The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1882-12-20
farm aud 6arden.
(From the American Garden. }
Wheat Growing.


valuable, and decidedly the most interest
ing to the experimenter He can cul-
tivate it with more satisfactory results and
with greater remuneration than any or
all the rest. To manage it successfully
in all its stages requires much intelli-
gence and skill.
The improvement that has been made
upon it the past few years shows con-
clusiyely that half is not yet known, not
only about raising, but'milling it. Much.
in every way, is still to be learned before
all it's powers can be understood and de-
veloped.
Wheat has never received that atten-
ton required to make it a success in both
field and mill. This fact is clearly
shown in the deterioration of the old
standards. The Diehl, for instance.
Gennesse, Treadwell, and others, are al
most worthless. Their places are being
taken by newer kinds and better.
Many successful attempts have been
made to improve wheat by selection, as is
seen in Hallet's Pedigree, the Fultz;
Clawson ETC.. but few attempts have as
yet been made to go beyond mere seIec
ton. Those few consist in crossing one
variety upon another,-a much higher
art-the results of which are most won
derful and important. The improve
ments by this means are as manifest and
valuable as those the stockman realizes
in crossing and breeding fine animals.
The operation of crossing wheats is
very simple; but to know what to do be-
fore and after crossing is quite another
thing; that is, if the experimenter de-
sires TO make better variety.
Before, he must know the elements in
his wheat. essential to good -four; he
must know the characteristics of it essen
tial to the culture of both products, as
we'll as the probable results of combining
them; he must know what kinds suit
both farmer and miller best.
after crossing and after crop has
been produced, the experimenter begins
most careful selection. AS in the ami
NAL kingdom, so in the vegetable-the
ottsprlngs are of all grades, sizes, and
colors. The stock-breeder selects and
saves his bes& be it pig, pup, or chick.
So, with the offspring produced by cross
ing two kinds of wheat, select and save
the best.
l attribute the success attending the
T
to the seed than to soil and climate. Per-
fect and genuine seed OF any kind is all
solutely necessary-it insures more than
nifty per cent OF the farmers, gardeners,
and florists success.
My method of growing wheat and corn
begins with the seed and ends with the
seed. The soil is not much more than a
receptacle to hold it and the atmosphere
feeder. In this expression I do not
wish to be understood as ignoring or I'M
dervaluing the elements Of the soil and
air, but l wish to explode the idea most
farmers entertain, viz that large heavy,
and tall foliage must be made to produce
the best grain.
Why not exercise the mind little,
and make less straw and more grain
longer heads and shorter stalks? This
can be done by selection and breeding
up" as the stockmen call it,
find as much difference in heads OF
wheat as the farmer does in ears Of coz n .
Why, then, does he not select and save
IN the same way? 1t will pay.
There have been some very fine crosses
-hybrids they are called-made lately.
r. @. Pringle, of Vermont, produced the
Defiance and his Hybrid No 5, which
are among the finest wheats l have ever
seen. The former produced on these
grounds, this year, over forty-two bush
els, with but thirty pounds seed per acre,
field culture at that The latter, with
but twenty pounds seed per acre and a
little cultivation, yielded nearly sixty
bushels.
In a subsequent number of the Ame7t-
can Garden [ shall take occasion to ex.
tend my remarks on wheat growing
making them more practical.
PROF. A. E. BLoUNT,
State Agricultural College, Colorado.