Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1905-08-17
Very truly yours.
James Wilson, Sec.

James Wilson, Sec.
Dear Sr:--In response to your letter of July 17th
requesting an expression as to the praccaby of grow
ing winter wheat in Iowa. would say that there every
reason for believing that winter wheat be made
replace almost entirely the spring wheat now being grown
IN Iowa. and this with material increase OF profit to the
growers Winter wheat is grown with very gen
orally throughout the state of Illinois and is as YOU
know also grown very extensively in Nebraska and with
IN recent there has be considerable acreage
OF this cereal in Minnesota and varieties have also
been successfully introduced in South Dakota where
OF the earlier attempts at the production of winter wheat
resulted dsasrous because of the unfortunate choice
varieties soWn.
Within recent years number of varieties of winter
wheat have been introduced into this country and these
together with varieties already selected for hardness
from among the varieties already grown in the United
States have been given several varieties that promise to
survive nearly every winter throughout the state of Iowa.
The culture of winter wheat rule, profitable
and most of the varieties adapted to the northern limits
of the winter wheat belt also varieties of excellent
quality While it is true that occasional winters
to almost entirely destroy the winter wheat
CROP yet in of such destruction it aweys prac-
cabe to pillow up the destroyed fields time secure
summer crop of corn valuable forage
In conclusion, therefor would say that believe
that your suggestion as to the desraby of utilizing the
spring wheat acreage of Iowa for the production of
wheat is good and should be energetcaly ostered
Very truly yours,
Willis L. Moore, Acting Secretary.
Another from Ames:
Iowa State College. Agriculture and the Mechanical
Arts. Division of Agriculture Ames, Ia, July %, 05.
Dear Sir have your valued favor of the 2lst inst.
Some of bulletins containing information on winter
wheat out of print and not furnish you
complete record of experiments. may say however,
IN general way that our experience fully confirms your
than spring wheat The record of our crops here
tending period of ten years shows quite conclusive
y that winter wheat will give fully double the average
yield of spring wheat do not know that all sections of
northern Iowa adapted to winter wheat growing but
we feel confident that it can be in all parts Of Iowa
except possibly the northern third of the state farmer
hocp fold Of Ty1yl5
lsh Red winter wheat this year that think will yield not
less than thrty-fve or forty bushels per acre.
Very truly yours,
In addition to the above strong facts in favor of
winter wheat we have gone to some little pains in getting
figures as to yield and quality Of spring and winter
figures rather preliminary nevertheless they already
show up much in favor of winter wheat. From fifteen
different sections Of this state reports have come in show
ing the following averages, of the total fifteen.
SPRING WHEAT. WINTER WHEAT
Average Yield. 49,. II blu. Average Yield - 80 blu.
Average Test ... 81 Id. Average Test .... 81 ID.
SowING.As to the method Of sowing usually adopted
to insure the best results have learned that the wheat
should be put in with drill and believe that disk
drill is considered the best Weather permitting the
wheat should be sown between the 10th and goth Of Sep
TENDER. Most winter wheat farmers the from
north to south as they claim that when the ground thaws
in the spring. the shines evenly each side of
the than when the east and west and also
that the heaving or cracking Of the ground during the
winter does not hurt the crop much when in this
manner. This may be purely "fad' and cuts figure
regards results but is certainly the method usually
adopted After the plant has good start in the fall it
benefit to turn stock it as pasture it has
tendency to set the roots firmly and it will stool out
better in the spring If such thing should happen that
the wheat winter killed the fact is discovered in
ample time plant the field to corn so that the use of
the ground is not lost 1t would from reports that
the Turkish Red wheat is perhaps the best variety of
winter wheat to in Iowa. At any rate it probably
would be best to Iowa grown wheat It is customary
to sow between and fourth and one and half
bushels to the acre.
In the event that you not buy good winter wheat