The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1880-11-25
DRILLED,
PLANTED.
One-sixth bushel in single

One-sixth bushel in single
gardens, 9x9. lnches.... 276 1885 $40
In one sense 1t is most fortunate that this
is so with the chief food of man, for SOW it
how he may, some amount of crop will still
result. In another sense, however, this
property of producing something of crop
under an almost infinite variation of soils,
methods, and times of sowing has been a d.
rect bar to improvement, because, unit! now,
not absolutely necessary or pressing.
The practical question is simply: What
does the ear of wheat as now grown contain
on the average, and what might it contain?
The first part of this question admits of an
easy solution. In bushe of ordinary wheat
there are some 7Oo,O 900 grains, or in crop
of forty bushels 2S,O00,00O 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 won't
do at all; have seen lots of ear with fifty,
or sixty, or more grains.''
Every true; but how were these fine, ears
produced"
s'What can that possibly matter?'' he asks.
That, however, is just the very thing that
does matter and contains the germ of all
possible improvement, for we only require
such ears in general as are those occasional
ones in order to more than double our pres
ent crops.
1t will be seen by the table that grains
planted singly in September and nine inches
apart every way produced as many ears per
acre as twelve times the number of grains
sown in the ordinary way.
Here our critic again strikes in with ssHow
can that be; how can one grain produce as
many ears as twelve?''
By the process of "tillering'' we reply.
By the exercise of that wonderful power
which is the great characteristic of all the
cereals. It may be described as follows:
A plant of wheat consists of three princ-
raj parts-viz.: the roots, the stems, and the
ears. The seed-grain having been planted
IN proper manner, these are produced thus:
Shortly after the plant appears above ground
it commences to put forth new and distinc,
stems, upon the first appearance of each OF
which corresponding root-bud is developed
for its support; and while the new stems
grow out flat over the surface of the soil,
their respective roots are correspondingly
developed beneath it. A plant of wheat has
been known in this way to cover in May a
circle of five feet six inches in diamete,
measuring from the exiremities Of the op
posite leaves as they lay out fiat upon the
ground.
This mode of growth is called 'stilleripg''
Tor stooling), and will continue until the sea
son arrives for the stems to assume an up
right growth when tillering ceases and the
whole vital power of the plant is concen-
trated upon the development of the ears.
These will be the finest the plant is capable
Of producing, unless the growth of its roots
has been in any way impeded, as, for in
stance, by those of adjoining plants, when
the size and development of the ears will be
found to be proportionately diminished.
At the Exeter meeting Of the British as
eociation for the advancement of science of
1869 there were exhibited three plants Of
wheat, barley ana oats, each from q single
grain, with 95, ITO and 81 ears respectively;
and even these examples do not represent
the maxima obtainabie.
But our friend is by no means silenced,
and returns to the charge with, ooh, yes,
of course; but do you mean seriously to say
that the wheat plant does not tiller Tor stool
under the present system?''
We are again able to meet his attack with
unanswerable figures representing absolute
facts.
Two bushels Of wheat, the quantity ordin-
arily s0wn per acre, contain / 4-1O million Of
grains. while the ears produced amount TO-
0nlp $40 million, or not equal in number
to that Of the grains sowni
No tillering (stooling) can possibly take