The evening times., 1900-09-19
VARIETIES OF WHEAT.
Tests 10 Determine the Comparative
Yields and Merits


Yields and Merits
Wheat, with its planting and cultivation,
has long been well understood, but there
are some new things connected with wheat
that are brought 10 light every year. and
the farmer who does not keep well in
formed may lose advantages. At the Ten
nessee experiment station, from which
bulletin was recently issued on wheat. 1t
has been demonstrated that there is such
wide difference in the varieties that 1t
is important that every effort be made TO
secure variety that not only gives large
yields, but which also produces stif straw
and is hardy. 1t is difficult to procure a
perfect variety, but tried and tested kind
should not be discarded for a newer one
until the new variety has been used on a
small plot. A variety that has given sue
cess in one location may not be adapted to
another. IN the experiments mentioned the
results secured in small plots are rela-
lively correct when compared with field
trials. The early and thorough preparation
of wheat land is of the utmost Importance
as this ensures deep and friable seed
bed, and an ample supply of moisture for
termination. The rate OF seeding may
make but little difference, but at the Ten.
cured by using two bushels of seed per
acre and there was a gain of about two
and one eighth bushels more per acre from
sowing in wide rows Gas compared with the
narrow) and cuftiyating with a weeder,
which confirms the claim that when wheat
is given any cultivation at all il pays
The weeder is a very simple appliance
and one can go over large space of
ground day with it and one horse, and
it viii not only stir the top soil q little,
bat destroys any weeds in the field with
ont iniuring the wheat
OF the varieties tested Fulcaster made
the highest yield per acre, with Sc
bushels followed closely by early GeEe-
see Giant with 5f.35 bushels and I'M
proved Fulcaster, with 1925 bushels.
Ia addition, Niger, FultZ, and Poole ay-
eFaged more than 80 bushels per acre
Considering the weight per measured
bushel Velvet Clapp heads the list, with
81 IL pounds; Fultz Poole, Harvest
King. and Deitz Amber were all equal
to or above the standard weight, though
yielding over 80 bushels per acre Tha
best milling varieties were FuIcaster
Niger Mediterranean. Improved Fulcas-
ter, and DeitZ Amber; the poorest mill
ing varieties are White Golden Cross
Early Genesee Giant. and FuItz. Th2
weakest strawed variety was Egyptian
and the stiffest strawed the Early Gene
see Giant In general appearance tho
FuIcaSter variety was unsurpassed
These results show that no single va
| riety possesses all thee desirable qu5Ii-
| ties, and that in making a selection the
/ wheat grower should understand his sci
and climate when growing a crop. TherS
! have been hundreds of new varitiss IN
troduced, many of them. however b 4ine
| highly extol1ed by seedsmen VINO have
| the seeds of such varieties exclusive Y
| but in the tests mentioned the yields are
excellent for all the varieties. Whgn
the soil has been well and carefully
prepared, 50 as TO have a perfect se5d
bed, there will be less difficulty with the
straw and the milling quality IS some-
| times affected by the soil, climate, and
period OF harvesting, hence the farme,
can, by judicious management. corr eel
| some of the Objectionable charartcTis
ties of a variety, but he should enGc avoI
10 get the best 10 be obtained, if posi-
| BILE
The best results from the use of 2.
| combinations of fertilizers or manure
! were made with 10 tons of barnyard ma
nure which increased the yield over NJ
| fertilizer 11.T2 bushels. BaTnyaTd ma
nure, used at the rate of five tons pei
| acre. increased the yield over no fertilizer
| III bushels, at a cost of 2G cents pei
| busheI. The results emphasize The fac
manure returned to the soil a complete
! home-mixed fertilizer al the rate of 81
pounds of nitrate of soda, 100 pounds aciC
| phosphate and % pounds muriate CT pot
| ash, increased the yield over no fertil
! izer at the rate of 8.0T bushels per acre
and at q cost Of q cents per bushei- Com
t mercial fertilizers do not influence sol
| texture fayorably. and by their continued
/ use alone the soil it is claimed may be
! come exhausted but the humus OF barn
yard manure improves the texture of tn
/ soil and aids in the disintegration OF use
! ful plant food Il is possible. however
| that had a larger proportion of fertilizer
/ been used the yield would have been lar
/ ger, as the amount mentioned above a
applied was rather small. The aDpiica
! tion of 10 tons of manure, which neces
| sariIy required considerable hauling, di
i not give as good results, in proportion [
| the quantity applied, as the tons, Will
I the amount Of fertilizer used was onl
/ about 81 ficieat for a normal yield, as
! crop of 20 bushels per acre tgrain an
/ straw removes from the soil about 1
pounds nitrogen IS pounds potash and
I pounds phosphoric acid. whereas the fer
| tilizer used contained only pounds nj
trogen 20 pounds phosphoric acid, and
/ pounds potash. HUmus in the soil ca
be secured by plowing under leguminou
! or other green nanurial crops The ap
/ plication OF twice as much fertiliZe
! would have probably given better result
on the feriiIized plot.