The Worthington advance., 1882-03-02
Thin Seeding Of Wheat.
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noticed in a recent issue q discussion
OF the question how much seed-wheat to
SOW to the acre. am aware that to settle
. question of this kind definitely REQUIRES
much more experimenting than have
done; but, as have given the matter some
attention for the last five years, will give
my experience. was first led to expert
ment with thin seeding, from counting the
grains OF wheat in the heads. found thai
my field would average forty grains. and as
grain OF wheat which produces anything
must produce one head, and might produce
several, this would be forty fold, or forty
bushels to the acre where one bushel Of
wheat was sown. The question arose in nv
mind as to what becomes Of the seed when
bushel and half is sown and only fifteen
bushels harvested. Each grain produces
one head. With forts grains, and this would
make sixty bushels to the acre; therefore,
could arrive at no other conclusion than
that three. .fourths of the seed sown pro-
duces nothing.
In my first experiment.. in 1877, I select
cd two acres Of good wheat land, plowed it
early, and by repeated stirring put it in sx.
cellent order, and on September 7th
drilled half q bushel Of seed on one acre
and bushel on the other. There was
such difference in the appearance Of the
two plats that for some weeks it could be
seen in riding past; but before winter it had
stooled so as to show little difference and
as soon as spring opened it thickned up 90
that could not tell where the thin seeding
began except by finding the stake. Being
sown early, this wheat was considerably
damaged by fly; but the two acres threshed
out 10 bushels; and the difference between
the tive plats was so small that no one could
tell which was the light seeded. had four
hands to help nae harvest it, none OF whom
knew how it was sown, and I told them to
pay particular attention to the yield, and
see It thew could tell which side Of the field
| was heavy and which light seeded Not
one Of them could give . guess, and when
1 came to shock it found So shocks on
one acre and SO on the other.
The next year sowed the same land and
four acres adjoining, and hired man with q
new drill to sowitsfor me. told him to put
| half q bushel on the first acre, and three
| pecks each on the other five. Not having
| used the drill enough to understand it. he
| made mistake. and drilled in on both q
| third OF an acre very small amount of seed,
As did not discover the mistake until the
wheat came up, I cannot, Of course. tell
what quantity Of wheat he did use: but it
must have been much less than peck to
the acre. for there were many drills in
which there was not grain for two or three
feet, and, although the land Vas manured
heavily and in the best possible condition,
the wheat scarcely showed on the ground at
ell before winter set in. The next spring
| it looked 20 bare that I concluded TO blow
the crop up and plant potatoes; but, after
getting to the field with tho .eam. changed
my mind and let il stand. The field aver
aged just 80 bushels to the acre and this
thin strip WAS little below the average.
the best acre in the field where three pecks
was sown, would have made over 40 bush.
els, think fully As.