Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1897-10-22
SOWING. FALL WHEAT.

SOWING FALL WHEAT.
Methods to He Avoided--The Press Drill
CommendA Itself.
It is seldom that fall wheat ground is
we'll prepared. There is no danger Of
working whe't land too much, provided
the ground is moderately dry. If mois-
ture is abundant, care must be used, rs
In preparing ground for crops in spring
many neglect careful filming and COM
pacting Of wheat ground. They claim
that it is better to have tho surface
rough, so that the snow will be held
and the tender plants protected. While
there may be some advantage in this, it
is not to be considered, says The Orange
Judd Farmer, which offers the reason
why US follows:
II the soil is loose and the openings
between tho particles large, the ground
will dry out so readily that the young
wheat plants perish or are badly stunt
ed during the full, even if there is suffi-
Gent moisture to terminate the grain.
Growth will be SO feeble that the plant
will fall an easy prey to insect pests
and tho heaving effect IF frost. It has
been clearly demonstrated that vigor-
Gus plant will resist the attack Of pests
quito effectually. In fact, the best way
to fight chinch bugs is to secure by fer
tilizing heavily a strong, rapid growth.
The Increase in tho yield Of grain more
than pays for the fertilizer and the ex-
pense Of applying it.
In some Of the central western states
wheat is still sown broadcast upon the
ground soon after it is plowed and then
covered with harrow. The practice
has nothing to commend it except tho
small amount of labor required to put
in tho crop. Failures or partial failures
are the rule. The method ought to be
abandoned, as it is not only unprofit-
able, but an evidence of slovenly farm.
ing.
OF all the drills now in use the press
drill commends itself. Tho grain is put
in the ground to a good depth and the
soil above the seed is conlpacted so that
the moisture will DO retained until the
berry terminates and gets sufficient
rootage to maintain the plant. The com
mon eight hoo drill is still very popular
and does good work. Some manufac-
turers attach Il short chain to each hoo
so that it drags directly behind and in
measure conpacts tho soil above the
seed. Drills where the grain is covered
by disks, OF two blades coming together
several inches back of tho hoe, have
been used extensively and with s,,tisfac-
ton. Any implement that will put tho
grain into the ground to depth of two
or three inches and cover it we'll will
usually be satisfactory.
If there is probability of attacks
from Hessian fly, it may pay to delay
the seeding until the eggs havo been
laid in volunteer grain or strips sowed
early for this purpose, then turned un
der to complete tho destruction. AS a
rule, however, early sowing is advisable
and one year with another tho largest
crops a1e raised from it.
Sowing small grains in standing corn
still has few advocates. This is .ul-
other method that is the cause Of fro
quent failure and almost invariably
small yield. The only excuse for sowing
wheat in this manner is when it is do.
sired to get q corntield into grass rs
soon rs possible without losing q crop
Of grain. BY sowing the grass seed with
the wheat in autumn crop Of hay can
often he secured the following season,
provided conditions have been very
favorable.
It never pays to grow half or third
Of q crop under any circumstances, and
particularly when a paying one can be
secured by putting little moro work
on the land previous to sowing, con-
cludes the authority here quoted.