The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-02-10
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Classmates from Farmers on matters d
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CHANGING SEED WHEAT.

CHANGING SEED ed WHEAT,
4 b Harvey Snyder, Chemist to Mime.
sofa Experiment Station.
Il is q common practice among farm
ers to exchange seed wheat every few
years, It being generally believed that
IL wheat % raised too long upon the.
/, same land 3 It gradually runs out and
becomes Of too poor quality for seed
/ purposes. and that better crops are se-
cured by occasionally getting d new
lot Of seed from some other locality.
The tests that have been made along
this line are not sufficiently extensive
to allow general conclusions being
drawn. but the work done. indicates
that whenever an exchange Of seed
wheat Is made. 1t requires much judy
ment to, select the right types and
strains of wheat, as an exchange may
cause lower yield and greater de-
terioration in quality than II the home
grown seed had been sown.
The wheat plant, when grown many
locality for number of years. grad
ually adapts itself to the soil and If
the climatic conditions are favorable
and the soils are fertile and are given
the right kind of cultivation, maximum
yields are secured. But too frequent
~ the wheat deteriorates because IF
poor cultivation of the soil and lack
Of care In the selection, storage and
treatment of the seed.
Experiments that have been made on
the exchange Of seed wheat have
shown that in many cases decline
In yield has taken place during the
first few years because of the unfa-
vorable influence of change Of envir-
onment and the wheat plant failing
to adapt itself to the new conditions.
v Tests have shown that hard Scotch
Fife wheat, raised at Fargo, N. D.,
from seed grown at the Minnesota exA
pertinent station. yielded less per acre
than similar wheat that had been
grown from selected seed raised at
Fargo. Recent experiments at Nebras-
ka have shown that seed wheat from
other states, as Iowa, Kansas and
Ohio, yielded less than selected seed
raised in Nebraska.
.Hswheat is taken to more humid
climate, it has tendency to produce
q ranker growth of straw and is more
susceptible to rust and fungus dis
eases than seed that is taken t0ia less
humid region. Then, too, wheats from
a less humid country will NOT produce
as good a quality of wheat for num-
Der Of years as the same variety pro-
duced underline best conditions and
accMmated to that locality. When
seed is brought from more northern
!, localities, Is gives better results than
seed imported from regions farther
. south. /.
Northern-grown wheats usually ma
ture at an earlier date than southern
grown Mheats taken north, and the
later maturing OF the seed is often as |
! ISOLATED with fungus diseases, rust and
other factors which materially cut
down the yield OF the CROP Wheats
that are taken from northern to south
ern points require time for acclima-
ton.
There is no doubt that much good
has resulted from q judicious exchange
OF seed wheat, hut an indiscriminate
exchange is undesirable and generally
leads to poor results In those cases
where beneficial results have been Sc
cured, 1t has been due to the seed be-
Ing produced upon better soil and with
better methods Of cultlvat lion. When
such seed is introduced into another
locality, with similar soil and climat-
ic conditions, It frequently gives larger
crops. but this increase soon ceases
unless special care is taken in keeping
up the fertility OF the soil and giving
the pest possible conditions for the
normal production of the crop.
There is nothing to be gained from
farmers of the same sneighDorhood ex-
changing seed, unless one farmer hap
pens to give better attention to the cul-
! tivation of his soil and thereby pro-
sduces q better grade Of wheat. In
such cases, he would not be benefited
by the exchange of seed. although his
neighbor, who takes less care Of his
crop, would be greatly benefited.
In order to obtain the best seed for
I. any locality, those farmers who take
the best care Of their soil. clean their
seed we'll, and treat Ii so as to destroy
smut, should be encouraged to dispose
of their crop largely for seed pur-f
poses. This will give In the end bet
ter results than the indiscriminate in
PRODUCTION Of seed from other locali-,
k4<.. ~ -3 &. !. 49,