1 June, 1898.] | QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 4AT 
THICK V. THIN SOWING OF WHEAT. 
Many farmers object to thin sowing of wheat, but this is mainly due to the 
fact that few of them ever sit down to calculate the area which a bushel of 
wheat will sow. It is, therefore, well worth their while to read what the South 
Australian Journal of Agriculture has to say on the subject. But first we 
give the opinion of Professor Shelton on the subject. He says:—‘ Wheat 
in Queensland is almost: universally sown broadcast, either by hand or machine. ” 
There are very few grain drills in the colony, high first cost having so far been 
‘a well-nigh insuperable obstacle to their introduction. The drill saves seed, 
because it covers it all perfectly, and with it the seed is placed in the ground 
at a uniform depth, while the work of sowing and covering the seed is com- 
pleted as the machine advances across the field. These, briefly, are the chief 
advantages of the use of the drill, as compared with broadcast sowing, and it 
must be admitted that they are neither unimportant nor inconsiderable. Many 
wheat crops are annually ruined by rains coming immediately after the seed 
has been broadcasted and betore it has been covered.” 
The Journal mentioned says :— ] 
How much seed per acre should we sow? ‘This question has often been 
debated by farmers, but the nearest estimate ‘of the average sowing is from 
45 Ib. per acre early in the season to 60 Ib. later on. Some sow 80 1b. to 35 Ib., 
and contend that this is ample to give a good crop. How many of our farmers 
ever think what sowing a bushel of wheat to the acre means? ‘The standard 
sample, as fixed by the Chamber of Commerce, weighs 62 1b. to the bushel, and 
averages from 875 to 900 grains to the ounce. Fair average seed will 
not average more than 800 grains, while well-cleaned, plump seed will 
scarcely go 700 grains to the ounce or 750,000 grains to the bushel 
of GO1b. A square acre contains 4,840 square yards, ov 43,560 square feet. 
A bushel to the acre gives from fifteen to eighteen seeds to the square foot. 
Allowing for the failure of 25 per cent. (or one quarter) to germinate, through 
cracked secd, insufficient covering of soil, loss by birds, &c. (an excecdingly 
liberal allowance), this gives us from twelve to fourteen plants per square toot 
—at least twice as many as there should be. With the seed drill from 35 1b. 
to 40 lb. per acre is usually sown, and, owing to the fact that the grain is all 
properly covered, this will give nearly as many plants per acre as a bushel 
sown broadcast. The natural consequence of the plants being crowded is that 
they have to fight against cach other for moisture and sustenance, with the 
result that they are weakly and do not stool out as they should. If only half 
the number of plants had to find a living on this area, they would naturally 
have a better prospect of developing into strong, hardy plants, would stool out 
well, and make as many heads as twice the number of plants in the same space, 
and the individual heads would also yield better. With the seed drill, 201b. of 
wheat per acre should be sufficient tosow. ‘This would mean a saving of about 
1s. 6d. per acre in cost of seed alone at present prices. There is no doubt that 
in the first stage of growth the thicker sowing would promise better, but as the 
plants matured the thinner sown would overtake the other, and would with- 
stand the dry weather better. 
Many farmers will ridicule this idea, but, if they will only try the experi- 
ment for themselves, they will have a practical object lesson of the advantages 
of their sowing. With the drill, a few rows—some at the rate of 20 1b., others 
25 lb., and others 801b. per acre—could easily be sown alongside the ordinary 
crop, and at harvest each gathered separately, so that the exact results may be 
known. 
Mr. H. Langberg, of Conmurra, a member of the Lucindale Branch 
Bureau (8.A.), putin last season White Tuscan Wheat and Thomas’s phosphate 
together, and, owing to not knowing how to regulate the flow of seed, only 
sowed 15 lb. per acre. Notwithstanding this light sowing, his crop averaged. 
15 bushels per acre. In a discussion in the Cultivator and Country Gentleman 
on this subject, a correspondent gave his experience as follows:—I have four 
Kl 
