The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1898-01-22

attention is being given to the use
Of such seed in wheat grow
ing. At present experiments are
being made at several different places
to test this point with reference to
wheat, three grades of seed-small,
medium and large-being used. Too
much attention cannot be given to this
subject. Many choice varieties have
! been developed by selecting from
aeld certain unusually good heads,
planting the grains of these separate
ly, and thereafter selecting the best
each year. 1t has been satisfactorily
proved that the old idea that rust
shriveled grains give as good returns
as large, healthy ones is erroneous.
About the year 1875 a semi-hard, red
variety, known as Grass wheat (prob-
ably an Odessa sort), became quite
popular in Northern Kansas, and was
widely used for ten or twelve years
thereafter. However, as the variety
was adapted for either fall or spring
sowing, and the spring-sown crop was
always inferior, to the fall-sown, the |
consequence was that two grades were |
produced from the one variety. AS the |
Eall-soWn crop brought the better price,
1t became the practice to sell all the
winter wheat and use the worst of the
spring crop for fall seeding. It was
claimed that this practice made no diff
ference in the quality or quantity of /
the winter wheat, but about 1883 Grass
wheat began losing favor among wheat
growers, having lost much of it's orig
maj good quality, and finally gave
pace to Turkey, Fultz and other var
leties. Now, there is no doubt that
the deterioration of this variety was
que, in great part at least, to the con-
stant use OF the very inferior shriveled
spring grain for fall seeding. Many
other instances of the so-called run
ming out" of varieties is probably due |
mostly to similar cases. However, even
under the best treatment it is a pretty I
Well-established fact that certain var
ieties, when introduced into new local |
tiles, will in time change quite mater
tally in quality of grain. tn is espe-
cially likely to be the case with hard |
northern sorts when transferred to |
warmer and moister southern ATTITUDES. |
Probably the only remedy in such cases
is to make an occasional fresh importa-
tion OF seed. The matter of seed Sc
lection is Of such vital Importance that
probably nothing would be of more
dement, to the wheat grower than the
of special small seed
pats OF, say, one to five acres. from
which to select seed each year. The
lOIIoWlng plan Is recommended: At har-
vest time cut from a good field strip
OF the best portion, first eliminating
all rye and other foreign heads and
large weed seeds. After threshing the
wheat from this strip, grade it by
means OF a tanning mill with special
sleeves made for the purpose, SO as to
OBTAIN only the largest and most Wig
orous grains. Use the best grade of
wheat both for sowing the small plat
and Tor the general crop the next sea-
son, The next year use none of the +
held crop for seed, but after grading
the wheat from the small plat. as be-
fore, use the very best of 1t for sowing
the small plat and all the remainder
Tor sowing the large field, and SO on
year after year. In this way seed il
never taken from the general crop.
which cannot be given the same care
as the small plat, and there is a con-
slant selection of seed, which Ia mora
and more rigid every year Moreover
here rs no extra labor involved. excent
me small amount required for grading
the seed each wear