The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1874-09-26
M'mSht Ratm+
Thin Seeding and the Selection of Seed.


before the Midland Farmers Club, at
Birmingham, June 4th, by Major Hal
lett, F. r. S., and of which we give
below an outline, with the hardly neces-
sary caution that considerable allow
ance is to be made for difference of
climate between this country and that
of the author.
Dealing with wheat, as though it
were a new plant, its natural growth
and what it requires are considered.
A perfect plant of wheat consists of
three principal parts: the roots, stems
and ears. When grain is planted in
a proper manner, these are produced as
follows: Shortly after the plant appears
above ground it commences to throw
out new and distinct stems, upon the
first of each of which corresponding
root-bud is developed for its support ;
and while the new stems grow out fiat
over the surface of the soil, their respec-
tive roots assume corresponding de-
velopment beneath it.
This process, called "tillering," will
continue until the season arrives for the
stems to assume an upright growth,
when "tillering" ceases, and the whole
vital power of the plant is concentrated
upon the production of the ears. These
will be the finest it is capable of pro-
ducing, unless the growth of its roots
has been in any way interfered with,
as, for instance, by having been crowded
by those of other plants, when the size
of the ears will be proportionately di-
minished
This "tillering" is the great charac-
teristic of all the cereals, and as an
instance of the extent to which it may
attain, l have known plant of wheat
grown from a single grain to cover in
May circle 5 feet 6 inches in diameter,
measuring from the extremities of the
opposite leaves as they lay filtered out
fiat upon the surface.
From the great number of stems
sometimes produced from single grain,
the fact stands out that a plant of
wheat requires SPACE for full develop.
ment and TINE to fill that space. 1t
follows that the grain should be SO sown
as to leave DO ground unoccupied at
harvest, and that the proper time is SO
early that tillering" may take place,
which it cannot do with heavy seeding.
The RATE of wheat growth during
the different months is determined from
the time it takes it to come up, which,
in mild Autumn, is days for wheat
sown September LIST; IA days for that
sown Oct. LIST; 81 days for that sown
Nov. LIST; and % days when sown on
December 1st At the same relative
rate of growth WHEN IT is UP, wheat
sown Sept. LIST makes in the first fifteen
days of that month growth EQUAL to
the whole month of October; in the
next ten days a growth equal to that of
the WHOLE MONTH OF NOVEMBER; and
in the last five days of September, a
growth equal to that of the FIRST TWEEN
TY DAYS OF DECEMBER.
The author contends, however, that
it is necessary, in sewing, to apportion
the seed to the existing surrounding
circumstances. The importance of
every day especially the earlier days.
of September growth, cannot be over.
rated. In determining the SPACE to be
assigned each grain, seed, the result OF
continual selection is dealt with, since
the vital powers of different grains oil
ordinary wheat are so very unequal
that it would be impossible to fix upon
any uniform distance In planting
grains of wheat in August, sngly, and
twelve inches apart each way, all the
requisites of time and space seem to be
best fulfilled Wheat planted Septem-
Der 9th, 9 inches by 9, has been known
to produce 10S bushels per acre. The
author is in favor, therefore, of early
and thin seeding, and says that Nature,
in shedding grain in August, indicates
that that is the proper time, or at least,
NOT IMPROPER time, or the species
would not be perpetuated. He con-
cludes by saying that large quantity
of seed sown early is just as much op-
posed to reason as the late sowing of
a small quantity of seed, and, indeed,
more 80, for the first must become Win
ter-proud and CANNOT succeed, while the
season MAY be of such character as
to enable the last to do Sc.
AS a general basis I'would suggest
on large scale the drilling of wheat as
follows: End of August to 10th OF
September, 2 to gallons per acre for
each week later, to the end of Septem-
Der, an additional gallon per acre.
THE crJ rcrIoN ON crpD
The Importance of good pedigree
is recognized with the animals on the
farm and even with vegetables, but is
ignored with cereals, though the trans
mission of minute characteristics is
evinced in variety of wheat known as
Grace's White" which has on every
grain an indentation across the back as
if, when still soft, thread had been
tied tightly around it.
Close observation shows that in the
cereals, as throughout nature, no two
plants or grains are precisely alike in
productive power, and hence that of
any two or greater number of grains OF
plants, one is always superior to all the
oehSiS, lhouSh IHC SupCllOllty Cdl DC
discovered only by actual trial This
superiority may consist in various char
acteristics, as power to withstand frost,
prolifcness, size and character of ear,
size, form, quality and weight of grain,
length and stiffness of straw, power Of
tillering, rapidty of growth, &c.
The most forcible illustration of the
necessity for repeated selections is the
fact, that OF THE GRAINS IN THE SAME
EAR ONE is FOUND GREATLY TO EXCEL
all the others in vital power
The CHIEF points of Major Hallett's
standard in order of their Importance
are the following, though all have to be
duly considered l. Hardihood of con-
stitution; 2, Trueness of type; 8
Quality Of sample; 4, Productiveness
S, Power of tillering; 6, Toughness
and stiffness of straw; I, Earlness o.
ripening.
His plan of selection is as follows
A grain produces plant, consisting Of