Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1898-01-29
SOWING FALL WHEAT.
Methods to he Avoided-The Press Drill
Commends Itself,

hethods TO he AYotded-The Press Drill
Commends Itself
1t is seldom that fall wheat ground is
we'll prepared. There is no danger of
working wheat land too much, provided
the ground is moderately dry. If mois-
ture is abundant, care must be used, as
in preparing ground for crops in spring
many neglect careful fining and com
pacting Of wheat ground They claim
that 1t is better to have the 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 as follows:
If the soil is loose and the openings
between the PARTICLES large, the ground
will dry out so readily that the young
wheat plants perish or are badly stunt
ed during the fall, even if there is suifi-
cient moisture to terminate the grain.
Growth will be so feeble that the plant
will fall an easy prey to insect pests
and the hCaving effect of frost. 1t has
been clearly demonstrated that a vigor-
Gus plant will resist the attack of pests
quite efrectually. In fact, the best way
to fight chinch bugs is to secure by fer
tilizing heavily Il strong, rapid growth.
Tho increase in the yield of grain more
than pays for the fertilizer and the ex.
pcnso of applying it.
IT. some of the central western states
wheat is still sown broadcast upon the
ground soon after it is plowcd and then
covered with a harrow. The practice
has nothing TO commend it except the
small amount Of labor required TO put
in the 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. The grain is put
in the ground to good depth and the
.oil above the seed is compacted so that
the moisture will be retained until the
berry terminates ard gets sufficient
rOCtage to maintain the plant. The COM
mon eight hoe drill is still very popular
and does good work. Some manufac-
turers attach II short chain to each hoe
so that it drags directly behind and in
Il measure compacts the soil above TIT
seed. Drills where the grain is covered
by disks, or two blades coming together
several inches back of the hoe, have
been used extensively and with satisfac
ton Any implement that will put the
grain into tho ground to depth Of two
or three inches and cover it well vii,
usually be satisfactory.
If there is II probability of attacks
from Hessian fly, it may pay to delay
the seeding until the eggs have been
laid i'll volunteer grain or strips sowcd
early for this purpose, then turned un.
der tn complete the destruction As a
rule, however, early sowing is advisable
and one year with another the largest
crops are raised from it,
Sowing small grains in standing corn
still has Il few advocates This is an
other method that is the cause of fire.
quent failure and almost invariably II
small yield. The only excuse for sowing
wheat in this manner is when it is de
sired to get Il cornfield into grass us
soon as possible without losing crop
of grain, BY sowing the grass seed with
the wheat in autumn crop Of hay can
often be secured the following season,
provided conditions have been very
favorable
1t never pays to grow half or third
of Il crop under any circumstances, and
particularly when paying one can he
secured by putting little more work
on the land previous to sowing, con.
cludeS the authority here quoted.