St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-11-27
GRAIN GROWING.
Illinois Experiments With whea,

ILLINOIS experiments " Ith wheat.
The season of 1S90-gI was more than
usually favorable for wheat over most
OF Illinois, and the crop of the state was
one of the best for many years. The
experiments reported, with one excep-
ton. were made on the fertile dark
colored prairie soil of the station
grounds at Champaign. An experiment
with fertilizers was made ut Flora, Odin,
Nashville. and near Belleville.
Trials for three years indicate that
variation in quantity OF seed between
one and two bushels per acre have less
effect OH tie yield than other cOndi-
tiOns. In 1881 the largest yield was from
six peclls per acre; in 1880 from four and
eight Decks: in 1889 from five pecks.
In 1891 sowing small kernels gave q
larger yield than was obtained from the
same weight of larger Kernels; but less
than from the same number of larger
kernels. The kernels in the crop from
the small seeds were approximately as
large as those from the larger seed.
In two trials no injury resulted from
rolling drilled wheat soon after sowing
The yield of five plats. sown at inter
walls OF ten or twelve days, from Sept.
TO Oct. Il, were all good. 1t is not GER
tain they we're affected by the date of
sowing. Ii the last Sown plat be eX-
cepted, there was DO appreciaOle differ
ence in time of Tipening, and very little
including it. The quantity of straw and
the number of stalks per square foot de-
creased from the earliest saving. The
average length of heads and weight of
kernels increased frCm the first TO the
last. except III the case of the second
sowing, which was better than tile third,
In view of danger from the Hessian fly
and of'undue growth Of straw, very ear
ly sowing is now advisable; and the
danger to late-sown wheat f:Um re-
peated freezing IN winter or early spring
makes ii unsafe i'll this latitude 10 sow
in October.
Covering wheat one inch deep gave
better results than covering three
inches, and much better than covering
five inches.
Trials with commercial fertilizers on
wheat indicate that on the soil OF the
station grounds such use is not profit
able. Barnyard manure invariably pro-
duces q noticeable effect. Trials az
Flora, Odin aud Nashville show a
marked increase in yield from use of
barnyard manure; also some increase
from the use of Superphosphate of lime,
but, ingeneral, not enough to make its use
profitable. At Be!leville neither BARN
yard manure nor SuperphOSphate pro-
duced any considerable percentage of
increased yield. In view OF the results
in former years, trials on small scale
of superphosphate of lime and cattle
tonkage are recommended for wheat on
the light-cOlOred soils of Southern Hi
nois. The value of barnyard manure
for these soils can hardly be oyeresti-
mated.
Trials of twelve varieties of English
crOSs-bred wheat and of two varieties
from France indicate possible value
from some. with, however, a probability
that all Will mature too late to be very
desirable in Illinois. A trial of prom
Using new variety of spring wheat from
I Canada, as was TO have been expected,
did not give promising results here.
In experiments with wheat and chess,
where wheat only was sOWn 10 chess
was found. Where both were sown
both grew. Where chess alone was
sown it produced large crop; and, al
though carefully harvested, it seeded
the ground thickly for the next year
Spring grown chess grew vigorously,
but produced no seed.