Rocky Ford enterprise., 1901-06-14
pRggDiNo NEW wHgArs.
larger Yields Thss OLD O.ss and stasa
Poos Weather Better.

wheat Is promisssl-the beginnings OF
IL have in fact been achievesi-by the
successful experiments made during
the last ten years at the Minnesota
state experiment station. associated
with the agricultural school OF the Uni
versity OF Minnesota. says The World .
Work. Both yield and quality are
greatly increased.
The new wheats, which are the prod
uct OF breeding and selection combined.
have been tested for every purpose.
the old wheais and better able to with
stand unfavorabie weather and dis.
ease. but they are as rich In essential
food qualities. Durin: the summer OF
1900 the experimental stage was
passed and actual farm trials were
made: for a farm trial Is the ultimate
test Of new wheat. Whatever ia
vornbie results may IL shown In the
experimental Stages. the wheat must
stiil stand the final practical test In
the fields of the farmer. In the neids
Il has now proved Its right TO supplant
the old standard varieties The con.
crete results ARE these: \ toninI up OF
the wheat harvest. not only OF the re-
.ion where the experiments are car.
rici on. but OF the entire wheat area
Of the world; the ovcrthrowinr Of the
argument OF Sir W. Crooks, president
Of the British association. that the sup.
ply Of the wheat OF the world would
soon become Inadequate for the needs
OF the world: marked increase In the
worlds wealth. millions OF dollars be.
Ing added In a single season In only
one section OF the wheat producing
ARA OF the world.
The work OF wheat breeding began
many years ago on the great vilmorin
estate In France. Mr.. Henry Nilmorin
carried on extensive experiments In
the creation OF new breeds. more than
n thousand new whcats having been
tested by him. shall not forget trip
to hts farms nt Vcrricrcs.ic-B BuissoiTi.
under IN. guidance Of the present head
of the house. NJ. Philippe Nilmorin.
Ten years ago similar work wns be-
gun Mt the state Institution In Mime.
sota. not only to create new breeds Of
wheat. but TO carry them forward
through series OF years until enough
wheat Of superior variety should be
accumulated TO enable the farmers To
make the final test themselves. This
work has been carried on nt no expense
TO the farmer: for NIL the results arc
for the benefit OF the public. To ere.
ntc q new wheat the pollen from the
flower Of one wheat must bc artificial.
~ transferred to the stigma OF the
flower of another wheat. Wheat is n
sclf-fcrtIlIzin. plant. Left to Itself IL
will reproduce itself throughout end.
less centuries. Great care In necessary
In the work and trained men are cs-
scntinl. As soon us the pollen Ii trans
ferreti-which is done about four
o'clock In the morning Mt the hour
when the wheat fiorcts opcn-the head
of wheat is cIcasei In n tissue sack 81
that the work may not be interfered
with by any pilfering insect or bird.
Two Of the best known varieties nre
selected. one for the father. the other
for the mother OF the new race. When
the harvest comes II may be that the
new wheat has some OF the poor and
n few OF the good characteristics of
the parents: or the reverse may be the
case. II IL impossible to say In I'D
vance what the new wheat will be.
From the single head which results
as the first harvest only handful OF
kernels IL threshed out. The handful
is of immense Importance. for these
kernels may become the source Of n
mighty race. destined not only to sup
plant the old wheais. but to add enor-
mously to the wealth OF the world. But
the last results are slowly won, for the
first harvest Is very menger and the
second and third are small. But after
n number of years enough wheat can
he garnered to SOW the twentieth Of IN
acre. and then come tangible results.
To breed new wheat requires infinite
pains and patience. 1t has taken ten
years to bring the new wheat varieties
Mt the Minnesota experiment station to
the farm test. In the meantime hum
dreds of wheats have proven valueless.
Some were too heavy In the stalk, thus
lodging" MS Is Is called. falling over
in seasons of too much moisture be-
cause of too rank growth: some were
particularly susceptible to the diseases
of wheat; some were poor in the color
of the kernel. while still others were
deficient in yield or lacking in essen
tial food elements. A successful new
wheat must not only yield n larger
number of bushels per acre, the first
and all-important requisite. but 1t must
be hardy and it must be rich in food
qualities.
In the spring OF 1900 enough OF one
variety of the new wheat having nc
cumulated to warrant field trials, n
number of thrifty and intelligent farm
ers from various parts Of Minnesota
We're selected. and to them enough
seed was sent to give 1t a fair trial.
Every farmer was supplied with IN
elaborate record blank. II for any
reason the new wheat would be given
n better chance or n worse chance than
the old. especial attention should be
called to the fact Some of the reports
indicated by the abnormally large In
crease of the new wheat that the
farmer had given it better oppor-
tunity than the old wheat, even though
he did not say so. and all such in
stances were thrown out as being un-
fair to the old wheat and their data
were rejected. Out of nll the instances
about forty were selected as having
compiled with all the conditions.
1t seems fair to say that the increase
of the new wheat over all old varieties
H.. II