Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1901-02-22
C~ONCERNIN:a e
Its characteristics and Needs In the
IRRIGATED District. W.

Its ChaEACterl8txcs anu NeeOS IN tne
IRRIGATED District.
In the irrigated wheat district are in
Guided all those scattered portions Of
the Rocky mountain and basin states
in which wheat is grown at all. The
states thus included are Wyoming, a
part of Montana, southern Idaho, Utah,
Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico and the
greater part of Colorado. In this dis
trict we find conditions remarkably
different from those existing anywhere
east Of the Rocky mountains. Three
striking characteristics not present to
SO great a degree in any other district
are: First, the extreme aridity, n%ecessi-
tating the application of water by irri-
cation. Second, the very low humus
content of the soil. Third, the super
abundance Of alkali usually present .
Wheat does best in soil that is al
kaline rather than acid in reaction, but
an excess Of alkali becomes very in
furious. Different cereals are able to
withstand different amounts proper
tionally of alkali in the soil. Barley
and rye seem to tolerate a larger pro-
portion than wheat, and the latter will
usually tolerate a larger amount than
oats. Of all the cereals barley will
withstand the largest amount.
The wheats of this district are al
most always white grained, soft and
extremely starchy and lack greatly in
gluten content. The straw is SO white
and clean and glistening that it is daz-
zling to the eyes in the hot sunshine.
Rust on wheat is seldom injurious and
in some localities Is entirely unknown.
Smut, however, is often present to a
considerable extent. The stiffness of
the straw and the absence of rain pre-
vent the grain from ever lodging, so
that harvesting may be delayed for
weeks with little or no injury to the
grain.
Manifestly the greatest need of this
district is an increase in the gluten
contents Of the grain. While the intro
duction Of hard grained heterogeneous
sorts from other sections is. at first an
improvement, the gluten content can
not thus be materially and permanent
~ increased. No wheat variety, what
ever it's nature, al abstract from the
soil elements that are not present
there. Wheats brought from the black
prairie soils of other sections to this
district show striking illustration Of
the radical changes that may he caused
in a variety by a simple transference'
to a new locality and ever when grown
under the best Of care quite efectually
disprove a notion prevalent even among
scientists that varieties will not deteri-
crate. The hardest red Flies from
North Dakota, Turkey wheat from
Kansas OF Diamond Grit from New
York become rapidly more starchy and
Of a lighter color on being grown in
Utah or New Mexico. The first requi-
site, therefore, for wheat improvement
in irrigated sections is the complete
amelioration Of the soil by, first, dis
persing the excessive accommodations of
alkali and, second, increasing the hui
mus content through the application OF
heterogeneous fertilizers and the growth
of leguminous crops in alienation with
wheat. At the same time it will aid
greatly to gradually introduce the hard
er red grained wheats. "@
In many portions Of this district at
high elevations In the mountains wheat
is often seriously damaged by early
autumn frosts. 1t is therefore impor-
tant to obtain for these localities the
earliest maturing varieties possible or
varieties that may perhaps resist the
action Of frosts. For example, the San
Luis valley of Colorado wheat is grown
at In elevation of over 1850 feet,
where frost is likely to occur in any
month of the year, but is especially liza
BILE to injure the crop in August. , 81
The following is a summary of condi-
tons and needs of the district:
First--Chief varieties now grown
Sonora, Taos, Felspar. Little Club, De-
fance, Amethyst. =
Second.-Average yield per acre,
about q bushels. .-
Third.-Needs Of the grower-(a) in
creas Of the gluten content, (b) early
maturity.-Marc A.. Carleton.