Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1885-08-22
Preparing Land for Wheat.
BY HENRY STEWART.


structive. The greater part of the
crop is a disastrous failure. But here
and there may be seen fields which
show a good stand and will return a
satisfactory yield alongside of Others
from which the farmer will not get
back his seed. What is the cause of
this difference? 1t cannot in these
cases be altogether the bad season,
nor the character of the soil; it can
only be in the method of preparing
the soil for the crop. 1t has been
said and proved so often, that weather
and season are of secondary impor-
lance to the good farmer whose soil
is prepared in the best manner, whose
land is well MANFRED and whose seed
is sown in good season, that it has
become an axiom in the practice of
agriculture, and when one sees a good
crop in an unfavOrable season, the
idea Immediately occurs to the prac-
teal man that the soil has been pre-
pared in an excellent manner. The
question then occurs, how should the
soil be prepared for the wheat crop,
so that it may be able to resist the
dangers of an unfavorable winter,
and evade the risks or losses towhich
the crop upon i'll prepared soil is ex-
posed. In considering this question
the peculiar character of the wheat
plant and the effect of exposure to an
inclement season are the two main
points for study. Wheat has a pecu-
liar habit of growth. Under favora-
BILE conditions the plant throws out
two sets of roots, one in the subsOil
from the seed and the other at the
surface from theocrown of the main
root. When the soil is thoroughly
pulverized to sufficient depth,
which should be not less than three
inches, and the seed is deposited about
an inch and half below the surface,
there grows an upward spire and a
downward root. The root is the
principal thing. Upon the necessary
growth of this, depends the nutrition
of the plant and the formation and
strength of a certain secondary set Of
roots which are not injured by the
alternate freezing and thawing of the
soil, or the intense cold of an unfa.
vorable winter. The main root de
sends into the soil and set of later
al roots Spread from it in every direc
ton. These are the feeding roots o.
the young spire which forms single
stalk. But the habit of wheat is tC
throw out large number of side
roots near the surface Of the ground
and from these roots the secondary
shoots or steels grow and form the
fully developed plant. A healthy
wheat plant growing in good soil
well prepared for the seed, will throw
out from ten to fOrty,o more of these
offsets and form strong bunch OF
stool which takes an exceedingly
firm hold upon the soil. Such plants
are not injured by the severeSt wealth
er during the winter, because thu
roots are strong enough to resist thu
heaving action of the frost; and be
cause they have firm hold upor
the soil and the abundant herbagC
also protects the soils and prevents i
being acted upon injuriously by thu
frequent changes of the weather.
Now this growth of root and plan
cannot take place in the soil unless
this has been properly prepared anC
fitted for it. Nature works Away
according to rule. Plant growth
takes place in accordance with pre-
else and unfailing conditions. Thu
principle involved in this unfailinl
E law of nature has been clearly laiC
down in the words: "men do no
. gather grapes from thOrns, nor fig
from thistles," and it is equally tru,
that men do not gather good crop
unless they comply with all the law
, of nature, and provide the right con
ditions for plant growth. And as re
CARDS the preparation of the soil for
, perfect growth of the wheat plant W,
, find that it is necessary to have a per
fectly mellow seed bed of compac
soil to depth of at least three to fiv,
inches in which the root growth re
, quired for a good crop of wheat cal
, take place, and in which the root
, may so spread and take firm holt
that they cannot be seriously injure,
by stress of weather in the severes
winter.
But, it may be asked, why it is par
2 ticularly necessary that the soilShoult
, | 10 Ab,,, o,o1 T.