The Greeley tribune., 1905-03-30


grain the value of which is 100, anc
such a crop has vigor and power, TO
resist adverse conditions which may
be represented by 100. If for any
reason, the seed receives only % pei
cent OF the required amount OF plant
food and becomes shrunken and o'
lightweight it will be unable to give
the plant sufficient start and ritalltS
TO produce crop of 100 value,
On the other hand because OF the
weaker vitality the plant is not able
to withstand the unfavorable SOIL
and climatic conditions and the raw
ages of disease. Thus with favorable
conditions, it would be possible to
produce a crop of 80 per cent value
but with unfavorable conditions the
value would be leSSened and there
is chance that the crop would be
total failure. People are constantly
in contact with the germs OF many
diseases but seldom succumb unless
their vitality (health) is poor; in
other words unless their systems are
run down by overwork, colds or from
some other cause. So it is with the
grain: The more vigorous and
healthy the plant the better able it
is to hold up under the effects of rust
and other diseases. Hence it is OBJ
yious that field of wheat from
poorly-matured kernels of weak vital
ity can not be expected to do, nor
will it do as we'll as a field from
well-matured, vigorous seed.
The division of agriculture is max
ing tests to determine the germina-
tion value and the character Of the
rusted wheat and of the plants from
such seed. In every instance, so far
as the work has progressed, the ger
mination has been less than that of
good seed, and less than that
from the selected seeds of the poor
lot. The average termination OF the
poor wheat was 50 per cent while the
termination for the graded or selec-
ted seeds was SO per cent. The
difference is not great, but it gives
an advantage which when followed
up by the appearance of the plants
substantiates the consensus OF opin-
ion that the rusted wheat, un>elect-
ed, is unfit for seed. The plants
which have been grown from the in
ferior seeds were universally slender,
narrow -leaved, and showed less Sigor
than those from good seed, planted
and cared for under exactly similar
conditions.
How to Use Rusted Wheat.
Can any good seed be secured from
the w-grade, shrunken, rusted
wheat. or would it be best to get
change of seed? There are probably
few instances where it is not possible
for the farmer to get enough good
seed from the rusted wheat to plant
his fields. Wheat that would grade
only No. :! or No. at the elevator
would have from 10 per cent TO %
per cent or more OF good, plump,
mature grain, though the other 80
per cent or IS per cent would be
practically useless. Wherever ii Is
possible to get ut least 10 per cent Of
good heavy wheat from such bulk
grain farmer can do no better than
secure tanning mil. and save this
ten or more per cent for his seed.
By so doing, there Is double gain;
first, the seed secured is thoroughly
adaptedto the local so,l and conditionS
In this respect it would be far su
perior to any newly introduced va
riety from Deighboring county or
state.
Experiments have proven with
thorough satisfaction that it does not
generally pay to change seed from
one locality to another, at least for
the major part of the crop. Farmers
should be slow 10 give up the staid
and tried varieties that have been
adapted to their local conditions so
long and give place to some untried
sort that may not prove better than
the old stock. 4 plant is not po-
sessed of the power of Immediately
becoming accustomed to the changed
surroundings, but will, in many cases
unless the change is too radical, be-
come adapted TO them and prove bet
ter than the old stock. Another
danger also in bringing in varieties
from other localities is the probable
introduction of noxious weeds-it is
shameful that the neglect has run to
the extent it has in the wholesale
distribution of weed seeds Farmers
have been too careless and have dis
regarded the weed problem until
many are now paying dearly for it.
Anyone who has good quality OF
wheat should advertise the fact in
the local and adjacent county papers.
More than the market price can be