The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1892-1907, 1893-11-11
AGRICULTURAL.
Useful Information for the
Practical Farmer.
some FACTS OF INTEREST.
Experiments to Ascertain What In.
huence Quality Of Seed Wheat
Has Upon the Yield.


PRO-. C. C. Georeeson 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 hal upon the
yield. For this purpose the wheat has
been divided into three grades, which
were denominated heavy" common"
and Eight" These grades were obtained
by running the wheat through tanning
mill. In the first place the wheat as Il
came from the thresher was run through
the tanning mill to blow out the pieces
Of straw and chat which it contained.
The wheat thus cleaned was denominated
the common" grade. The '.heavy"
running the common" grxle through
the mill 90 as to divide it into the heavi-
/ 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 slight" seed.
! Each OF these three grades were Gown
on five plats, each plat one-fwentieth Of
an acre in extent. and the comparison Of
the yields was based upon the average
of the Eve plats in each case. may
explain here that the reason use five
piats lie that by that means it becomes
possible to get = better average Of the
coil for each experiment II only one
plat is used in such experiments. there
is possibility that some OF theee single
plats NAV he located on rich spots in the
field and others in poor spots. as it is
well nigh impossible to find fields which
II ~tc folx al sfx-n oil
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 plate it is possible 70
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 az follows:
Light seed. 25. 10 bushels grain and 80
tons straw per acre common seed, 2657
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" il 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 IL contains more or less
chat and bits of straw and weed seeds,
which were separated in our experiments
BY running the wheat through the fam
ming mill. The wheat was seeded at the
rate Of bushel and peck per acre, put
, in with . press drill, and the variety
used was the "Currell." But the infiu-
; 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 memorable law of heredity. by
which the offspring partakes Of the char.
: acter OF the parent stock. This law il
= fully recognized by all breeders of i'm.
> proved live stock, who exercise the great.
: est care to select the best animals thai
they can get to breed from in order thai
the offspring may be Of superior qualit,
!, and sell at a good price. 1t is due to thi
. operations OF this law that ranchmen
= who have only common cattle, are anx
" ious to obtain pure-bred males for thei
herds in order that the steers they rails
= may get better form. grow larger an,
1; feed better than the offspring OF the scru
n bull. This law holds equally true il
9; seed-breeding. The grain raised from
1; superior quality OF seed, which has bee
selected with due care, will be bette
seed and yield better crops when il
h Gown than grain raised from inferio
!, quality OF seed. Most Of our Wester
farmers recognize this principle in tn
q. selection Of their seed corn. At huskin
AZ time they select the largest and best ear
ii and hang them in the loft or some secur
4. place, to be used for seed next spring
4. Why not apply the same principle to tn
selection Of seed wheat? The exper
inent have quoted above proves that
is not an Idle theory, but it is . faG
er which can be verified by any one VIII
{; will go to the necessary trouble. If yo
", have not been in the habit Of cleanin
your seed wheat heretofore, do it TIL
fall. 1t will pay you.
or FACTS OF INTEREST.
g, A board floor in a poultry-house
d, much easier kept clean by covering wit
&c dry sand.
Keep the poultry-house we'll cleane,
for there is where disease and vermi
lir will breed il neglected.
oe Give medicine to sick fowls in drinl
'S ing water. They will often refuse to ca
but will nearly always drink.
al Put the harvesting machinery und,
N shelter. II is a needless waste to sllo
~ it to stand out in the weather when luu
y Der is 90 cheap.
Fowls shut up and fed corn and wat,
alone for few days before being kills
are very much better favored than
killed of the range.
20 Store away the sorghum seed, SON
n millet and sunhower seed, good bunt
~, ~, Of clover hay as corn, oats and wheat
-" feed poultry during winter.
e.. Keep farm harness in good repair.
is well TO have . supply Of rivets ~
buckles OF assorted sizes and some leath
on hand to use in case Of an emergenc
,eefI 1t is not good practice to sell clov
IS hay, as too much fertility leaves d
a s farm with it. You will have 10 buy
'~ back in later years il the practice il co
tinued.
Increasing the production OF . faI
without adding 70 the acreage is In d
line OF progress. Gradually farmers q
90 learning TO increase the yield by adoI
re ing more rational methods.
he Agriculture can be made more near
,rk an exact science by the application
: y irrigation to the soil than by any 9th