62 
Beport or the First Assistant of the 
intelligently solve this problem by means of the plat system. That 
we have not thus far must be conceded; that we may ultimately suc- 
ceed, we may be allowed to hope. 
Wheat Planting Undee Variable Conditions. 
A plat one-twentieth of an acre in size was fitted for wheat in the 
customary manner, the ground being plowed and harrowed thor- 
oughly. Fertilizer at the rate of 400 pounds per acre was applied 
after plowing, and harrowed in. Eighteen rows were marked out, 
extending north and south, each being twenty-two inches apart and 
sixty-six feet long. The seed was sowed two inches apart in the row. 
The eighteen rows were divided into three sets, there being six rows 
to a set. The seed was covered to a depth of an inch and a half. 
The rows were treated as follows : The grain in row one was lightly 
covered with earth, by pulling it over the seed by means of a hoe, and 
the soil left undisturbed; the soil hoed over row two was walked on 
by the man hoeing; row three was tapped in the ordinary fashion 
with the blade of a hoe; the bottom of the drill of row four was 
beaten hard before planting, and after the seed was sowed, was cov- 
ered with soil, and tapped lightly with the hoe; row five was planted, 
and the soil on it beaten hard with a maul; row six after planting was 
compacted by passing a roller over it. The succeeding six rows were 
planted as the preceding, and the next six the same. During the 
growing season the rows were hoed as occasion required. The winter 
was quite severe, and the plants suffered in the spring from freezing 
and thawing, but this served as a good test of the adaptability of the 
various methods to the climatic conditions. The variety used was 
the Clawson. The following table explains itself: 
Row. 
treatment of rows. 
No. seeds 
planted. 
Seeds vege- 
tated. 
Plants sur- 
vived win- 
ter. 
Per cent 
seed 
vegetated. 
Per cent 
•plants 
surviving 
winter. 
Weight of 
grain, ozs. 
Weight of 
straw, ozs. 
1.... 
Covered lightly with soil 
406 
237 
14 
58.37 
5.90 
1 
6 
2.... 
406 
320 
114 
78.76 
35.62 
13 
33 
3.... 
407 
294 
24 
72.23 
8.16 
2 
6 
4.... 
Bottom of drill compacted 
407 
263 
75 
64.61 
28.51 
12 
28 
5. ... 
Beaten hard with maul 
407 
313 
94 
76.90 
30.03 
11 
25 
6.... 
Rolled 
406 
317 
125 
78.07 
39.43 
18 
37 
7.... 
Covered lightly with soil 
406 
221 
46 
54.43 
20.81 
6 
12 
8.... 
Walked on 
406 
309 
110 
76.10 
35.59 
14 
30 
9 
406 
270 
21 
66.50 
7.77 
2 
6 
10.... 
Bottom of drill compacted 
406 
275 
138 
67.70 
50.18 
16 
37 
11.... 
Beaten hard with maul 
1 406 
312 
96 
76.84 
30.76 
11 
24 
12.... 
Rolled 
407 
326 
120 
80.09 
36.80 
14 
32 
is 
Covered lightly with soil 
406 
231 
42 
56.89 
18.18 
5 
15 
14 
Walked on 
406 
325 
99 
80.04 
30.46 
12 
11 
406 
319 
21 
78.57 
6.58 
1 
6 
16.... 
Bottom of drill compacted 
406 
285 
116 
70.19 
40.70 
14 
32 
17.... 
407 
333 
61 
81.81 
18.31 
6 
18 
18.... 
Rolled 
407 
314 
59 
77.14 
18.78 
5 
14 
