The log cabin Democrat., 1916-11-06
SOW WINTER WHEAT NOW, SAYS EXPERT
 NEEDED ON EVERY FARM
Farms Should be Seeded With Two Weeks, if Best Results are
 Obtained.
By Dean J. II. Miller.

l advice given to the farmers of the state by W. C. Lassetter, Acting Di- rector Extension Division of the Uni versity of Arkansas and U. s. De- partment of Agriculture. We are i fortunate this season since the far mers in many sections of Arkansas have succeeded, for the first time in good many years, getting their cot not out of the fields in sufficient time to permit the seeding Of wheat after cotton. One of the greatest objec- tions in the past to the seeding of wheat on cotton farms has been the fact that it has been impossible to get the wheat in in proper time in the fall. There has not been the proper adjustment of crops to permit the introduction of wheat on satisfac- tory scale Now that cotton in out of many fields, we have the opportu- nifty, in the next two weeks, to get wheat seeded.
 While it does not embody the best agricultural principles to attempt to seed wheat after cotton, still 1t prob ably is better than to seed no wheat at all. Thousands of farmers in Ar | kansas should have wheat seeded dur | ing the next two weeks if for no other purpose than to furnish graz ing for cattle or hogs or poultry dur { ing early spring. One advantage in wheat is the fact that it can be graZed in February and early March and even then will produce a good grain crop. Some wheat is needed on every farm even though it may not be grown as grain crop.
 The best of wheat cannot be grown on land that is just freshly prepared | For the most successful wheat pro duction. the land should be broken ! in the early summer and should be worked occasionally until wheat seed ing time. The least that can be eX pected is to have wheat land broken in time to get a good rain before seeding. The value of the rain lies in the fact that it causes the soil to settle and provides firmer seed bed for the grain crop. Wheat planted on loose land will not stand the win ter weather as well as if planted on firm land. By a firm seed bed, how ever, is not meant hard seed bed Land must be plowed for wheat but 1 it should be settled before the seeding 1 is done. Another advantage of the breaking in preparing for wheat IS the fact that it makes it possible to turn under the cotton stalks and other grass on the land, utilizing these ma terials for humus builders. The breaking blow with a good sharp steel point will also kill the sassafras and persimmon sprouts, saw briers, etc, that are present in so many fields. Do not fail to prepare the land well before seeding wheat. If this prep aration is started now, break the land. disk it thoroughly, smooth with q section harrow and drill the wheat in.
 For grain purposes wheat can be grown satisfactorily on any of the better class soils No one need at tempt to grow wheat on poor land except for pasture purposes. Even then it is not satisfactory because poor land is not satisfactory for any kind of crop. But wheat seeded on poor land graZed to a limited extent in the early spring and turned under will help to enrich these poor lands.
 Wheat for grain purposes should ,ta, be grown only on the richer soils Thousands of acres of well drained river bottom soils in this state pro duce wheat of splendid quality. For such sections wheat is to be recon mended partially for it's money value but more largely for the possibility of introducing a system of good crop rotation. For example, in many ot these sections red clover can bt sown on the wheat in the early spring and will produce a splendid crop at- ter the wheat is taken off and for the next year after that without reseed- ing. In other sections of the state lespedeza can be sown on the wheat about the latter part of February to produce hay that fall and the next fall without further seeding. This permits the introduction of nitrogen gathering crop, the red clover or the lesepedeza for assisting in increas- ing the soil fertility.
 It is important that the better va rieties of wheat be used. Among these are the Red May, the Fulcaster the Fultz and the Alabama Blue Stem. Seed of the latter variety however, cannot be secured this year For this seeding to be successful it must be done within the next two