THE SMALL GRAINS 
227 
Preparation and Planting.—The common practice of 
preparing wheat land in the semi-arid districts is to 
disk the field, immediately after harvesting the crop, 
even before the grain is shocked. This cultivation pre¬ 
vents the caking of the soil and forms a dust mulch to 
prevent the escape of moisture. As soon as the grain 
is threshed, the field is plowed, about five or six inches 
deep. If there are clods, disking again is desirable. 
Fig. 167.—Wheat in the shock. The grain is protected from storms and other 
causes of waste. 
Following rain, the field should be disked again. Sandy 
soils may be listed to prevent blowing and packing of. 
the soil. The following general principle of preparing 
a seed bed for wheat should be observed; a firm moist 
underlayer of soil with a covering of loose soil should 
be obtained by the process of cultivation. If the wheat 
crop follows corn or sorghum crops, a saving in the 
production of the crop may be made. After the stalks 
are removed, disking is desirable. Then the wheat may 
be drilled without the extra expense of plowing. 
Planting in September is usually productive of the 
