The Bozeman weekly chronicle. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1883-1889, 1885-04-22


One of the chief causes Of poor crops
Of wheat In the Galiatin valley is the
fact that our farmers SOW the same kind
of seed year after year. Thus the
strength and utility of the wheat is ex.
hausted by constant cropping from the
same seed. Farmers should sell all the
wheat they do not need for bread, every
year, and buy their seed from other
points, where they are satisfied that good
crops of sound grain have been produc-
ed. According to the records 1t will be
found that Illinois, Ohio and Indiana
have after raising good crops, fallen off
heavily, Illinois dropped off one year to
5000 900 bushels Her farmers were
badly scared and began to change their
seed. They abandoned white winter and
and sowed red winter wheat. The next
year the crop was So, OOO, 900 bushels, and
this caused great rush for red winter
seed. The second year the crop was
over IS, 900 bushels, and the state has
done verv well since, but it has been due
to frequent change of seed more than TO
anything else. They have a better
chance to rest the soil down there, than
in the northwest, for Illinois is splen-
did corn state, and they can plant that
alternately with wheat. But if ten bus
per acre pays the expense of raising
wheat and twenty bushels per acre gives
100 per cent. proftr-and this is about
the way they figure It in Illinois--the
farmer will stick TO wheat pretty closely.
This explains why the state raises big
crop Of wheat every year. A theory has
been advanced that the threshing ma
chine now. in use cuts and breaks the
wheat kernals; and greatly damaging the
seeding value Of the grain. 1t is true
that the best farmers Of Pennsylvnia and
New York thresh all their seed wheat
with fail, and poor. smutty crop is
seldom seen. This would go towards |
proving that the theory Is worthy of at
tention The Northwest Miller pub
LEGATION Of great merit gave its undivided |
attention to the advocacy of the wide
spread sowing Of hard fife wheat and has |
convinced many farmers that by so do |
ing they will avoid small crops, weeyil,
smut and other drawbacks. When
Minneapolis 6rst secured the name of
manufacturing the best -four in the
world, it was the pure Scotch fife raised
in the southeastern part Of that state
that gave her that reputation. II the
farmer who is obliged to plant spring
wheat expects TO make money from
wheat-raising he must dlant Rcoth fife
change seed annually and care for his
land by rotation Of crops Eastern COM
petition has compelled Gallatin valley
farmers 70 COW hard wheat in order to
supply the baker. Why7 Because 1t
makes bettcr quality of -four and whit
er bread. In Boston, the best brands Of
spring wheat are higher-priced than
winter wheat aud makes just as good and
as delicataly favored bread, and makes
much more 10 the barrel than any win
ter wheat. A berel Of -four is 1885 lbs.
A barrel Of hard spring wheat -four win
make 1888 2-Ib loves, while q barrel Of
winter wheat will make only l2o 2-lb |
loayes, hard spring making Is pounds
more bread. The difference is caused By
tho amount OF water absorbed to make
the bread and dough equally damp. And
30 We might 90 on and cite numerous
facts to proysths necessity ofhard wheat
IN this valley.