Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1890-07-12
EasHt Kit a:sa.ap
Seed Bed for wheat.

t1neneSS anu cOinpactneSS are the
prime mechanical conditions Of
seed-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 contact.
In ground having these conditions,
moisture, air and heat are most gem
orally and equally diffused; hence
every seed is most apt to find the
conditions essential to termination,
and every plant the conditions essen
tial to 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 diffu-
sion of heat, moisture and air in
crease the supply of food available
in form and location (; the roots get
firm attachments; absence of large
crevices insures absence of excessive
air; the conditions are against an eX-
cess of moisture, which, by its ex-
pansion in freezing, would heave up
the ground and throw out the wheat;
and the seed can be most evenly dis.
tributed and covered, and the best
ridges be formed for the protection of
the plants.
Knowing these prime mechanical
conditions of the seed bed for wheat,
we easily arrive at the advantages of
early blowing. First, we stop in
good season that growth of weeds
which too frequently springs upon
stubble ground, and that, if allowed
to reach considerable 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 usu-
ally dry and hot, and the ground, al
ready dry, hardens rapidly. If we
defer blowing until the latter part of
August or until September, the
ground will be so hard that the work
will wear fast the plowman, pillow
and team, and the ground will break
up into Jumps, and Jumps hard to re-
duce; whereas if we pillow early, the
ground will be more easily broken,
there will be fewer Jumps, and they
will not be nearly so hard. Third
the ground can be pulverlzed and
compacted with less labor, partly be-
cause of the conditions just named
and also, sun, rain and air do mos
effective work in disintegrating
Jumps and compacting the parti,
cles, and these laborers exact no hire
and board themselves. The earlier
we plow, the longer their season 0
work. Fourth, blowing will bring
to the surface, where they will ger
inmate, the seeds Of weeds and 0
grasses. If the blowing is done earl,
the growths from these seeds will b.
destroyed by the work of fitting tn
Seed,bed; while if the blowing i
done late, much Of this growth will
come after the wheat is sOWn, ant
grass and weeds will choke and roI
the wheat. Fifth, it we pillow early
the manure may be spread after tn
pillow, and as we fit the seed the ma
nure will be fined and incorporate
with the upper soil. This is as
should be, for wheat is among tn
shallow feeders, and needs the ma
nure most in the fall and earl
spring, while the plants are We
small. Sixth, soils gain fertilit
from the atmosphere and more fror
disintegration and decompositio
within themselves; and both thes
gains are increased by plowinl
which facilitates the action of ali
sun and moisture hence early pillow
ing enlarges these gains of fertility
Some make the very serious mi
take ofnOt following close after tn
pillow with the roller and the harrow
and as a result the clods become a
the harder in the sun and hot vino
If the clods are crushed and presse
down somewhat, they will gain moi
ture from below and will softer
Roller and harrow are at this tim
put over the ground but once, for
we use them more we cannot get I'll
blowing done in good season; an
also, the process of compacting til
ground may be carried too far till
is seeding time. .-l.gI
Care of Grass Lands.