The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1846-08-28
AGRICULTURAL.
sswin. wheat.

10 me Editor OF fRe CHHiUaf0r
Few persons are aware how very niue
the yield OF the wheat crop depends up
on the manner upon which the seed i
deposited in the soil. risk uo,,iag il
saying that fully one-ihird could he ad lee
with certainty TO every farmer's crop b,
due attention TO this point. The prope
depth a, w'ich seeds should be deposile,
in The soil, has engaged The attention O
the most eminent agricul.urilists and sci
enIlic men of Europe. and its vast in
portance Acknowledged by them.
Baron Voght Of Fio;beci, near Ham,
burgh, has most ably discussed this sub.
ject; AMI Mr.. Patrick Sheriff, of Nun
COS Wells, near liaddingion, Scotland,
has written some articles practically con
vincirg aud nech to The point. II seed
be placed by accident or design at such .
depth in The earth, as 10 be out Of the in
iIuence Of the air, agl though they may
he snrroande! by the requisite degrees Of
heat and moisture, they will nevertheless
remain dormant.
We have many instances of the truth Of
this in every day practice, and Of the i'm
pcrshable properties Of some kinds Of
seeds when excluded from the iulu,nte
Of the air. If the seeds are dropped on
The surface Of the ground, they viii re-
main unalIered so long as the air is per-
"@'y dry; but in moist air termination
$ e5Ynmences, and the point Of The root will
quickly proIruGe and find lis way into
the soil. Though nature distributes seeds
on the surface. yet experience has laugh,
us that there is a proper depth at
which all seeds should be deposited,
and which is specially suitable, This
depth Is obviously that which, while II
yields the necessary degree of heat, mnis.
'ure and darkness, is yet within the re.
qnisiie influence of tho air. The drilling
system is approved, no, only from its
equal distribution of the seed, but be.
cause by il, seeds are laid in at an equal
depth this last circumstance is regarded
as one OF The principal advantages of the
machine. Now, Baron Voght has en-
deavOred to show that seeds may be de.
posted too deep even by the drill, and in
all cases when seed is sown before the
narrowing, much Of it will be laid deeper
than it should be, AMI consequently lost.
OF this there can be no doub. Every
one acquainted with sowing, must allow
that seed may be buried too deep; and if
grains OF wheat are covered so as 10 be
shaded from The suns rays, /.
Is enough. Mr.. Sheriff clearly proves.
that all seeds with wha, he calls caro-.
nal roofs" no matter at what depth the
seed is deposited and terminates, ha! so
soon as il reaches within ono-haIf an inch
Of the surface of the earth il will then nut
forth its caronal roots, AMI from them
make a new start. There is no fact con.
necled with agriculture more easy Of proof
than this; TAXA hower-po, filed with
earth, and in it deposie three or four
grains OF wheat at different depths, from
an inch downwards, and satisfy yourself
OF this fact, as well as the weakly and
5ickIy state Of all that are sowed below
The depth Of one inch, as compared with
he one sown at that the proper depth.
To guard against over-deep sowing, or
'urying the seed to deep for termination,
no seefshoaId be sown until the ground
IS first harrowed, aud made level, and
when sown a light harrow passed over
he field, will cover the seed sufficiently
o insure safe and good crop. Mr.. Wm
.. Thompson, near this city, the past Ii
eason had a twenty acre field Of corn, v
Which he had cut Up and taken away. L
finding the ground very mellow. he "
bought he would try the experiment Of 5
owing his wheat on il, two bushels to D
he acre, without blowing, ard merely fl
arrow il in, which he did. His hands. II
nd all his neighboTs tried 10 dissuale
nm from it, saying it was waste of so
,uoh seed and labor, but much 10 Their
sicnishment, IN the spring there was no
iuXurlant crop as this in the neigh !
orhood producing little over pa bush u
Is to the acre, being five bushels to the II
ere more than he had ever grown of his ?
md before. lie is determined never to 'C
ow his wheat again slnti he has frs,
arrowed and leveIled his land, so as not
bury any portion of the seed too deep,
'hich is inevitable if sown on plowed 2
nd unharrowed land, or which is still
'orsc, if sown and plowed in as is often
10 case. \
am satisfied that by properly ptepar-
~ the land to receive The seed, and de.
ositlng 1t at proper depth in the soil
lie wheat crop in the United States may 81
e increased fully one-lhird, wi,hou, any m
ddtional lobor or expense. "
A FARMER. y
Louisville, Ky, 1916. "