The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1898-10-22
PREPARING THE SOIL
Unless 1t Be Done Carefully h Wts-
ter Wheat Crop VIII Not
BE Satisfactory.

A good deal of success or failure in
the production of winter wheat lies
in the preparation Of the soil.
1t is II be regretted that so many
fields are put in in a slipshod manner,
Farmers adopting this method will
growl because they do not make a sue
cess of winter wheat, and will forever
after let the other fellow grew wheat
while they stick to something they
know will respond 20 little labor and
thought.
The old-time method of summer fall,
tow has about passed out of use, but il
is modified to a certain degree by
blowing the land intended for wheat
as early as possible. In this way much
of the summer fallow result is secured.
The soil needs exposure to the air in
order to promote chemical changes
that result in an increase Of available
food for the plants. 1t needs time for
such tillage, that the particles of soil
may be well mixed, and their positions
towards each other changed. 1t re-
quires time to become solid beneath
the surface as a result of fall rains.
An old rule in English agriculture is
to the effect hat land that is 10 bear
wheat Cannot be too old or too solid,
provided hat it is fertile and free
from weeds, and that there is enough
loose loan. at the surface to cover the
seed" These successful wheat grow
ers hold that firm standing" is re-
quired for the healthy development
and proper ripening of wheat. In proof
of this we have often observed that the
best wheat is found at the ends where
there has been the most tramping done
by men and teams. The best bed is one
that is prepared early and pulverized
well, ami which receives surface work
ings regularly until the time of seed
ing comes.
We have in mind a very successful
grower of winter wheat who will not
grow wheat if he cannot have the con
dition necessary for a good seed bed.
The best ground for wheat is a tie!d
which has been to oats the previous
year. As soon as the oats are removed
the ground is plowed comparatively
sha low, in fact it is plOwed about az
shallow as can be done to turn under
the growth of stubble and weeds. "a
soon as ptowed it is disked and har-
rowed, ard about once per week until
seeding time the land should be har-
rowed. The narrowing and the tramp
ing of the teams on the field. together
,rI-b .ha rnirE &c -hnra n rn ~ will Az
the ground well for wheat. For selec-
ton of ground, the level lana is con
sidered best. and it may he either val
ley land or upland. The next best
land is a southeast slope.
Preparing ground for wheat in grow
ing corr or after the corn has been re-
moved, is not carried on with that sue.
cess required by the most practical
wheat growers. Good and ~effectual
work cannot be done in the growing
corn. ever if the wheat grower has a
fine hoe CT drill for the purpose of
drilling. To get the corn off the field
means a great deal of labor that the
average western wheat grower does
not care to undertake, and it makes the
time of seeding rather late for best
results. II it IS not possible to cut the
corr and haul ii off the field, it may be
well to make the shock rows far apart
and prepare the ground between the
rows for wheat. The best tool for pre-
PAIRING this kind of ground for wheat is
found In the disc harrow, followed
thoroughly with a smoothing harrow.
The limited time will not permit as
much work as in the stubble ground
Iowa Homestead.