The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1882-03-02
Thin Seeding OF Wheat.
From tho Country gentleman.

From tho Country gentleman
I noticed in q recent issue q discussion
of the question how much seed-wheat to
SOW to tho acre. am aware that to settle
O. question of this kind definitely requires
much more experimenting than I have
done; but, as have given the matter some
attention for tho last five years, I will give
my experience. was first led to expert
ment with thin seeding. from counting the
grains of wheat in the heads. found that
my field would average forty grains. and as
q 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 my
mind as to what becomes of the seed when
a bushel and a half is sown and only fifteen
bushels harvested. Each grain produces
ono head with forty grains, and this would
make sixty bushels to the acre; therefore, 1
could arrive ct no other conclusion than
that three-fourtlB of tho seed sown pro-
dnceS nothing.
In my first experiment., in 1877, select
cd two acres of good wheat land, plowed it
early, and by repeated stirring put it in ex-
cellent order, and on September 7th
drilled half O bushel of seed on one acre
and a bushel on the other. There was
such O 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 littlo difference. and
as soon as spring opened it thickned up so
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 threshold
out 70 bushels, and the difference between
the two plats was so small that no ono could
tell which was the ljght-seeded. had four
hands to help me harvest it, none Of whom
knew how it was sown, and told them to
see if thev could tell which side of the field
was heavy and which light-seeded. Not
one Of them could give guess, and when
came to shock it I found 50 shocks on
one acre and So on the other.
The next year sowed the Same land and
four acres adjoining, and hired a man with a
new drill to sowit.for me. told him to put
half O bushel on the first acre, and three
pecks each on the other five. Not having
used the drill enough to understand it, he
made a mistake, and drilled in on both
third Of an acre. a very small amount of seed.
AS did not discover the mistake until the
wheat came up, cannot, of course, tell
what quantity Of wheat he did use; but it
must have been much less than a 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 MANFRED
heavily and in the best possible condition,
the wheat scarcely showed on the ground at
all before winter set in. The next spring
it looked SO bare that concluded to pillow
the crop up and plant potatoes; but, after
getting to the field with the team. changed
my mind and let it 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, I think fully As.