The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1880-11-25
Avok080s 0ss.s......... 11U
PLANTED.
One'aixth bushel in single
Rafdona. 9x9 inchea Q7R


PLANTED.
One-sixth bushel in single
gardens, 9x9, ,inches.... 276 l,SS5, $40
In ono sense it is most fortunate that this
il 80 With tho chief food of man, for SOW it
ho" he may, some amount of crop will still
result. In another sense, however, this
property of producing something Of q crop
under IN almost infinite variation Of souls,
methods, and times of sowing has been d.
rect bar to improvement, because, until now,
not absolutely necessary or pressing.
The practical question is simply: What
does the ear of wheat % now grown contain
on the average, and what might it contain7
The first part OF this question admits of IN
easy solution. In bushe of ordinary wheat
there arc some zoo, 600 grains, OF in . crop
of forty bushels %, ,O00, 900 which upon the
number of ears produced per acre (see table,
gives about twenty-five grains as the average
contents Of the present year.
"Oh, but" exclalms our critic, "that ont
do at oil; have seen lots of car. with fiftv,
or sixty, or more grains"
"Very true; but how were these fine ears
produoed.'
''What can that possibly matter?" he asks.
That, however, is just the very thing that
does matter and contains tho germ Of all
possible improvement, for We only require
such ears in general as sre those occasional
ones in order to more than double our pres-
ent crops.
1t will be seen by tho table that grains
planted singly in September and nine inches
apart every way produced Is many ears per
acre a. twelve times the number of grsins
sovn in the ordinary way.
Here our critic again strikes In with Chow
can that be; how can ono grain produce as
many ears - twelve7''
By tho process Of "tilleripg'' 10 reply.
By tho exercise OF that wonderful power
which 10 tho great characteristic of oil the
cereals. It may be described as follows:
A plant Of wheat consists Of three prinoi-
pal parts-vi1.: the roots, tho stems, and the
ears. The seed-grain having been planted
in proper manner, these are produced thus:
Shortly after tho plant appears above grouuc
it commences to pat forth new aud distinc
stems, upon tho first appearance Of each OF
which corresponding Ioot-bud 10 developed
for ito support; and while the new stemt
grow out fiat over tho surface Of tho SOIL
their respective roots are oorrespondingly
developed beneath ii. A plant OF wheat hst
been known In this way to cover In May E
circle OF five feet six inches In diameter.
measuring from tho exiremities Of tho op
posite leaves - they lay out fiat upon the
ground.
This mode Of growth is called "tilleripg''
(or stooling), and will continue until tho sea,
son arrives for tho stems to assume An up
right growth when tillering ceases and tho
| whole vital power Of tho plant is ooncen-
| trated upon tho development of tho ears.
These will be tho finest tho plant is capable
of producing, unless the growth of its roots
has been in any way impeded, a., for in
stance. BY those Of adjoining plants. whom
the size and development OF the ears will be
found to be proportionstely diminished.
At the Exeter meeting of the British a.
sooiation for the Advancement of science Of
1869 there were exhibited three plants Of
| wheat, barley an3 oats, each from . single
grain, with 95, 10 and 81 ears respectively;
and even these examples do not represent
the naxima obtainabie.
| But our friend 10 BY no means silenoed,
and returns to the charge With, "Oh, yes,
| of course; bat do you mean seriously 70 say
that the wheat plant docs not tiller Tor stool
under tho present system?"
unansweEsble figures representing absolute
facts.
Two bushels Of wheat, tho quantity ordin-
grains, while tho ears produced amount to
oDlp $40 million, or not equal in number
to that Of tho grains sownl
No tiileriog (atooling) can possibly take
plaoe, unless, ~ b the test, many Of the
grains sovn perish utterly, o., at least, fail
TO produce any car at oil.
'Ah," he sayA II never looked st It quit<
in that light; Il certainly does seem . very
odd way 70 cultivate . plant possessed o1
such powers. But tell mo the praotioa
beazing Of It all"
Simply this; that ears produced from
grains planted sinaly and carly in septembe'
nine inches apart each WY will 10y means
Of seleotion) contain on the average up
wards Of htty grains, instead Of twenty-five
% at preeent.
"Yss," and ths time b eoaaes down III