The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1900-08-14
A SUGGESTION
To Wheat Growers Sent Out
By Ohio Agricultural Ex-
pertinent Station.

The almost unparalleled destruction
of the wheat crop of 1900, throughout
Ohio, Indiana and Michigan, is gener-
ally ascribed chiefly to the Hessian fly,
and doubtless this insect has caused
much loss, not only by destruction out
right of many plants in the fall, but by
so weakening the vitality Of others that
they succumbed to weather conditions
which they would otherwise have been
able to resist. But behind these causes
there lies another which must not be
lost sight of, namely, the exhaustion Of
soil fertility. The Importance Of this
factor is shown in the experiments of
the Ohio station, in which wheat on
new lands has this year yielded nearly
40 bushels to the acre, without fertili-
zers, whereas unfertilized wheat on
land that has been for 60 or 70 years
under such cultivation as is practiced
on large proportion Of Ohio farms,
was almost totally destroyed by fly and
weather conditions combined, the num-
ber of plants attacked by the fly being
in both cases approximately the same.
Where the sowing of wheat has been
delayed until after the middle of Sep
tember in the extreme northern part of
the state; to the Goth or the 25th in the
latitude of this station; to the last week
of the month in that of Columbus, and
to the first week in October farther
south, the results have been generally
more favorable than where the seeding
was done earlier; but these dates were
not sufficiently late to escape the fly
last fall owing probably in part to pc
culiar seasonal conditions. When the
seeding is delayed beyond the dates
mentioned the loss from the plant not
having time to sufficiently prepare for
the winter will probably be greater
than the average loss from the fly.
Even at these dates, in ordinary sea-
| sons, there will be need to see that the
land is thoroughly prepared and well
fertilized If remunerative yields are TO
| be obtained.
Late sowing, however, while in some
| measure a protection from the fall at
! tack of the fly, will have no effect on
| the spring attack, unless universally
practiced in q given district; for IL one
| farmer in a township sow5 his wheat in
| time to invite the fall attack he VIII
have provided breeding place from
which flies will swarm the following
| spring to destroy the crops Of all mis-
| neighbors. 1t would seem. Therefore,
to be well worth while for farmers to
| take united action in this matter by
| banding together over large districts
and agreeing to delay their wheat seed
ing until the dates suggested. Such
| test If properly carried out, would be Of
| incalculable value in determining the
| actual value of this method of securing
| immunity from the fly.
II, in connection with a general post
ponement of the date Of seeding, each
| farmer would sow a small strip OF
wheat at an earlier date. this to he
plowed under with jointer few days
before the general Sc sding and then
| resown, it might have very useful
effect Of attracting the III IS ard causing
| them to deposit their eggs where they
could be easily destroyed.
Many farmers are writing to the ex-
pertinent station asking whether 1t is
advisable to sow rye instead Of wheat
this fall. To this we have to reply that
the rye is also subject to attack from
the Hessian fly, while the statistics of
crop productions Of Ohio show that the
average yield of rye is no greater than
that of wheat, and the market statis-
tics show that it's average value per
bushel is much below that Of wheat.
Our advice therefore is, in brief: Put
the seed bed for wheat in the best pos
sible condition by plowing early, thor
oughly pulverizing the surface immedi.
ately to retain moisture. and manurins
or fertilizing literally; then delay the
seeding to a comparatively late date
and use liberal quantity of seed.
The recent experiments Of this station
show that two bushels Of thoroughly
cleaned seed is not too much for an
acre of ordinary land.