Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser., 1886-09-24
&arruers' Gnlun1l1.

&&& }s
Let fortunes bubbles rise and fail;
Who sows a field or trains a flower,
Or plants a tree. is more than all.
Amount of Seed Wheat to Sow.
John NJ. Stahl thus speaks in the
Planter and Stockman on the above
subject:
The average amount Of wheat used
for seed wheat in this county is six
pecks per acre. The amount used is
almost as large as that used thirty or
forty years ago. l am of the opinion
that we should not use more than half
the amount now that was proper along
in the forties or fifties. Then the
land was stronger and could support
more plants. Second, it was not pos
sible then to put the ground in con-
dition near SO favorable to termination
as now. We lacked the necessary i'm.
provements. We had no steel plows
The plows we had were, compared
with those in general use now, exceed
ingly rude and primitive, and capable,
at the best, Of the work that would
not be tolerated by decent farmer of
the present day. The harrows we're
even more Incompetent. Harrows
made of revolving disks or of cutting
knives were unknown. Pulverizers
were undreamed Of. Even rollers and
drags we're scarcely ever used. As a
result the seed was put in bed that
would be the despair of wheat grower
of today who cared anything for his
reputation as farmer. The condi-
tions that favor termination are fine
ness of ground, compactness, and that
equable distribution of heat and mois-
ture which results from the fneness
of the ground. These conditions exist
in higher degree now than they did
in the rudely prepared seed bed of
forty years ago. As result greater
per cent. of the seed terminates now
than germinated then therefore less
seed is now required to produe the
same number of plants.
Another thing which makes a less
amount of seed required now is the
better method of seeding. Though
sown broadcast, on account of the seed
bed being better prepared, tho seed is
more evenly distributed, since there
will not be so many Jumps to bound
off OF, nor so many depressions to fall
into ;and it viii be more evenly covered,
since there Will not be depressions in
which the grain will be covered seyers.
inches deep. But if the grain dsiIl is
used the; grain will be more evenly dis
tributedl covered yet. A good
force-feed drill will deposit the grain
more evenly than it is possible to do
by casting them from the hand, though
there be no breeze to interfere. Aad
IN well-prepared bed a drill rightly
managed will cover every grain with
practically the same depth of soil !;
ereas. if the grain is covered with
the harrow, or brush, some will not
be covered at all and the balance will
be covered at depths down to the low
est point to which the harrow hook
penetrates. Some are Covered so deep
and some so shallow that they will
fail to germinate, or at least the plants
will be short-lived, those springing
from the grains near the surface dying
of too little moisture and too much
heat and those springing from the
grains planted deepest being unable
to reach the surface. When the grains
are evenly distributed and covered q
uniform depth greater proportion of
them will grew, hence again, less seed
is needed now than forty years ago, to
produce the same number of plants.
Where bushel and half of seed
is used on the acre, if the seed is dis
tributed with perfect accuracy, each
seed will have space of ground two
and one-half inches square. A wheat
plant should tiller until it produces
fifteen culms, each bearing a head of
grain. Who will contend that space
of ground of six and one-fourth square
inches can support such a plant? The
roots of wheat fed to depth not
greater than four inches. Cut out a
mass of earth two and one.half inches
square and four inches deep; how
small it looks as you hold it in your
hand. Surely this is not a fourth
enough soil for stool of fifteen stalks.
Yet such stools may be found in any
wheat field. 1t is significant fact
that they are always isolated; the
plants about this one have died and
given it room to develop. When we
SOW six pecks of seed per acre the
plants are so close together that many
must be smothered out. Those that
! get the start by greater inherent vigor
\pr more favorable circumstances sur
Rounding them, crowd out the weaker.
1t is the struggle for existence" and
the Survival of the strongest. No
more will survive than the ground
will support, and why SOW more grain
than will produce this number of
plants? !? There is net loss-the seed
thrown avay-and even those plants
that survive the struggle are weakened
byit. Ihaye raised just as much wheat
when I sowed four pecks to the acre
as when l sowed six; and I am not
certain but that three pecks to the
acre are enough.