Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1899-11-02
NEW KIND OF WHEAT.
About Twenty Times as Productive Is
the Old.

the Old
Undoubtedly the most valuable
piece Of wheat raised in the United
States this year was that produced on
little plat OF ground in Scottsburs,
Ind. 1t was raised by e. +. McCaslin
scientific farmer and experimenter.
One thousand dollars for a few
handfuls of wheat seems prodigious
price, yet that is the valuation of the
wheat, if indeed it can be valued at all.
One-half interest in the total yield of
1t, which was only eleven pounds, sold
for $500. This amount was paid by a
wealthy Tennesseean after a personal
inspection of the wheat while growing
under an agreement to furnish addi-
tional capital sufficient to raise the
wheat ON large scale. Mr.. McCaslin
received many handsome offers for the
entire crop, including one of $1,000
cash, but he refused to sell at any
price.
This remarkable wheat is an acct
dental hybrid, being a cross between
the Genesee Giant and the Fultz, and
Mr. McCaslin has given it the name
Hoosier Giant The Hoosier Giant is
square, smooth bearded wheat, with
a pearly red berry, partaking more
strongly of the properties of the Fultz
than of the Genesee.
The distinctive and valuable feature
of this wheat Is its wonderful
stooling capacity, which is beyond
comparison with any other variety
known. In this respect, it is unlike
teal value in wheat raising may be
easily comprehended when it is known
that one-sixth of the amount of seed
wheat usually will raise three or four
times as much wheat as other varieties
on the same amount of ground.
Remarkable as it may seem, indiyid-
ual grains of this wheat produced as
high as ninety-five stalks. From this
number it ranged downward t.
twenty-five stalks, giving each hill
veritable bushlike appearance.
Nor is this prolific growth produced
y.
quantity or quality. No imperfectly
developed heads or grains are found,
the yield Of each stalk being full and
perfect It's hard. pearly and trans
lucent berry makes it perfect wheat in
every respect for commercial purposes.
This wheat was sown at the rate Of
ten pounds an acre, or one bushel to
every six acres, while the usual rate
is from one to one and one-half bush
els an acre. The entire stock of seed
consisted of five-eighths of an ounce,
which planted in plat of ground by
q feet rows II inches apart. and one
grain for every four inches.
Rain and fog during the blooming
period which caused a light yield of
wheat over southern Indiana, also
operated against the Hoosier Giant
yet the plat yielded at the rate of
forty-four bushels per acre, producing
eleven pounds at harvest Individual
rows showed yields running from
thirty-eight TO sixty-eight bushels per
acre. Mr. McCaslin has no hesitation
in saying that the wheat is capable of
producing from eighty to 100 bushels
to the acre, with proper care and pro-
pitious weather.
The stooling quality of this wheat
enables it to winter well. 1t has
rank stalk, and has a habit peculiar to
bearded Russian wheats-that of lying
fiat upon the ground like moss as soon
as up.
While growing this wheat attracted
the widest attention. Agricultural
men from all parts of the state, and
from other states as we'll, came to see
it, Hundreds of local farmers viewed
it. but none had ever seen similar
wheat
For weeks before harvest Mr. Me
Caslin employed boys to guard it from
sunrise to sunset against the attacks
Of birds.