The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1880-05-27

wheat, q any on this continent lynn
cast Of the Mississippi. In our owl
county Of ODondago, on the decom
lposed red and green shales Of the sal
group Of rocks, is to be found some o.
the very best Of this best wheat land
These assertions are established BY con
sidering the average yield per acre OF
these land, and by toe feet that the new
varieties Of wheat that are from time
to time introduced here, because Of
being great yielders, though
producing grain not quite 30 good q
some others, rapidly improve here in
the quality Of the -four. This was Aota-
bly, the case with the Mediterranean.
When first raised here Tin ls47), the ker-
mel was long course, sometimes crooked,
very heavy, weighing sixty-four pounds
to the measured bushel and making .
very dafk-colored -four, though ofgood
flavor and great strength. The millers
did not like this wheat, and would not
pay full price for it. In q few years
this wheat had SO changed that the very
best -four was made from it, and the
millers sought it eagerly. But as the
quality improved the yield fell of.
The Clawson wheat has been very
unpopular with the millers, but very
popular with the farmers. The improve
mcnt of quality is already admitted by
the millers, and the falling of in yield
the raiscrs begin to recognize. Thus it
appears that when one variety of wheat
fails to give satisfactory yields, we find
new kinds, that produce more bushels,
though it may be of inferior quality,
and, as We cultivate them, the quality
improves, while the yield falls of.
Perhaps some light may be thrown on
this subject by examining the history Of
the whes. plant. To start with, it is
grass (Trilicum culgare) about first
cousin to quack grass 7riticum repens).
The older botanists believe that wheat
was derived from the superior cultiva-
tion Of the seeds of quack carefully Sc
leeted from the best plants, but it is
now admitted that they were mistaken
Could. Wheat is not known in wild
state, but it has been cultivated and
has formed the principal breabstuff of
all civilized nations since long before
the historical era. The bible, the Egyp-
tian and Chinese records testify to the
antiquity OF its cultivation. Most bot
auists believe It had its home in the
central parts Of Asia (Joilnson).
There are now many varieties of
wheat that are cultivated in England
and in this country and the tendency
Of this grain appears to be to constant
ly produce new varieties. The
history of the Clawson will give good
of this tendency. In 1866 Ger
ret Clawson. living near the south line
of Seneca county, n. Y, harvested q
crop Of wseat from mixcp seed. In the
stubble he found head of wheat which
to him Of uncommon excel
lencc. This he sowed, and thus gave
the world by far the most valuable va
riety of wheat, all things considered,
that has been grown in this country in
the last fifty years. In 1872 made a
journey to the place of its origin, ex-
prescly to learn its true history.
In Rees' Cyclopedia, published about
Lhe beginning Of this century, find the
following eest ription of one of the Eng
ish varieties: at is not bearded has
! rcd blossom, red chat and red straw !;
white grain the sample course, being |
m price under the finer sorts. 1t is,
however, great yielder, and requires
% be cut forward" (esrlyl This an
'wcrs quite well as q description of our
Clawson wheat.
Long ago an Englishman at Bradfield,
Walking through his wheat field, was
truck with the varieties of color which
he blossoms assumed, and, after care
al examination, concluded that these
li1erent hues were certain signs of
pecific difference in the quality Of the
wheat. Impressed with this idea, he
elected the ears of unlike colors, and
marked eleven distint num-
,ers, noting very infinitely their charac-
or istic qualities and appearances in
he field. These he gathered when ripe
md, aud kept separate, and planted
hem apart from each other in the gar
len. The same characteristic differences
we're observed to continue on the sew
raj numbers when growing in the gar
len, as were observed in the field the
preceding sumner. He repeated this
the second summer, and
ound that he had three new varieties,
which ripened week earlier than the
'ther varieties, and which produced
rom six to eight bushels more per acre,
nd weighing about three pounds more
o the bushcl. (Rees' article on whcat.)
In these experiments that have TAX
n pains TO condense, We find the door
'pened TO some useful knowledge.
viii conclude this paper by suggesting
he most available means within our
each to check the tendency of our new
nd good varieties ofwheat to lessen
heir yields. The new fanniny-mill that
'rades the seeds-taking out all the
mall and poor kernels and leaving only
he best to sOw-is within the reach Of
1ost Of us. and must tend to check this
towards small crops. Every
God farmer who raises Indian corn
elects the best cars for seed, and there
NO deterioration Of that crop,-thc
lme seed being continued on the same
,rm all OF a mans long life, without
ny signs of"running out" Let us ap-
~ the same care to our seed wheat.
Long ago, before the grading fam
ing mill was invented, good farmers
led various means to separate the
he large heavy kernals from the small.
me way was to dip up the little wheat
'om the pile At one end Of the barn
DOR, In . saucer, and throw a. far Is
racticablc. The heavy grains would