Evening journal., 1904-09-07
INSURANCE COMMISSIONER.
THE wAGAl. SEED BED.
~ shouId De nS Fine as Ashes. Fer
tile and Well Drained.

A. should Dc nS Fine as Ashes. Fer.
tile and Well Drained.
The seed bed for wheat or not for
all other cereasl should be made as
lne as dry ashes To produce the best
results no two particles of soil should
stick together Some may be inclined
10 laugh at this assertion. but il has
been proved true many times by ex-
pertinent Jethro Tull. the best farm
er in England during his time. declar-
cd that the more thoroughly the soil in
which plants grow was disintegrated
and refined the more abundant would
be the pasture" Cas he called iU for
their rootlets to feed upon and the
more abundant would be the crop pro-
duced. BY perfect preparation of the
soil Lawes and Gilbert raised wheat
on the same field forty years in sue
cession and obtained yield OF thirteen
bushels per acre the last year.
In order that plants shall have nour-
ishment the earth must be made fine
and soft. so that the roots may spread
freely TO their full extent Another
reason why the seed bed for wheat
should be made as fine as possible is
because it is only through fine soil that
the ground water is able 10 rise by
capillary action. 1t will not rise up
through Jumps any more than it will
pass through coarse gravel. The rise
Of the ground water TO the surface "a
kind Of miracle) IL OF immense impor-
tance TO all growing crops, and we
might say TO everything that grows, in
dry weather.
Good Seed and Good Soil.
To raise large yields of wheat the
proper quantity Of good seed must be
sown, because, no matter how fine the
soil may be made, it can never produce
good crop unless good seed ist sown.
Like produces like" Not only must
it be a heavy yielding variety; It should
be ''thorougnbred- wheat that has
been improved by continually selecting
the best for seed. The only way farm
ers can improve their wheat crops is by
improving the soil and improving the
seed To make reasonably sure of q
good crop of wheat II must be sown on
good ground or ground made good by
some fertilizer. There must be an
abundance OF available plant food
within easy reach OF the plant roots
Wheat, like corn, TO do well must have
all the alinent it can devour There is
no use in trying to raise good crops
on poor land.
Drainage and Early Flowing.
If the land does not have natural
drainage and has not been under.
drained II should be plowed in narrow
lands, having the dead burrows run
] ming in the direction OF the descent tc
carry of the surface water, which II
allowed to stand in puddles win soon
destroy the plants. The land should be
plowed as soon as possible after tho
preceding crop Of oats or barley comes
Off i'm order TO obtain a more thorough
pulverization Of the soil while there is
some moisture in It 10 make 1t crumble
and also to give time to work Il into
the best condition before sowing. There
are usually some rains after oat har
vest and plowed ground win absorb
and retain great deal more water
than unplowed.
4 Flowing aud narrowing the land ear
ly put stop to the rise Of the GROUND
water TO the surface TO be evaporatet
by the sun and wind and consequently
prevent the drying out and baking ol
the ground so that If left till later 4
could not be well plowed.-Cor. Coun
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