American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1916-03-23
SOWING SPRING WHEAT.
Preparing Seed Bedtime. Depth,
and Quantity to Sow-Cultivation
Sometimes Worth While.

In the spring-weat area, which COW
ers a large portion of the Dakotas,
Minnesota and small portions of Iowa,
Kansas, Colorado, Nebraska and Wy
oming, a number Of practices are fol-
lowed in the preparation of the land
for spring wheat.
Flowing in some form is the neces-
sary first operation upon which agri-
culture has depended from the begin
ming. To the new settler, whose laad
is still in native grass, success or
failure frequently depends on how he
prepares his land for his first crop.
Sod land should be broken deeper in
the semiarid regions than in the more
humid districts. The early settlers of
the Red River Valley and other fairly
humid districts of the plains found
1t best to break the sod land 3 inches
deep in May and June and backse. 5
to 6 inches deep in September or Octo-
Der. Those who settled in the drier
portions of the plains found the land
toe dry in the fall to backset the sod
and turn up the extra 2 or 8 inches of
under such conditions the sod should
be broken 5 to 6 inches In depth when
the grass is growing most rapidly,
usually in May oil June. The sod Is
turned evenly, bottom side up, and 1t
is best not to crop this land to wheat
or any other small grain the first
year. If not sown to flax, 1t should
be worked down with a disk and har-
row after the heavier rains of summer
and fall. Disking and narrowing
again the spring will make a we'll
prepared seed bed for wheat. A firm
seed bed. with about 3 inches of fair
ly moist mulch, is the best prepara-
ton for wheat. When spring wheat
is to follow a crop of oats, wheat, or
barley the seed bed Is prepared in
the fall.
Farther west, In the drier districts,
little or no moisture remains in the
soil after a crop has matured. Leav-
ing the stubble standing to catch
snow, and then blowing 5 to 8 inches
deep in the spring, often gives the best
results under these conditions. The
land is then worked down with a disk
or harrow, which prevents rapid dry
ing of the newly turned soil. Light
soils, however, which are easily
blown, should not be worked too much.
Furrowing them with a lister instead
of blowing will largely prevent the
drifting of the soil during the winter.
The furrow should be leveled in the
spring by disking and narrowing i'm
mediately before drilling the wheat.
When spring wheat follows potatoes
or corn, the ground should be disked
and narrowed thoroughly in the
spring to prepare a seed bed for the
wheat. Spring wheat should be sown
early. On fall plowed land it is usu-
ally safe to SOW wheat as soon as the
land IA be put in good filth, after
the frost is out. Where the land is
very weedy, seeding should be post
poned until after the weeds are kill
led. A decreased yield usually fol-
lows the seeding of wheat later than
the second week in May.
The quantity of seed sown varies
with the amount of moisture present
in the soil, the size of the kernel of
the variety used, the condition of the
seed bed, and the date of seeding.
Under ordinary conditions, 4 pecks 20
the acre is best. In the eastern part
Of the area, where rainfall is high and
the soil heavy, rich, warm and we'll
drained, 5 to 6 pecks give better re-
suits. Where durum wheat is sown,
as a rule the seeding is l peck heavier
than common wheat under the same
conditions.
Spring wheat is sown from 2 to 3
inches deep, deeper thar 3 inches be-
ing advised only for loose, dry soils.
On heavy soils with plenty of moisture
/ to 2 inches depth is sufficient.
A light cultivation at the time the
young plants are from 4 to 6 inches
high is sometimes worth while. The
spring-tooth weeder has beer found
best for this purpose, as 1t breaks
the crust, kills weeds. and Is less In
furious to the young plants than the
spike-tooth harrow.
Termination tests. securing good
seed. harvesting. and threshing the
crop are also dealt with in Farmers
Bulletin No. 67S. which may be had
on application to the Editor and Chief
Of the Division of Publications, Wash
ington, ID. C.