER FAL¬ 
LOW.—Breaking and biick- 
setting means the idowing 
of the prairie sod 'as shallow 
as 'possible before tlu; .Tune 
or early July rains are ovu-. 
and in August or Septoin- 
bei’, when the sod will have 
become thoroughl> rotted 
by the rains and hot sun. 
plowing two or three inches 
deeper in same direction 
Jind then harrowing to 
ier 
The Business Farmer’s Paper 
Weekly. One Dollar Per Year 
Postpaid 
Single Copies, Five Cents 
M'.W YnItK. XoVEMI'.EIt To. T.HT 
No. ■IT.'ir), 
Breaking; Viryiii Land in Canada. Fitf. 589 
Preparinci for Wheat in Canada. Fis;. 590 
Wheat Field in Saskatchewan. Canada. Fig. 591 
make a tine and firm .■soed- 
bed. From land jirepared 
in thi.N way two good crops 
of who.it may be expected. 
The first crop will ho 
heavT, and tlie stubble, if 
•cut high at harvest time, 
v.dll retain sufficient snow 
to produce the moisture re- 
(inired, even in the drit'si 
Spring, to germinate the 
seed for the next crop. The 
seed is drilled in and tlio 
land ha rrowed with a drag- 
harroit", which completes 
the second sca.sotfs seed¬ 
ing. 
HEAVY WGRK. — T'h.‘ 
principal ohjection t" 
breaking and Iwicksetting is 
urged with regard to tin* 
backsetting which, no 
doubt, is heavy work for 
tlie teams, but if the di.sk- 
ing roquiivd to I'ednce 
deep-I>!-i.akiug and then tlu' 
plowing or other cnltiv.i- 
tion that must he done in 
an effort to obtain a second 
crop, be considered, it must, 
be conceded that in the 
end breaking and backset 
ting is the cheapea* and 
better method. 
ADVANTAGES OF THE 
PLAN.—After two crops 
have been taken from new 
land It should he .Summer- 
fallowed. Among the many 
advantage,s to tlie credit 
of this practice, the follow¬ 
ing are most generally 
recognized:—^^Che conser¬ 
vation of inoi.sture, the 
eradication of weeds, tlie 
preparation of the land for 
grain crops at a season 
when no other work is 
pressing. the availability 
of Sumim'i-fiiilowed land 
for seeding at the earlie.st 
po.sslble date In the .Spring, 
and the minor advantages 
of having suitable land for 
tlie growing of pure se(*d 
potatoes, roots and vegc 
table.s at the least cost, ami 
with the greatest opiior- 
tunity for .success, and that 
of being able to secure two 
crops of grain ■with little 
or no further cultivation. 
.STORING MOISTURE. 
—Summer-fallowing, a s 
other methods, lias Its dis- 
advantage.s, but so long us 
the.se men aim at wheat 
and grain production, it is 
necessary to .store wii moi.'t- 
ure against a possible dry 
season, to restrain tin' 
weeds ftrom over-running 
the land, and on account of 
the short .sea.son.s, to i>re- 
pare at least a portion of 
the land to be cropped in 
the previous 'Season. In 
the Spring of 1917, during 
the month of April, a friend 
of mine 'traveled through 
»ie threo Westei'u iirovinces 
and advised lae that when t 
had a nice growth oven 
that earl.y, secret 
this was the carefully pm 
pared seedbed, which in 
sures a rajpid and even 
- grovrtii '>f ttio oi'oi* once 
