Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-09-10
Depth Of Covering OF Seed wheat,

btEDtH Oh Setu "hSdts
The following article, communi-
Gated to the Richmond Southern
Farmer and Planter by practical
farmer Of Nelson county, Va, con-
tains a suggestion as to tho depth
of covering seed wheat, which is
worthy of serious consideration and
should lead TO careful observation
in the direction indicated by the
writer. May not the common prac-
tice of covering be SO much at fault
as to seriously interfere with the
proper roofing of wheat in the fall !
The following is the article to
which we allude:
Before the introduction of the
wheat drill into common use, either
the harrow, the single shovel or the
double shovel plough, was gener-
ally adopted, in Eastern Virginia,
as the most improved implement
for covering wheat sown broadcast.
The most successful farmers in the
lower valley generally preferred the
single shovel pillow, following its
use, however, with careful harrow
ING, until the surface was rendered
smooth and fine. The use of the
drill has extensively revOlutionized
former practices in both of these
sections Of the State, not to speak
particularly of changes elsewhere.
A more thorough preparation Of the
ground by the use OF the harrow and
roller was demanded as indispensa-
bly, necessary in the successful
operation of the drill. One Of the
peculiar advantages claimed for
this instrument is, that it deposits
the grain deeper, and of more uni-
form depth, than could be attained
by any of the other modes of Gov
ering previously in use.
81 believed, theoretically, in the
Importance of sowing deeply, and
was inclined to adopt it as an axiom,
shat the. deeper the covering the
less liability of the wheat to be
= spewed up and winter killed"
believed that the alternate freezing
and thawing Of the ground during
, | winter and early spring, was the
= best preparation it could receive tc
fit it for the nourishment and in.
vigoration of the growing plant
Cherishing these theoretical views
[ was not prepared for the frequent
, disappointment of my expectations
@ which occurred in regard to the eff
F fects of deep sowing upon the pro
ductiveness of the crop. resolved
however, to test these theories by
experiment before | could be salts
d fed to rclinquish my prediction 70
II them. In pursuance Of this resolu
"a ton, | selected for trial a rich 10
n of ten acres, which l sOwed yer.
"a deeply with the drill. The follow
4 ing spring expected to see stron
Il and vigorous growth, but confess 1
v no small disappointment at findin
- il very backward in branching an
- of slow growth and imperfect d.
n velopment. This led me to examin
70 it closely and frequently during tn
Z progress of the season, to see If
m could discover the cause or reason
ts of it's unthriftiness. l discovere
or at each examination that many
as the plants were decaying, and b
sh the first of April that Thousand
". had rotted of at or near the su
ch face. Moreover l could not find
by living plant with more than to'
ID. blades, and these were e:
IT. ceptional, the rule being from tV
he to three blades to the stalk. The
is were all Of Thorn narrow and poin
Isl cd, standing erect and showing ]
,ed tendency towards branching OIL
yht On the l4tn of April | examin
at, another small lot of rich land, WIFI
ne l had sown after completing t
iew regular seeding of the previo
he autumn. This lot had been nice
cpt prepared and the wheat drilled
to the depth of three or four inch
ose one of the tines of the drill ne