The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1909-07-16


less supply of fertility is becoming
worn out. The humus especially has
been used rapidly, with no source of
renewal. Usually it does not take
more than a decade of continuous
wheat growing to reduce the yield one
half. Conditions in the winter wheat
belt are not so bad, but there is much
room for Improvement there also. Not
only is continuous wheat growing hard
on the soil, but it does not distribute
the work evenly throughout the year.
In the spring there is a rush to get the
seed in. In the fall there is q still
greater rush to get the crop harvested
there is little to do. What the wheat
farmer needs is diversification-mo
live stock, more crops and rotation.
The wheat belt and the corn belt
should be mixed up more. Many farm
ers In the corn belt raise wheat as one
of the leading small grain crops. Many
others would find it profitable to do so.
Glasses of Wheat.
Wheat is divided into two general
classes-winter and spring. Winter
wheat is sown in the fall, makes con-
siderable growth and comes up and
heads out the next season. Spring
wheat is sown in the spring in much
the same manner as oats. In Mime
sofa, the Dakotas and other states Of
the same latitude or farther NORTH
spring wheat is the only kind that can
be grown successfully since the Sc
we're winters are fatal to the fall sown
varieties. In the northwest, however,
the warm winds from the Pacific so
moderate the climate that winter
wheat can be grown successfully. Far
Their south, in the winter wheat belt.
the bulk Of the wheat is sown in the fall
There are many objections to winter
wheat. 1t does not make as high a
quality Of -four owing to the smaller
gluten content 1t is the gluten that
gives the gummy consistence to bread
dough that causes it to rise when
mixed with yeast. Winter wheat occa.
sionally winter kills, resulting in a
loss Of the seed and the work Of seed
ing. The most serious objection in the
corn belt is that 1t does not work in
well after corn, which is the accus-
toned place for small grain in the TO-
tation. These objections are overbal-
anced, however, by its greater yield
ing ability. The start which 1t gets
in the fall enables it to come up much
more vigorously in the spring and give
about twice as many bushels per acre
as can be obtained from the spring
varieties.
Wheat is further ,subdivided into
hard and soft varieties. The soft
wheat makes flour that is unsuited
to breadmaking because of it's lack of
gluten. 1t is used extensively in max
ing crackers. The amount of soft
wheat grown for market is compare
lively small.
A new variety of wheat known as
macaroni has been introduced into the
western states within the last few
years. 1t is very high in gluten and
is much used In the manufacture Of
macaroni 1t does not make a very
high quality of bread owing to its yell
lowish color. The chief advantage Of
macaroni wheat is that 1t can be
grown in regions where the rainfall is
too scanty for the standard varieties.
Will Wheat Run Out7
There is a widespread impression
that wheat will run out II grown in
the same locality for a number of
| years. Experiments at a number Of
stations show that this is not so. The
real cause for wheat running out Is
| continuous culture on the same land,
with little attention paid to seed selec-
ton. Another fact that experiments
have brought out is that the standard
varieties are superior to most Of the
new ones. Every year seedsmen make
claims Of wonderful yields obtained
1 from new varieties, not only Of wheat