The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1876-09-22

land degonerated. run out, or been px
hausted of all its life! Have the sea
sons SO changed that their influence
upon the growing crop is destructive
or has the seed so far dtteriorated that
an average cannot be obtained
TO Say that the land has degenerat.
ed or lost its vitality would condemn
the utility of manures both home.
made and commercial. Never was
there so much labor bestowed and
money spent upon the soil to fertilize
it as now. Twenty tons are now scat.
tered where but one was used wears
ago. The most scientifically prepared
composts are now put on the soil, and
still the averages go down. Has the
climate anything to do with lessenino
the average! But little, when com.
pared with other essentials. | say
but little" When the winter is
characterized by long, deep SHOWS the
wheat crop is better. 1t is better. too.
when freezes and thaws do not fire.
quenuy come and go. and when the
rainfall is small. Then, | repeat it.
the season has much less to do with
making a wheat crop sure and profita,
bic than most people are willing to
admit.
Has the seed. used and disabused as
it now is, anything to do in diminish
ing the yield Much, very much. |
contend, as have done in former ar
tlcles, that a good and profitable wheat
crop depends as much, if not more
than half. upon careful selecting and
saving of the seed. | know it to be a
fact III this section from numerous eX-
periments | have made with more than
twenty varieties of wheat upon differ
ent soils and with different fertilizers.
A SyStena of carelessneos in selecting
and saving seed wheat has character
lzed almost the entire class of wheat
for a long time. This system
would ruin any seed if carried to such
an extent. Crops are cut in the dough
state, before the germ has become ma
Iured sufficiently to reproduce even a
healthy stalk; it is threshed without
any reference to the injurious effects
Of the heavy, rapid strokes of the
thresher upon the grain; it is put in
the garner and made to sweat
W hen reason, common sense and
the laws of vegetable physiology are
brought to bear upon such treatment
OF seed, who wonders at the decline in
averages who can be astOnished that
1t has run uut Wheat for seed
should be selected as carefully, and
gathered when as ripe as farmers do
their seed corn or florist their seeds.
Corn has not deteriorated, nor have
other seeds and grain. Vegetable
gardeners, florists and seedsmen eXer-
else the greatest possible care in say
ing their seeds. 1t is the only method
they can adopt by which they keep up
the standard of their products i'm
prove their seed. flowers and fruits.
and sustain their reputation. Why
not, then, do the same in wheat why
not take the best; why no. let it ripen
well before cutting! | contend that
every farmer should pick by hand a
few bushels of dead-ripe heads every
year from the choicest soil, and should
rub the grain out instead Of threSh-
ng. 1t will take time and patience.
bat by actual experiments | have
made for six years il Will pay pay
well. too. Should this system bc car
Red out by all. the former average
could be easily attained, and the many
enemies and accidents that attack
wheat would be in great measure
avoided.