Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1917-08-25
MAKE FIT SEED
BED FOR YOUR
WINTER WHEAT
BADLY PREPARED SOIL WILL RE-
SUIT IN POOR STAND AND
WEAK GROWTH OF STALKS
WHICH WILL HAVE POOR SHOW
OF WlNTERfNe IN WET SOILS
AND EXTREME COLD.
PROPER METHODS OF PLANTING
MEAN AT LEAST oNE-HALF TO
THE CROP PRODUCT.

WASHINGTON, d. C., Aug. 90. -
Make the seed bed fit for the seed.
DO not intern wheat worth SO or
81 a bushel for seed purposes il a
condition of soil impossible for germ
nation"
That precaution is urged by the
United States Department of Agri-
culture on all farmers who contem-
plate sowing the high4priced seed of
a high-priced food this fall. To plant
seed on poorly prepared land not
only wastes the seed that does not
terminate, the specialists point out,
but it may mean the loss of an en-
tire investment If a paying stand is
not obtained.
A seed bad for wheat must be
firm, moist, and well compacted
beneath with a mellow finely divid-
ed upper three inches of soil, the
specialists advise. If wheat is grown
in rotation wit boats or after wheat,
the stubble should be plowed to a
depth of at least z inches immediate
ly after harvesting the preceding
crop of grain. The ground should be
narrowed within a few hours after
blowing and cultivation with harrow,
disk, drag, or roller should be given
as necessary thereafter until plant
ing time. These operations are nee
essary to kill weeds, to settle and
make firm the subsoil, and to main
tain a soil much on the surface. The
earlier the preparation of a seed bed
for wheat is started the better the
condition of the soil will be at plant
ing time. Late blowing does not al
low time thorough preparation.
If a cultivated crop precedes wheat,
frequent cultivation given to this crop
will preserve moisture and maintain
a soil mulch If level cultivation has
been practiced, a good seed bed easily
can be prepared by dishing and har-
rowing after removing the crop. How
ever. if weeds are present, it may be
advisable to plow shallow. the disk
preceding and following the pillow.
Early blowing followed by thor.
ough tillage aid in catching the water
which falls and in conserving this
and the water already in the soil
for use by the wheat plants. The
firm seed bed under the mulch thus
made enables the young plants to
make use of the subsoil waters which
rise when there is a perfect union
between the plowed soil and the sub
soil. Sufficient moisture is thus as.
sured for the termination of the seed
apd for the early fall growth of the
seedlings, a very important consid-
Grafton. Plant food is also likely to
be more abundant in the soil when
such methods are employed.
If the Importance of thorough till
"s0 "0ie HloIF senefdHy recognized
and proper methods of seed-bed prep.
a~ration were more widely employed
throughout the so-called humid areas,
there would be less frequent losses
from drought and better wheat crops
would result. the Department spe.
cialists declare. In this area the mis-
take is often made of thinking there
will always be moisture enough pres.
ent for a maximum crop growth. with
the result that short crops often are
obtained where more attention to
moisture conservation would have as
sured good yields.