The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-05-21
PRAISES THE WORK
An Agricultural Department Official
Says Kind Things About the
State Experimental Station.
New Varieties Of Wheat Have Been
Originated There With Con-
spicuous Success.
From The Journal Bureau, Room As Post Build
ing, Washington. s

From The Journal Bureau, Room As Post Build.
ing, Warrington. t
Washington. May Elm the year
ture. to be issued next month, DR..
B. T. Galloway, chief Of the bureau OF
plant industry, has an interesting study
Of the industrial progress Of plant work,
In the course Of which he pays pretty
compliment to the St. Anthony Park ex-
pertinent sta ton. He says that the work
Of originating new varieties Of wheat by
breeding has been carried forward with
much success by the department OF agri-
culture and some of the experiment sta
tions, notably the Minnesota station.
And speaking more directly regarding the
Minnesota work, which is conducted un-
der the personal direction OF Professor
w. M. Hays, Dr. Galloway says:
1T Is here that some Of the most promis-
| ing results have been obtained. results
which are far-reaching in their nature and
which show beyond question that with
proper attention to detail there is no rea-
son why this country need fear anything
| in the way Of diminution In the quantity
| or quality Of this important marketable
product Not only has it been shown that
| the quality of the grain for special pur-
poses can be materially changed to suit
necessary conditions or wants, but that
the prolifcacy Of races or types can be
| fixed by careful and systematic seed Sc :
lection"
! So far as wheat is concerned, the work
| OF the department during the past eight
years has been confined to six principal
lines, as follows: A demonstration OF the
vakle of improved methods OF cultivation
principally as relates to tillage, time OF
Ting, etc. as affecting the yield; (O
demonstration OF the value Of adapting
| different varieties to different regions;
| (3) originating new varieties by breeding;
l(4) improving the yield and the quality by
selection Of seed from races or types; co.
| the introduction Of new and promising va
|rieties from foreign countries and the plac-
ing Of them where they seem most likely
Ito succeed; and, (6) demonstrating the
efficiency Of certain methods Of prevent
ing diseases. principally rusts and SHUTS.
Average Yield Small.
DR.. Galloway says that those who have
not taken the trouble to study the meth
DDS of cultivation of cereal crops IN TINS
country are hardly aware Of the great dis
Icrepancy in the yield Of wheat IN regions
where conditions of climate are PRAGUE
ally the same Farmers have been accus-
toned so long to having constantly at tnelr
disposal virgin soil that comparatively ~
tie effort has been made to systematically
increase the yield Of wheat by proper
methods Of tillage. Tillage Is used here
l in a broad sense and refers to metnodS
of planting, seeding, fertilizing. etc. Inc
leverage yield Of wheat in this country
slightly more than thirteen bushels pei
lacre-srnall when compared with That o.
lGermanv and the United Kingdom, where
under high tillage the average yields are
twentv-six bushels and thirty-one bush
els, respectively.
1t is not beyond reason to say, In DR.
Galloway's opinion, that with even slgn
} attention to methods Of thlage, the aver
age yield Of this country could De IN,
creased from 1 to 2 bushels per acre 81
little or no additional expense. This estl
mate does not involve a consideration o.
the question Of fertilizers at all, but
Imeans that with proper attention 70 the
right kind Of cultivation OF the sou. cul-
, ltivation at the proper time, and Dettel
= methods Of seeding, a fair average IN
crease Of two bushels would not be al
!. exorbitant figure. This would mean {
total increase for the entire country
l nearly 100, 900, 900 bushels, something Ger
, tainly worth striving for
With a view to bringing about bet
Q ter understanding Of this important work
the department has for several years bee
engaged in calling attention to the meth
3 DDS Of increasing yields by tillage and II
!, proving the efficacy Of its suggestions b.
practical demonstrations A number Q
s experiment stations have also been &C
: lively engaged in this work, and alread
: the results are beginning to be apparent
| especially in the more thickly populate
n districts, where the demand Tor hlgne
n Yields Is becoming more and more I'm
peratlve.
y It is pointed out in the paper that tn
N American population is increasing NOR
er rapidly than the yield OF grain, and 1t
= suggested that If this should continu
e the time is coming when the supply 8
q home will not be sufficient for the HON
l 49, @Eo,s{ Il ~Ae 10y,c Yror 4
engage in the growing Of wheat to rea
1T sonable limit, the nacaroni wheat wit
E. which successful experiments have bee
y made during the past few years, 1t
estimated by the department that the ave-
- age yield would be increased from 20
" 600, 900 to 30,o00,0o0 bushels per year.
:, Rust and Smut.
Speaking Of rusts and smut, DR.. Call
= y way says, In part:
-. "Some of the most valuable work
ge the department has been in demonstra
el. ing the efficacy Of certain methods
RS preventing serious diseases of wheat
y principally rusts and sn1uts. The fir
a efforts Of the department were direct
~ to testing the practicability Of treatil
y rusts by the methods usually follow
OF in handling other diseases of crops. The
lie lie were found to be ineffective, consequer
w lily they were abandoned and lines Of wo
tie inaugurated which had for their obje
the breeding of rust-resistant sorts a.
ed the substitution Of rust-resistant kin
1 ne for those known to be subject to the d
oss case. BY persistent and systematic we
Of in this direction, the farmers Of the cou
trv have been able to adopt measures
great benefit.
"There is no way of approximating
injury to grains Of this country thru
attacks Of rusts. Some years 1t v
~