Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1909-08-27
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FIG. AIlI-GOOD AND BAD TYPES OF SEED
WHEAT
Note the shriveled shrunken condition
OF the kernels to the right
enough Some Of the largest grains
are shrivelcd and light in weight. |
The only way to separate these Is to
use plenty of wind in the tanning !
mill 50 as to blow them over. Such |
grains are all right for feed. but are !
entirely ort Of place in the seed bin. |
This method Of selection is especially |
important il the case of wheat. as 1t
separates the hard from the soft
grains to some extent, since the soft
ones are lighter. Hardness is aI2bim-
portant factor to look after since Il
hard wheat is much more valuable
for milling purposes. making larger
amount of high grade flour.
If the most value is to be obtained
from the selection Of seed some def
mite plan of improvement must be fol-
lowed. BY little care variety Of
wheat or oats may be so bred up as to
increase the yield from ten to twenty
bushels per acre. The work is small
In starting the work Of breeding the
variety which does best in your par
ticular locality should be selected. Go
into the field just before harvest time
and select forty or fifty Of the best
heads. In doing this the size and
plumpness Of the grain and the length
of the head should be considered. This |
nntnf n In
with the yield, since long head often |
contains twice as much grain as a
shorter one. The character of the
straw Is also important. 1t should be !
straight and strong. with no tendency i
to rust, as a weak straw or one that Is |
badly rusted cannot hold up a heavy |
head Of grain. Another point to notice |
IS the stooling-that Is. the number of
stalks that grow up from one seed.
When the required number of such
heads have been found they should be
put away in n dry place until spring.
when they Should he thrashed out sep
arately and planted in n little plot in
the garden. The seed from each head
should be sown in row by itself.
The rows should be about four inches
apart and the plants the same dis
lance apart in the row.
AS harvest time comes on a great
difference in these rows will be no.
ticed. Some will be badly affected
with rust. Some will have weak straw
and will go down badly. Some will
have short heads containing but few
grains each. \ few Of the rows will
contain plants and heads OF the type
you are looking for. Select the best
heads from these rows to plant in next
years plot.
The second year, II the first years
selection was properly carried on, con-
siderable Improvement will be Observ-
ed. This year the seed from each Of
the strongest rows should be saved In
bulk after sorting out any heads that
are not Of the required type. The seed
from each Of these rows is to be plant
ed in little plot by itself the follow
ing spring.
Notes on these plots regarding the
strength Of straw, amount Of stOOling
and resistance to rust should be care
fully kept. The main point to be con-
sidered, however, Is the yield. The
grain from each Of the plots should
be weighed and the preference given
to the heaviest yielders. Seed from
five or six Of the best producing plots
may then be saved for larger plots the
fourth year. The yield OF these, to-
gether with the quality Of grain and
strength Of straw. will determine
which strain Is to be selected for field
use.
A factor which often cuts of as
much as 10 per cent from the yield Of
small grain is smut Unlike rust, the
treatment OF this disease comes more
under the head Of preparation Of the
seed than that Of selection. 1t may be
well, however. to give brief outline
or the methods of prevention here.
Smut is fungous growth-that is. a
low form Of plant which lives on other
plants. 1t usually attacks the heads
or small grain, filling the place where
the kernels should be with a black.
worthless mass. The black dust Of
which this mass Is made up Is COM
prised largely OF spores. which CORE
spohu 10 SEEDS or higher plants. These !
spores become scattered over the seed
IN thrashing and storing. In the
spring, when the grain sprouts, the
smut spore terminates also and sends /
tiny thread up through the stem to /
the head. where 1t develops into the (
familiar smut ball. Often these smut
balls are inside Of a hull that appears
perfectly sound from the outside. SO
that the damage from smut Is much
greater than would appear from sim
ply glancing over the field.
Any method of treatment which will /
destroy the smut spores on the grain |
VIII prove effective. although the smut
which Is scattered In the field some
times infects the plants the next year.
When rotation is practiced, however