The Dickinson press., 1909-01-16

auired or nearly 50. The drought resis-
tant factor can probably be ruled out at
Fargo. The factor of rust resistance,
which the durum wheats--possess to a
considerable degree. is no doubt. of a
good bit of importance. In 1904, the
year of the big rust attack, the fife and
blue stems suffered much. more from
this disease at Fargo. than did the
durums. There may be other factors
which have an influence in giving The
durums a lead in yield over the ffes
and blue stems but il there are any,
they are unknown to the writer.
For the Edgeley Satisfaction, I have at
hand the yields of the two classes of
wheat for five years. from 1908 to 1907
inclusive. For this period the durums
yielded "a bushels per acre and the flies
and blue stems u.s. bushels per acre.
This is ar increase of 81 bushels per
acre or an increase of 81 per, cent per
acre. The spread in yield is much
greater at Edgeley than it is at Farao
The average annual. precipitation at
Edgeley for this period was II. inches.
In 1907 the rainfall was only a little
more than 10 inches. The soil at
Edgeley is also naturally dryer than is
the soil at Fargo. The records of Stunt.
Thompson at Edeeley show that for at
least three years out of the five, rust
did considerable damage to the grains.
Here, al at Fargo, the rus did much
more damage to the fife and blue stems
than to the durums. At Edg4ley then,
there are two factors working to in
crease the lead of the durum yields over
those of the flies and blue stems These
factors are drought resistance and rust
resistance. 1t would be more correct to
say that the seasonal conditions were
such that the resistance powers of the
durums had a chance to show them
selves.
In addition to the figures from the
Edeeley station. VI are lucky enough
to have figures from farmers living
mostly in Dickey and LaMoure counties.
These figures are taken from Mr.. Thomp-
sons report. According to the figures
given, 80 men reported that durum
wheat gave them an average yield of
IVY bushels per acre while the flies and
blue stems yielded but 49, bushels mr.
acre. This is an increase Of the dur,me
Of ~ bushels per acre or an increase of
81 per cent. This per cent and the one
obtained from the Edgeley station are
approximately the same, and l think we
may conclude that they represent the
facts in the case
We have yields at the Dickinson
station for a period of only three years
and the figures are therefore somewhat
less valuable than those given. The
yields are from 1906 to 1908 inclusive.
We find the average Of all the durum
yields to be a.. bushels per acre. The
average yields of all the fife and blue
stems were 21.3 bushels per acre. This
shows an increase of the durum over
the fife and bluestems of 3. 6 bushels Der
acre or an increase of II per cent The
average annual rainfall for the three
years in question wat 1877 inches, about
the same as it was for Edeeley for the
five years considered there. There is
less than a bushel difference in the
yields of the durums at the two places
but there is a difference of six bushels
per acre in the yields of the fife and
blue stem class of wheats at Edeeley
and at Dickinson.
have ~endeavored to secure from
farmers living west of the Missouri
river their opinion of the relative Weld
ing power of the two classes of wheats.
The data is rather indt finite and meaper.
John Christianson of Morton county
states that in his opinion the durums
yield about Is per cent more than the
fife and blue stem wheats. If the fife
and blue stems yielded IL bushels, then
the durums would yield is bushels per
acre. A prominent farmer at Saltwater
stated that for 1908 the flies Welded
about 8 bushels per acre and the durums
IL bushels. Some farmers state that
they have observed no difference in the
yield. of the two classes of wheats. In
no case have l been told that the durums
yielded more than five bushels per acre
more than the fife and blue stem wheats.
1t is probably fair to presume that the
increase of the durum yields over the
flies and blue stems is rather less than
rs per cent for the west Missouri region
for the last three or four years. The con-
ditions west of the Missouri river are
such that the rust resistance power of
the durums is practically never called
into action. In other words, the fife
and blue stems do not ordinarily rust
enough to lessen the yield materially.