Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-10-02
GROWING WINTER WHEAT.
Press Bulletin Of The Utah Experiment Station,
by Prof. l. Merrill
Preparation OF Seed he'd Selection OF
Varieties Date aud Method OF
Seeding-lE Narrowing,

DairyIng and general stock farming
should and viii gradually replace spe-
cial wheat farming IN Utah. Wheat
however, is one Of our principal crops,
and since the rotation and fertilization
OF fields, which come with the keeping
OF stock provide the best soil conditions
for wheat this crop is likely TO continue
20 be an important one on most Of our
farms. The average yield Of wheat in
Utah for the past seven years Is but PA
bushels per acre. With the opportuni-
ties we have for O proper crop rotation
and fertilization and with the natural
fertility OF our soils and O proper selec-
ton OF varieties. this yield should be
very much increased.
PREPARATION OF SEED BED.
To secure ideal conditions the surface
soil should be made fine and loose and
the sub-surface coil fine and fairly com.
pact For winter wheat the ground
should Dee plowed as early IN the sea-
son AZ possible. Ii should be immediate
w narrowed. rolled and narrowed again.
Before seeding II should be Tiled again
with any implement best suited TO the
particular soil. This frequent tillage
tends Co compact the sub-surface soil
form a fine seed bed, conserve moisture
and set free plant food.
SELECTION OF VARIETIES
The choice OF seed is important Ex-
periments conducted here during the
1900 and 1NUN indicate
that we have a large number Of varie-
ties which are good yielders. good MILL
ing wheats. and reasonably certain to
30 through the winter without Injury.
The past winter, though not unusually
rigorous, was rather severe on the
wheat crop as there was very little snow
protection and considerable freezing
and thaWing was especially injurious
to late sOWn wheat The WheQts here
I'm recommended, however. went into
the winter I'm vigorous condition and
came through without injury. The fol-
lowing wheats head the list Of our win
ter varieties for the past two seasons
and are given IN order OF greatest yield:
Sonora, Ancient Mound, Canadian Won
der. Siberian. Early Red ClaWson. Medl-
tcrranean New Zealand, Tasmanian
Red. Martins Amber. Winter La Sale
or dollhouse. and odessa. All OF these
wheats are classed as hard" wheats,
and the milling quality is about equal 70
the best spring wheat We are prepared
20 furnish limited quantity Of the seed
OF these varieties to farmers making
application.
DATE OF SEEDING.
The experiment station has conducted
Time Of Sowing Wheat" Weekly
seedlings have been made from Septem-
Der 18th TO November 18th, the same
variety OF wheat being used. The ex-
periments conducted along this line all
point 20 the conclusion that IN dis
tricts where the land can be irrigated
before seeding there y practically no
difference between early and late SOW
ing Where Irrigation is not practicable
early seeding is recommended
METHOD OF SEEDING.
II has been demonstrated by repeated
experiments that wheat drilled In the
fan OF the year yields better than that
broadcasted With drill the seed can
be planted evenly In depth, insuring the
termination of an the seeds together.
We have found a difference In favor Of
drilling OF "A bushels for every one hun
dred acres planted The depth at which
wheat should be planted VIII depend
largely upon the amount OF moisture In
the soil Where the ground Is compact
and moist quite as good results viii
doubtless come from planting only an
Inch deep. The young wheat plants
can come up through three inches Of
very loose earth, and u the soil Is very
dry Il may be necessary 10 seed at that
depth In order 10 get moisture enough
10 start termination and that the roots
may at once enter into moist soil where
they can secure food as soon as the
leaves have expanded sufficiently 10 use
IT,
NARROWING AFTER SEEDING.
II Is often beneficial 10 harrow the
ground Immediately after the grain IL
sown, go as to make the seed bed more
compact below and fine and mellow at
the surface. Some Of the experiment
stations have found that narrowing the
grain after Il has come up Is danger
Gus In that il lessened the yield In pro-
portion 10 the amount and lateness
Of the narrowing AT this station we
follow the practice Of narrowing the
wheat In the spring TO destroy weeds
and TO break up the crust which has
formed, before the plants are high
enough 20 shade the ground. The light
narrowing establishes a fine mulch ON
the surface, thereby retardlng rapid
evaporation and We believe that In the
arid region this practice Is certainly to
be commended.
WHEAT IN ROTATION.
The history OF nearly every wheat
farm In Utah which has been farmed |
for from fifteen 10 twenty years Is SINH
lar In that, while good Yields OF wheat !
have been secured for years. the decline
In yield and IN quality has begun. There !
are numerous reasons FOR this decline
principal among which are. that In rails [