Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1889-07-18
SUBJECT OF WHEAT.
Secretary wIIistsis Giving 1t Special At
tention.

tention.
The agricultural department is just now
paying particular attention to the subject
OF wheat, with a view to securing new
varieties to take the place of those which
have deteriorated. This branch of the
work of the department has been placed in
charge of Assistant secretary Willets OF
Michigan, who takes great interest in it,
and is OF course thoroughly competent TO
h ndle IL. Mr.. Willets has written to the
United States agent It Paris on the sub
iect. He has directed him 10 look over the
field carefully and secure some of the
wheat which, in his Judgment, would be
the best for the purl oses which they are
expected TO i'll. He VIII pay particular at
tsC:!On 10 Mediterranean wheats. Medit
:franean wnedts have been used in this
.clntry before to very good advantage,
cut tue stock has fallen from its former
productivcness and quality. 1t is very de-
sirable that Il new Mediterranean wheat be
in troduced into the United States.
Mr.. Wilcts is also in correspondence
with the Russian government upon the
sub Get Of whcats. He expects TO secure
supplies Of some of the best wheats OF
Russia and of a Meditcrrane wheat for
distribution for the fall planting. The
quantity expected will not be large and
there ore its distribution will not be gen
crdl throughout the country. 1t will be
sent to toe agricultural stations and TO the
leading farmers who will take every care
in planting the seed sent them, closely OBJ
serve its growth, and report TO the depart
meut upon it. BY this means the depart
ment will he able TO act next year from
actual experience with the wheats,
MIR. Willets in conversation with the
Washington correspondent Of the Detroit
Tribune said that grains history showed
that il would de eriorAte i'll time in one
section through natural causes and by be-
coming mixed with other varieties of the.
.
ample OF this The home OF that wheat is
Pennsylvania. In that state 10 has done
very good work in the past, but now 1t is to
some extent exhausted. But its present
condition in the north and northwest is
entirely different. There it is a strong and
fecupd grain.
II think" said Mr.. Willets, "that it
nigh. be brought back to its Old standard
in Pennsylvania by planting in that state
t'ult8 wheat ripened in the Northwest.
When | went up in Pennsylvania lass week
! Ia ked the sub! ect over with fdrmers and
with these attached TO the agricultural
st tion in that state. They all expressed
about the sane opinion as have. think
that other whedts might be successfully
treated in the $ me way. The advantage
OF a rotation of crops is we'll known
change OF wheat from Que locality TO
another (of course bearing ia mind the
climate and other condit onS) would, i
think, be sc,.nd ayisable. That is one OF
the points that Will receive attention in
considering the important wheat question.
/ am not inc ined to think tnat the full, fat
berry makes the best or most productive
wheat. On that point / agree with
our european agent Nilm0rtn. have
inst been reading Que of his
books on whoat. lie holds that the
berry. with what he calls fine, ner
vous lines, is the best 10 is on the same
principle that fat cattle arc not as good
producers as the leaner and more hardy
ones. l wish TO say that the agricultural
department has in the past done very good
work i'm the interests OF wheat growers in
this country. But we hope by paying more
attention To the subject to extend to the
farmers who grow wheat much more as
sistance than they have had in the pashh
Mr. Willets, it will be noticed, mentioned
the naae of the department European
agent. He is Monsieur Vilmorin, and n
| truly wonderful man in his way. All OF
his life has been devoted 10 wheat growing
and the improvement OF wheat He loves
his work and his love is hereditary. His
father before him, his grandfather, and
his great grandfather passed their lives in
the same occupation that he Is engaged In.
| For considerable more than a century the
/ Vilmorins have been worldwide authori'
ties upon their specialty~-wEeat.