SOWING OF WHEAT.

Colonist, Volume LVIII, Issue 14406, 17 May 1917, Page 8

SOWING OF WHEAT.

"Koradi," in the "Timaru Herald," gives some useful information as to the, sowing of wheat, which work should be done this month. He says:—"A good deal of controversy lias taken placel first and last as'to the respective merits of thin and thick -seeding A great deal depends upon the son and climate. On warm land a bushel or a bushel and a quarter of dressed seed may be sufficient^ but -where the climate is colder and the season later there should not be less than a bushel and a half to two bushels sown. Some wheats tiller and stool out more than others, and this may be taken into account. Less seed is required in the autumn than in the winter. The seed should be sound and should be sown at a uniform depth and well covered. As pure a sample as possible ehould be sown, -although a mixed sample will do all right if tne wheats are of a kind that will ripen pretty close together. Indeed mixed seeds very often give better results' than a straight pot, but all the same it is advisable to keep the strains as pure as possible. The threshing mill I am afraid does a large amount of mixing in going from one set and from one iarm to another. It is therefore wise not to take tne first sacks that come off the mill for seed purposes, both for the sake of the purity of the strain and possibility of geting weed seeds in tlie sample. There is. no use in sowing anything but sound seed, because unsound seed will rot in the ground.. It w..oukl be better employed in feeding pigs or fowls. It is too precious to waste this season, and for that reason the seed should be such as will germinate freely and the seeding should not be thicker than is absolutely necessary. Great care must be taken in dressing seed wheat before sowing as a preventive against smut. Rust one cannot guard against, but smut can be avoided if tho seed is dressed properly. At least in nine cases out of ten probably that is the1 case. The bluestone solution is still most favoured by farmers. .They have itsed it for a long time; they know How to apply rt, and it has proved itself to be efficacious. Formalin is. getting a fairly good run and is growing into favour. It is quite effective andT is much more easily dealt with than bluestone. _ A thick-skinned wheat is liable to bo injured by too strong a solution of bluestone. Two ounces to the busheJ is sometimes used, but an ounce and a quarter to an ounce and a half is generally sufficient. A great deal depends of course upon the quantity of water which is used. The strength may be reduced very materially by putting too much water in the solution.' All that is needed is to have sufficient water to wet the seed thoroughly. There is no need to have the solution running to waste. Of I course I am referring to the common practice of tipping the seed out on the floor of the shed and sprinkling the stuff with the solution. If the seed isdipped into a tub or barrel the exact strength can be arrived at just as in dipping sheep. Those who use bluestone should beware of buying adulterated bluestone. The impure material is of no use as a smut preventive. The real bluestone is called sulphate of copper: It is often adulterated with sulphate of iron, which is of a green instead of a blue colour. Formalin may be used in the strength of one pint to thirty-five or, forty of water. In tising bluestone wooden utensils should be aised as much as possible, and Avooden shovels should be used for turning it over. These can be pro-: cured specially made for the work. It must be remembered that in sowing wheat such varieties as Velvet and Hunters are going to command the highest price, no matter who buys tlje crop next year. Some are under the impression that all wheat of milling quality will be bought at the maximum price.' It is scarcely likely that this will be the case. In fact it is sca/cely reasonable to expect that this" unu vital course will, be adopted in the Government scheme of b.uying wheat. The stuff should be properly graded and bought on those grades." Wheat is what we.want farmers to grow (continues the writer). Barley and the product of it could be done without, particularly in these ..times. Of course sonic may "be needed for feed purposes and some farmers grow a little each year for their horses. But for malting purposes It is not desirable that .land that will grow wheat should be devoted to it. Still some "who halve ground that is eminently suited to it will no doubt pursue their usual rotation. It may be sown this month on land with . a jvarm . stab-soil.. Aiitumn sown barley makes the best malting samples. ,It should be sown at about Iho same .thickness as wheat, and grass seed may ha sown with ft. • it must be remembered, however, that it succeeds oxcellontly in the oprinjr after turnips. ihe_ droppings of the sheep seem to push it along wonderfully.