Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-11-13

acre the greater is the cost per bushel
of raising it. The average yield per
acre in 1908 was fraction less than
IA bushels, while the average this year
is only a fraction less than 16 bushels
to the acre.
The average increase this year over
that of 1908 is gratifying, but how far
it is from being what it might be is
forcibly demonstrated by the results
OF the experiments at the agricultural
college Of Kansas to secure better
seed wheat for that state.
During the last seven or eight wears
there have been tested at the three ex-
pertinent stations Of that college sew.
eral hundred varieties of wheat secur-
ed from all parts of the world. Few Of
them, it is found, are superior in yield
and quality of grain to the hard winto-
wheat known as Turkey red,'. w..1sh
was imported from Europe about
twenty-five years ago.
This year the average yield per acre
OF Turkey red" wheat at the expert
ment station at Mcpherson, Kas., was
1924 bushels, or more than three
times the general average Of all wheat
grown in the United States this year.
Such result is indeed creditable to
the Scientific farmers at whom the
average agriculturist was inclined to
soon not SO very many years ago. True
the average yield everywhere showed
an increase this year over that Of
last, but at the Mcpherson station the
average yield of Turkey red" wheat
for the last Ave years has been 45.34
bushels per acre.
The highest yield per acre at that
station this year was an average of
1852 bushels from "Crimean" wheat,
imported first in 1904 by the United
States department of agriculture, reg
istered by 1t as gu S. No. 1887" The
lowest yield obtained from IS varieties
of hard, red. bearded wheat grown
this year by the Kansas agricultural
college was 46.4S bushels per acre.
In Kansas and most other wheat
growing states the hard wheat is bet
ter adapted to the upland and the soft
wheat to the bottom land and more
fertile soil. The yield of soft wheat
per acre Is much less at the Kansas
experiment stations than of hard
wheat. The soft and semi-hard wheat
grown at them this year averaged
2O.5 to 1877 bushels per acre.
During the last five years the Kan
sas experiment stations have been
distributing improved seed wheat
among the farmers of that state. Com
menting on this, Professor A. M. Ten
Eyck, the agronomist in charge, says:
'The distribution of this improved
seed has already increased the aver
age yield of wheat in several counties,
and it is not only possible but prob
able that several million bushels will
be added to our Kansas wheat crop
in 1910 through better seed alone, and
there should be a corresponding i'm
provement in the grade or quality of
the grain
The agricultural colleges of other
states are pursuing the same general
policy as that Of Kansas, in determin-
ing the best seed for farmers to plant.
They can only point out the way, how
ever, to make farming more profitable.
The farmer in general owes it to him
self and the nation to take advantage
of the opportunity pointed out to him
to increase the yield Of his acreage.
IT he cannot find out from the agricul-
tural college of his own state what he
wants to know in this respect the
United States department of agricul-
ture is more than willing to help him
without any charge.