SHALL WE SOW GRAIN THICK OR THIN?

Otago Witness, 1 June 1910, Page 9

SHALL WE SOW GRAIN THICK OR THIN?

One often sees the Question raised in the agricultural press whether better results are obtained by. sowing cereals thick or thin, and both methods find advocates who strongly recommend one or the other according to tbeir personal experience. This divergence of opinion is natural because the problem depends on varying - factors. It is impossible to lav down precise rules which are applicable to every case.

The character of the soil is undoubtedly the chief factor. I f the soil is eminently suitable for the crop the seeds ea.n he sown more &r>arina"ly than in cases where the soil is not so well adapted, and in this connection the natural fertility of the land and the nature -of- the previous crop have to be considered. Assuming a soil rich in plant food, it will produce stronger plants, requiring more space for their proper, do-

velopment. The growth of each single plant is freer and better, more room is allowed to the roots to find their supply of nourishment, and the more freely their leaves are exposed to the beneficent influences of sunshine and air. Therefore, in good soils a superfluous liberality of seed is so much waste, and indeed an injury to the crop. On the other hand, on poor soils and on soils not sufficiently prepared, lumpy, or subject to weeds, it is judicious to sow more freely. Similarly, if the ground is either very dry or wet in character, or subject to insect pests, seed should not be stinted.

Again, the quality of the seed is an important factor. Heavy, well-formed seed with good germinating power can be sown more sparingly than seed of an uncertain and interior quality. We should say, also, that the date of the sowing operation has a.n influence on the question. As a rule, early sowing needs less seed than a later sowing. In the first case the roots have more time to seek nourishment, and the plants may be expected to develop more strongly. And, finally, the method of sowing must be taken into account. Seed broadcasted must be sown more thickly than seed entrusted to the ground by a drill. It is not possible to sow by the hand so evenly, nor is the seed deposited at a uniform depth. Some grains certainly remain on the surface and fail to germinate, so that the use of a sowing machine is a real economy.

A full and satisfactory crop does not by any means always follow a thick sowing. Consideration of all the circumstances must be given if the best results are to be obtained. —Mark Lan-j Express.