Judith Gap journal. [volume] (Judith Gap, Mont.) 1908-19??, 1913-01-10
Seeding Winter Wheat.

= ny Alfred Atkinson, Asrsns- +
mIst, Montana Agricultural
College.
<++++++
The successful experialce Of winter
vAest growers II almost every section
Of Montana places this ossp % 0ae q
the very iApsrtzat sAas In the sta$A
ard leads May iAceRing settlers to
mako heavy investnaKts u effort al
noAAy in wister wheat. As in all
.Arn activities. 0artA11 :1ethels OF
practice IN TIE ra1sh1 Of winter, whsa4
have shewa Themselves t. give more
.DroAtab:e returns Ghat ether netho1D
which night b fellewed. and, q to
wiAter wheat seeding will commence
.lurtRG August, q brief discussion Of
ZONE methods which have made for
success may b 81 interest.
The winter wheat raiser who would
Get good returns must give. attention
70 ct lsast three different phases q
his work. These are: The manage.
nent Of the seed bed; the seed ana
its treatment; and the manner and
time ,of planting the crop These are
three, essentials and . neglect Of any
enc Of them will lead to reduced
yield and loss in raising the crop.
Seed Crop.
prepare q good seed bed on the farm
where this very important feature has
been neglected up to the present. The
preparation OF . proper winter wheat
seed bed on dry farm ought to begin
In the early spring. At that time the
land should be plowsd and worked
into . good mulch condition. Follow.
ing this the surface should be kept
stirred after rains and all weeds de-
stroyed as quickly AZ they appear
Where this has been done there 10
little that will need to be done to the
seed bed between now and the plant.
Ing of the crop. On fields whore. DO
cause OF neglect or under the stress
Of other work, weeds have been a.
lowed to start. 1t 10 we'll to 90 on and
thoroughly disk the surface, or. in
case the weeds are quite rank, give
Il = shallow plowing-just deep enough
to turn those weeds under. In some
sections Of the state the Russian this
tle ~ showing q very rank growth on
the fallows. and when this plant is
well started it requires more than
disking to destroy it. Where the fa:.
low is to be plowed, this ought to b
done about rs shallow rs possible,
going to . SUFFICIENT depth, of course,
to turn these weeds under Deep
glowing tends to waste OF too much
moisture and should be avoided when
1t 10 done during the last Of July or
early in August.
After the blowing the land ought to
be well worked down. either with .
harrow. or. in case it is somewhat
lumpy. with . good double disking.
whatever method Of preparation Is
followed, the seed bed ought to 10
firm and fine before the seed is plant
ed. The Arm seed bed makes for
the prompt rise OF moisture from the
bed brings the moisture in close con.
tact with the grain kernels and 81
encourages rapid termination.
The Seed.
One of the essentials in the success
Of the crop to be harvested is the
quality and condition OF the seed plant.
ID. The tanning mill ought to be used
and all small and inferior seeds re-
moved. The amount Of time and e..
fort necessary to prepare the seed for
enc acre is very small as compared
with the profit which is made posi-
BILE by the Increased yield where COOL
seed is used. Some farmers inquire IL
II 10 safe 10 use the seed which has
just been harvested. apparently be-
lieving that it ought to remain one
year after harvesting before planting
There II no danger in this and most
- the SEED wheat used ia from the
crop which has oeen threshed but a
few days before.
One important feature in preparing
the seed is to :reat il So as to destroy
the smut. Wheat is affected by two
kinds OF smut. but It 10 possible to de
stroy only one % those by treatment
The loose smut. which tends to de.
stroy the entire head Of the gram.
gives it'll, trouble in this state. but
where It Is had. Il 10 pretty diflcult
70 do ANYTHING that will entirely Dc.
strQy It. The smut that Is common 10
ksows - the blunt" o. 'stink,as