Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1882-09-14
before the plants appeared above
ground third column, proportion Of
that came up

stance indicate, that not all the con-
ditions for perfect termination were
properly fulfilled, but as the existing
conditions presumably applied to all
of the seven lots, the value of the
test, so far as it goes, in determining
the proper depth for sowing, is not
invalidated.
The second experiment was made
in 1867, by S. Edwards Todd, farm
er Of much experience, and an agri-
cultural writer OF acknowledged abil-
ity. We quote it in his own words,
from the "Wheat Culturist, " of which
he is the author:
In order To test the comparative
influence Of planting seed deep and
shallow, ON the termination Of wheat.
on the 9th Of July, 1861, instituted
thefollowing experiment: ! planted
/ eight rows of wheat, a few inches
/ apart, with fourteen kernels ia each
row. The ground was only IN a
moderate degree of fertility. and mel.
/ lowness. A dibble about as large as
my little finger was marked of with
cuts one inch apart, from one inch TO
/ eight. Fourteen holes were made
one inch deep, into each of which a
kernel Of grain was dropped. and the
holes flied with mellow soil. The
kernels in the second row, fourteen
in number, were planted, or dibbled
two inches deep. The same number
OF kernels was placed three inches
+ deep. The fifth row five inches deep.
. The sixth row six inches in depth.
The seventh seven inches deep and
the fourteen kernels in the eighth
row were dropped in holes eight
inches deep and all the holes were
+ filed with mellow soil and every
evening the surface was moistcncd
with water Eom rose.spout water.
ing.pot. Now for the result.
On the morning Of July lth four
spears had appeared in the first row,
where the kernels were planted one
inch deep; and before night those
four stems were more than one inch
high July 18th, in the morning, two
/ spears more, in number one. were
half an inch high. In numb bcrs two
and three, the same morning, there
were two spears in each and one
spear in number two. more than an
F. inch high. On the morning of the
/ 18th there were ten spears IN number
one; four IN number two: six in
number three: and two spears in
I number four. In number thrce one
spear was three inches high. At
sunset of the same dav. this last
spear was five inches high, having
/ grown two inches in length between
sunrise and sunset In number five,
at shutdown, of the 18th of July, one
spear of wheat had come up. after
sunrise. and had grown two inches
high. In number six. one spear had
grown one inch high during the day.
On the lith of July, in number one,
( there were eleven spears: in number
two there were seven; 10 number
three eight spears in number four
five spears: in number five three
/ spears: IN numhcr six two spears.
On the morning of the 18Th one
spear more appeared in number one /;
/ one more ~ number four. and one
more in number six.
IT will lie seen by this diary, which
] recorded with my own pen. that
none of the grain was over eight days
1 ia coming up. After Whiting iuT
more than two weeks for the plants
in number seven, planted seven inch.
es deep, and those in number eight,
deposited eight inches lplow the sur
face. | removed the soil carefully. and
/ found a few Of TIE stems nearly
ready to appear above the surface of
the seed bed. But. out of the twen.
/ ty.eight kernels that were planted.
half them seven and the other half
eight inches deep, not vistage could
be found of only four, the stems Of
which were exceedingly feeble and
| slender; and for lack of material TO
| form the stem from the kernel to the
surface, vegetation ceased, and the
stems died. Whatever became of the
kernels seems TO be a mystery.
But the experiment demonstrated
one point, most conclusively, namely,
that If seed wheat be buried too deep
the kernels may germinate, but there
will not be sufficient material in the
grain TO form a healthful, and strong
stem to the surface of the ground.
1t matters not what becomes of seed
planted seven or eight inches deep.
Experience proves that such grain
seldom comes up. This suggests the
fallaey Of ploughing-in seed wheat,
as much of the seed will be buried so
ippu that the aiama enn navas faanh