The Dickinson press., 1899-05-13
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.

Tho person who interests himself In
wheat learns first, perhaps, that the I
history of the plant extends beyond
authentic record to a time which we
learn Of by studying the remains OF
elinr-dwellers, the inscriptions upon the
most ancient monuments, and from
other sources where the ravages OF
$ s6ae have not erased the evidence.
From both of these sources n 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 as 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 80 many
centuries, varieties have multiplied
climatic and soil conditions is truly
AA4uA VCAOuSs VI ""NuS
have been variously grouped into class
es, such as the soft and hard, bearded
and smooth, spring and winter kinds.
None of the classitications thus far pre-
sented are satisfactory. while all have
some value and will be used until q
better plan car 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 IA per cent of gluten, the material
which forms the gum-like 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 bushel more on the markets
of the world thar 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 10 effect upon
quality or hardness Of wheat. The
bearded kinds, however, are not SO
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 ~overrunning the
standard Of sixty pounds per bushel.
As already stated. the wheat grown
Ill lulo otulC 10 lllullCu w IL AoAu va
rieties, which are strongest in gluten.
Among these there has been little be-
sides FIFE or Scotch fife and blue stem
or velvet chaff. 1t 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
fife wheat is Of medium length, stands
erect and the variety is as hardy al
any spring wheat. The head Is Of me
dium size, compact, and Is classified AZ
beardless wheat with white chaf.
The berries are red in color, very hard,
and medium In proportion of length to
width. It Is plump with its bran
stretched smooth. It is an early ripen.
ing variety, which point has made !!
popular for a long distance north,
where the season is almost too short
for ripening good varieties of wheat
The experiment station at Fargo ha.
tried rel 200 varieties of local. East
ern and foreign wheats. and found 8
local fife wheat ranking higher in yielt
than any other wheat of good quality
and hard berry. They have improved
It by selection and have sent it out Il
q large number Of wheat growers II
the state, who must have 1t in consid
CAoOAC quantity ny LILO ualcs 4ulS III
proved kind is known as "Experimen
Station Fife No. &C." Blue stem, o.
spring velvet chaff, is the only stron.
competitor of the fife varieties. It i
strong, tall and large in the head ant
berry and yields n or two bushel
more per acre on the average than tn,
afe varieties. 1t is a beardless variet.
and can be easily told from othe
spring wheat by the velvety growth o
hairs which cover the chaff. The berr.
IL not quite so red as that of fife Nhea
but Is larger and a little longer Il
shape. II is a few days later in ms
turing than fife wheat. 1t is not 8
hard as the fife variety when grown o
the same soil, in the same region Q
country. The bran is more brittle tina
that Of fife wheat. which prevents
from forming SO good -four as the fl