The record-union., 1899-10-25
VALUABLE WHEAT.
One Thousand Dollars offered for a
Few HandfuIs of This Hybrid.


Undoubtedly the most valuable piece
of wheat raised in the United States
this year was that produced on little
plat of ground in this city. says the
Chicago Times Herald 1t was
raised by E. P. McCaslin, scientific
farmer and experimenter.
| One thousanad dollars for few
handfuls of wheat seems prodiglous
| 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 it, which was only eleven
pounds, sold for $500. This amount
was paid by a wealthy Tennessean
after a personal inspection of the wheat
while growing, under an agreement TO
furnish additional capital sufficient to
raise the wheat on a larage scale. MIR.
! McCaslin received many handsome Of
! fers for the entire crop, including one
| of 81 eco cash. but he refused to sell at
any price.
This remarkable wheat is an acci-
dental hybrid, being cross between
the Genesee Giant and the Fultz, and
Mr.. McCaslin has given it the name
| HooSer Giant The Hoosier Giant is
a square, smooth bearded wheat, with
pearly red berry, partaking more
/ strongly of the properties of the Faltz
| than of the Genesee.
! The distinctive and valuable feature
of this wheat however, is it's wonder
full stooling capacity, which is beyond
comparison with any other variety
known. In this respect it is unlike
either of it's genitors It's great prac-
| tical value in wheat-raising may be
easily comprehended when it is known
| that one-sixth of the amount of seed
wheat usually used will raise three or
! four times as much wheat as other
| varieties on the same amount Of
| ground.
Remarkable as it may SEEM indi-
| vidual grains of this wheat produced as
high as thirty-five stalks. From this
number it ranged downward to twenty
five stalks, giving each hill veritable
bushlike appearance.
Nor is this prolific growth produced d
! at the expense of the berry, either in
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 pur
poses.
This wheat was sown at the rate of
! ten pounds per acre, or one bushef 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 f1ve-eighths of an ounce
and was planted in a plat of ground cx
~ feet rows eleven inches apart, and
one grain every four inches.
Rain and fog during the blooming
period, which caused 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 say
ing that the wheat is capable of pro-
| ducing from so to 100 bushels to the
acre, with proper care and propitious
| weather.
The stooling quality of this wheat
enables it to winter we'll. It has a
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 well, came to see
it. Hundreds of local farmers viewed
it, but none had ever seen similar
wheat
For weeks before harvest Mr.. McCas-
lin employed boys to guard it f1om
sunrise to sunset against the attacks
of birds. He threshed it by hand. Tho
next crop will be raised on the Shad-
Owmount Farm in Jennings township
The wheat will not be put on the
market for several years