Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1893-11-09
FARM AND GARDEN,
Appropriate Suggestions for
Careful Perusal.
PAYS TO USE GOOD SEED WHEAT
What Influence the Quality of Seed
Wheat Has Upon the Yield
Experimental Result.

Prof. c. c. Georgeson of the Kansas
Agricultural College contributes the fol.
lowing for the benefit of farmers: Dur.
ing the past three years we have expert.
mented to ascertain what influence the
quality OF seed wheat had upon the
Weld. For this purpose the wheat has
been divided into three grades, which
we're denominated heavy" common
and eight" These grades were obtained
bv running the wheat through flaming
mill. In the first place the wheat as i
came from the thresher was run through
the tanning mill to blow out the pieces
of straw and chaff which it contained,
The wheat thus cleaned was denominated
the common" grade. The "heavv"
and eight" grades were obtained by
running the common" grade through
the mill so as to divide it into the heayi.
est and plumpest seed on the one hand
and the small and more or less shriveled
on the other. The former was called
"heavy" seed and the latter Eight" seed,
Each OF these three grades were sown
on five plats, each plat one-twentieth Of
an acre in extent, and the comparison Of
the Yields was based upon the average
of the five plats in each case. l may
explain here that the reason ] use five
plats is that by that means it becomes
possible to get a better average of the
soil for each experiment. If only one
plat is used in such experiments, there
is possibility that some of these single
plats may be located on rich spots in the
field and others in poor spots, AS it is
well nigh impossible to find fields which
are oil absolutely equal quality all over.
But by multiplying the plats and alter
mating them with one another over the
whole area under experiment and then
basing the calculation on an average
yield OF each set of plats it is possible to
eliminate the error due to inequality in
the soil, which would otherwise arise.
Now for the results of these experiments.
The average yield for the three years
they have been carried on are as follows:
Light seed 25.l9 bushels grain and 1.3S
tons straw per acre; common seed, 1851
bushels grain and 1.42 tons straw per
acre; heavy seed, 27.07 bushels grain
and l.57 tons straw per acre. 1t will be
seen from this that the better the seed
the better the yield. 1t should be noted,
however, that the grade here called
common is better than the average
seed wheat used by farmers generally.
The majority of wheat growers SOW the
wheat just as it comes from the thresher,
and consequently it contains more or less
chaff and bits of straw and weed seeds,
which were separated in our experiments
by running the wheat through the fan
ming mill. The wheat was seeded at the
rate OF a bushel and peck per acre, put
in with q press drill, and the variety
used was the "Currell." But the inf1u-
ence OF good seed can be traced far be-
, yond the yield of the first year. 1t will
be apparent in successive crops, owing
to the inexorable law OF heredity, by
i. which the offspring partakes of the char
acter OF the parent stock. This law is
: fully recognized by all breeders OF i'm
pioSad live stock, who exercise the great
,I &c. o"l = TO select the best animals that
tho tie! 6Sn yet to breed from in order that
eiie onTp aniI ~ may be of superior quality
nors,;nnS anu at;t mS ,od price. 1t is due to the
Uho, lhh %',no Soun III, ". is law that ranchmen,
;o mmo t ,,"oI oIto;n! o! rpmon cattle, are anx-
iouS ~ oO,aim ID Pba bred males for their
may get better Srew sreerS aresr amey fa,sG amG
sSss ssaS SSS;.i ' The offspring of the scrub
bull. inns SsF&S holds equally lorc YI .pSs
seed breeding. The grain raiseSG
superior quality of seed, which has been
selected with due care, will be better
seed and yield better crops when it is
sown than grain raised from inferior
quality of seed. Most of our Western
farmers recognize this principle in the
selection of their seed corn. At husking
time they select the largest and best ears
/ hon ;,,t loft
place, to be used for seed next spring.
Why not apply the same principle to the
selection of seed wheat? The expert
ment have quoted above proves that it
: is not an idle theory, but it is a fact
which can be verified by any one who
will go to the necessary trouble. If you
have not been in the habit of cleaning
your seed wheat heretofore, do it this
fall. 1t will pay you.
FACTS OF INTEREST.
) A board floor in poultrv-house is
,, much easier kept clean by covering with
dry sand.
Keep the poultry-house well cleaned,
tor there is where disease and vermin
will breed if neglected.
Give medicine to sick fowls in drink
ing water. They will often refuse to eat,
but will nearly always drink.
Put the harvesting machinery under
shelter. 1t is a needless waste to allow
it to stand out in the weather when lum.
Der is so cheap.
Fowls shut up and fed corn and water
alone for few days before being killed
are very much better favored than il
killed off the range.
, Store away the sorghum seed, some
millet and suntlower seed, good bunch
of clover hay as corn, oats and wheat to
feed poultry during winter.
; Keep farm harness in good repair. Il
IS well to have supply OF rivets and
buckles OF assorted sizes and some leather
on hand to use in case OF an emergency
1t is not good practice to sell clover
) hay, as too much fertility leaves the
farm with it. You will have to buy il
back in later years il the practice is con-
tinued
, Increasing the production OF farm
without adding to the acreage is in the
line OF progress. Gradually farmers are
learning to increase the yield by adopt
ing more rational methods.
Agriculture can be made more nearly
an exact science by the application oil
; irrigation to the soil than by any Other
means whatever. 1t prevents drought
and makes crops certain, and thus txes
the earning power and value OF the land
We shall 500 N y,npcb ,nnra axtausiyely