Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1907-02-08
SUGGESTION.

Last week we made a suggestion to
our farmer readers relative to the pros
poets of demand for certain crops next
season, and especially barley, giving
as our reasons such information as we
had gathered from different sources.
1t is important to sow such crops ais
will be likely to bring the highest rel
alive price, that is, the most per acre,
yield and price considered. Next to
determining what to SOW, the quality
of seed to be sown is of greatest i'm
p~ortance. This has been demonstrate
time and time again. Perhaps the
best demonstration of this is in the
raising of corn. Exports in this line
claim that the selection of proper
seed corn will add 25 and so per cent
to the yield. Their claim is based on
experiments and data kept from the
field. No one who has had experience
with corn will attempt TO contradict
the fact that the quality of seed corn
has a great deal to do with the sue
cess of the crop.
Another illustration is found in
wheat. A number of farmers in this
vicinity have paid a fancy price for
seed wheat, especially the bearded
variety. They find that it pays. Those
who use the Blue Stem often seek a
change, a stronger seed. Experience
has proven that strong seed is as nee
essary to successful grain racing as
are the best sires to stock raising.
But the corn and wheat crops are
not the only crops of this section. The
barley crop equals wheat in import
ance, if, indeed, it does not stand at
the head of the list, The time will
soon DO here when barley will stand
two to one to wheat.
Our suggestion is that in choosing
seed for the spring sowing more are
and greater attention be given to the
seed barley than ever before. 1t is
the full heavy kernel that counts when
you want to exchange it for cash at
elevator or feed it on the farm. Bar
ley raising for the market is a com
paratively new industry in this Sec
ton and many have given it little at
tention; few are as familiar with the
different grades and their uses as
they are with wheat or corn. To some
barley is barley, regardless of quality
or actual worth. But to the expert
barley buyer not all is barley that
looks like barley. The farmer should
use as much care in the selection of
seed barley as the buyer will use in
placing a value on it into different
grades in his bins. A barley light in
weight will not make a good seed.
Why should it, The light weight
stuff does not have the material to
feed the germ and make a strong
plant, and only the strong plant will
produce the perfect berry. Again the
berry with the black end, if the black
was produced by scalding as it stood
on the stalk black ends are often
occasioned by a drop of rain or dew
lodged at the end of the kernel and
dried by a hot sun-will not germin.
at all. This is the reason maltsters
shy at black ends in barley. Not all
black ends have been scalded, but il
will pay to investigate before sowing
Barley in this locality will test AZ to
as high as 48 pounds to the bushel
Don't use anything below As pounds
in weight and go as high as you can.
1t will pay to SOW the best. Poor
seed may make a good crop with an
exceptionally favorable season, but
good seed is bound to be safer and
better. The care of barley at harvest
and threshing time has something to
do with the quality and the price it
will demand, but that Is another story