It scareely need be said that the soil of the seed-bed should be
fine, mellow, and uniform in physical texture so that the seeds can
be planted evenly and in close contact with the soil particles. All
the requisite conditions for germination are best met by the
conditions prevailing in a well-kept summer fallowed soil.
Time to sow
In the consideration of the time to sow, the first question to be
disposed of by the dry-farmer is that of fall as against spring
sowing. The small grains occur as fall and spring varieties, and it
is vitally important to determine which season, under dry-farm
conditions, is the best for sowing.
The advantages of fall sowing are many. As stated, successful
germination is favored by the presence of an abundance of fertility,
especially of nitrates, in the soil. In summer-fallowed land
nitrates are always found in abundance in the fall, ready to
stimulate the seed into rapid germination and the young plants into
vigorous growth. During the late fall and winter months the nitrates
disappear, at least in part, anti from the point of view of
fertility the spring is not so desirable as the fall for
germination.
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