Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1886-09-29
Thin and Late Sowing of wheat.

The average yield of wheat per acre
in this country is not quite twelve
and one half bushels. The average
quantity Of seed sown is very
nearly six pecks per acre; hence, the
wheat increases less than nine fold. It
is no uncommon thing for a stool to
contain fifteen culms, ca on bearing an
ear containing an average of forty
grains; hence, the grain producing this
plant has increased six hundred fold.
Wheat has been made to increase
twelve hundred fold. It is evident
that much of the wheat sown must
fail TO mature. The seventies of fall
drought and winter freezing destroy
many plants, yet the greatest cause
why many do not reach maturity is
because they have not room for
growth. We SOW too much seed. In
going through q wheat field one may
find isolated stools. The plants for
some inches round about have died.
1t is significant that these stools are
always large ones. If the root forma-
ton of one of these stools be carefully
uncovered, it will be found to occupy
quite closely all theground for a space
twelve to fifteen inches in diameter.
This much soil is certainly not too
much for vigorous wheat plant to
have for feeding ground. The feeding
roots of the wheat plant rarely 90
deeper than four inches; hence, if there
are fifteen culms in the stool, and it
has space of ground twelve inches in
diameter, each culm will have only
thirty cubic inches of soil to feed from
say q mass four inches in depth, three
in length and two and one-half in
width. Measure out such g. mass of
earth and see how small it is. But if
you SOW six pecks of seed to the acre,
each plant will have less soil than
this. AS the seed cannot be distributed
with perfect uniformity, some must
have much less than even a. surface
two inches square. There can be but
one result-death from starvation.
Those plants which s'get the start" by
reason of terminating nearer the
surface, or of greater natural vigor,
will smother the others out The
"struggle for existence" is well illus
trated. Some of the plants may not
be smothered out before winter ends;
for time they struggle; but they are
so weak that the frost removes
them. Even the strongest plants are
injured, for the struggle must weaken
them. With less seed there would be
more plants in the spring; surely more
culms and ears at harvest time. Max
ing liberal allowances for drought,
frosts, insects, etc., three pecks yet
seems too much seed for an acre of
land. This quantity is now sown by
some of our most successful wheat
growers. We SOW practically as much
seed as our fathers did fifty years ago,
yet at least twice as much seed then as
now was the proper quantity. The
land was more productive, hence the
plants might be closer together It
was impossible, with the implements
then at command, to prepare the
seed-bed as we donow. The condition
of the ground was not near so favOra-
BILE to termination and growth, hence
it was necessary to SOW more seed. |
But what, more than anything else,
made more seed necessary, was theini-
perfect manner of distributing the
seed. 1t was impossible to so cast the
seed that some would not fall more
tbickly than others, while some were
not covered at all, and some were
buried as deep as the harrow-teeSn
penetrated. Now the seed is distrib |
uted very uniformly, and on we'll |
prepared seed-bed the drill covers each |
grain at practically the same depth;
we have the ridges to protect the |
plants and hold the snow over them
during the winter.
Late sowing is to be commended |
whsre there is a probability of attacks
from the Hessian fly, or other insect |
enemies. If sowing is delayed until |
October 1, the flies will have de- |
posted their eggs before the wheat |
plants become large enough to receive