The Springdale news., 1889-08-30
See ed-Bed for Wheat.

Firmness and compactness are the prime mechanical conditions Of ~ sced bed for wheat. The ground must be crushed into small particles. and while these particles must not be fused into masses, they must be in close con tact
 In ground having these conditions moisture. air and heat are most gen. orally and cquably diffused; hence every seed is most apt to find the conditions essential to germination, and every plant the conditions essen tial 10 growth. There is the greatest capillarity, an important matter at a time when we must depend much upon the ground-water for the neces- sary moisture in the soil; food is most readily yielded to the plants for division and also general diffusion of heat, moisture and air increase the supply of food available in form and location; the roots get firm attach mcnts; absence of large creviccs in surcs abs cncc of excessive air; the con- ditions are against an excess Of moist urc, which, by its expansion in freez- ing, would hcave up the ground and throw out the wheat; and the seed can be most evenly distributed and GOV cred, and the best ridges be formed for the protection of the plants.
 Knowing these prime mechanical conditions of the seed-bcd for wheat, we easily arrive at the advantages of early blowing First, we stop in good season that growth Of weeds which too frequently spring upon stubblo ground, and that, if allowed to reach consider able proportions, will prevent the competing of the wheat ground, although they are well turned under... Second, the work of blowing can be better and more easily done. August is usually dry and hot, and the ground, already dry, hardens rapidly. If we defer blowing until the latter part of August or until Septem- her the ground will be so hard that the work will wear fast the plowman, blow and team, and the ground will break up into Jumps, and Jumps hard to reduce, whereas, fl we blow early, the grounl will be more easily broken, there will be fewer Jumps. and they will not be nearly so hard Third, the ground can be pulverized and completed with less labor, partly be- cause of the conditions just named; and also, sun, rain and air do most effective work i'll disintegrating Jumps and competing the particles, and these laborers exact on hire and board them selves. The earlier we blow the longer their season of work Fourth, blowing will bring to the surface, where they will germinate. the seeds of weeds and of gras ses. If the blow ing is dCne early the growth from these seeds will be destroyed by the work of Sting the seed-bed while if the blowing is done late, much of this growth will come after the wheat is sown, and grass and weeds will choke and rob the wheat. Fifth, if spread after the blow, and as we fit the seed- bed the rdanure will be fined and incor- porated with the upper soil. This is as it should be. for wheat is among the shallow feeders, and needs the manure most in the fall and early spring. while the plants are yet small. Sixth. soils gain fer tility from the atmosphere and more from disintegration and decomposition within themselves; and both these galns arc increased by plow- ing, whica facilitates tue action of air,