Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1899-05-12
Prof Sheppard, of the Agricultural College. Gives Some
Valuable Information About the Different Cereals
and the Best Methods of Cultivating Them.
INTERESTING And INSTRUCTIVE,
North Dakota Not Adapted for Winter Wheat Growing
Essentially a Hard-Wheat state-oats, Corn, Bar
ley and Other Grains Yield Splendid Returns.

The person who interests himself In
wheat learns first, perhaps, that the
history of the plant extends beyond
authentic record to a time which we
learn of by studying the remains Of
eliff-dwellers, the inscriptions upon the
most ancient monuments, and from
other sources where the ravages of
time have not erased the evidence.
From both Of these sources one learns
that wheat is a very old plant. The
early sculpturings show rude harvest
ing scenes and represent the grain and
other familiar operations, all Of which
indicate that they grew wheat under
cultivation rs far back as any form Of
record remains. The botanist tries to
find where plants are native which are
similar to the cultivated ones, and
while his efforts are crowned with sue
cess In many cases. with this plant he
has been in doubt for many years.
With wheat, as with all other plants
which have been grown for so many
centuries, varieties have multiplied
greatly and it's adaptation to different
climatic and soil conditions is truly
""A SAOuos Liz Ill lCtICo VI WuCuL
have been v%ariously grouped into class
es, such as the soft and hard, bearded
and smooth, spring and winter kinds.
None Of the c~lassifications thus far pre-
sented are satisfactory. while all have
some value and will be used until q
better plan can be evolved.
North Dakota is beyond the limit for
successful winter wheat growing, for
two reasons:
First. It Is too cold here for the
plants.
Second. The land is usually bare or
free from snow in large spots during
winter.
Few people in this state have tried to
grow winter wheat. and I know Of
none who have continued the practice
Of growing it. The wheat grown in
North Dakota has been limited to the
varieties with the hardest berries and
strongest gluten. Hard wheat contains
II to II per cent of gluten. the material
which forms the gum-lile matter in
the mouth when wheat is chewed. On
account Of the higher percentage of
gluten in the wheat grown in the
Northwest. it sells for ten to fifteen
cents per buShcl more on the markets
Of the world than do the soft wheats.
Hard wheat is darker brown in the
color of berry, and when it Is milled
makes whittier flour than do the softer
varieties Of wheat. The gluten Of
wheat constitutes a layer Of cells i'm
mediately beneath the bran, which
cells make the bran tough and elastic,
90 that it crumbles up less in milling
and hence separates from the flour
more readily without crumbling of
than does the bran of soft wheat.
The division into bearded and smooth
kinds, owing to the presence or alb
sence Of the sharp projections of the
husks, seem to have no effect upon
quality or hardness Of wheat. The
bearded kinds, however, are not 50
easily handled by the binder as tho
smooth, and are likely to shell worse
In case windy weather occurs when It
b ripe and before it is cut, and espe-
cially If the yield of grain is heavy.
The grade of wheat is determined by
the color of the berry. the plumpness
OF the kernels and the degree Of bleach
Ing which has occurred. the weights
also taken into consideration, hard
wheat very commonly o%verrunning the
standard Of sixty pounds per bushel.
AS already stated. the wheat grown
In this state is limited to the hard va
rieties, which are strongest in gluten.
Among these there has been little b.
sides fife or Scotch fife and blue stem
or velvet chaff. It is supposed that
the fife wheat grown here so commonly
came to this country from Canada, to
Canada from Scotland, and perhaps to
Scotland from Russia. The straw Of
hfe wheat is Of medium length, stands
erect and the variety is as hardy az
any spring wheat. The head Is of me-
dunn size, compact, and is classified az
q benrdless wheat with white chaff.
The berries are red in color, very hard,
and medium in proportion Of length to
width. It is plump with it's bran
stretched smooth. It is an early ripen-
ing variety, which point has made It
popular for a long distance north,
where the season Is almost too short
for ripening good varieties Of wheat.
The experiment station at Fargo has
tried over 200 varieties Of local, East.
ern and foreign wheats. anG found a
local fife wheat ranking higher in yield
than any other wheat Of good quality
and hard berry. They have improved
1t BY selection and have sent 1t out to
q large number Of wheat growers In
- oSS~SSS "Ao u AuVS ~ Ill COu0lUs
cradle quantity by this date. This i'm.
proved kind is known as "Experiment
Station Fife No. &C." Blue stem, or
spring velvet chaff, is the only strong
competitor Of the fife varieties. It is
strong, tall and large in the head and
berry and yields one OF two bushels
more per acre on the average than the
nfe varieties. It is a beardless variety
and can he easily told from other
spring wheat by the velvety growth Of
hairs which cover the chaff. The berry
IL not quite SO red as that of fife Wheat
but 10 larger and a little longer in
shape. 1t is a few days later in ma
turing than fife wheat. It 10 not 80
hard as the fife variety when grown on
the same soil, in the same region or
country. The bran Is more brittle than
that Of fife wheat, which prevents 1t
from forming SO good -four az the 1fe