Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1909-02-02
10 G 3 8 !
FIG. XIII GOOD AND BAD TYPES OF SEED
WHEAT.
Mote the shriveled shrunken condition
OF the kernels to the right

Mote the shriveled shrunken condition
OF the kernels to the right
enough. Some of the largest grains
are shriveled and light in weight.
The only way to separate these is to
use plenty of wind in the tanning
mill so as to blow them over. Such
grains are all right for feed, but are
entirely out of place in the seed bin.
This method of selection is especially
important in the case of wheat as it
separates the hard from the soft
grains to some extent, since the soft
ones are lighter. Hardness is an i'm
portant factor to look after, since
hard wheat is much more valuable
for milling purposes, making larger
amount of high grade -four.
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
item as compared with the benefits.
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
latter point has great deal to do
with the yield, since long head often
contains twice as much grain as q
shorter one. The character Of the
straw Is also important. 1t should be
straight and strong, with no tendency
to rust, as 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 dry place until spring
when they should be thrashed out sep
arately and planted in 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
| L., Of tlo 1.,il
contain plants and heads Of the type
you are looking for. Select the bes
heads from these rows to plant in mex
years plot.
The second year, If the first years
selection was properly carried on, con
ed This year the seed from each OF
the strongest rows should be saved II
bulk after sorting out any heads thai
are not Of tie required type. The seeC
from each of these rows Is to be plant
ed In little plot by itself the follow
ing spring.
Notes on these plots regarding thu
strength Of straw, amount Of stoolint
and resistance to rust should be care
fully kept. The main point to be con
sidered, however, is the yield. TIL,
grain from each of the plots SHOULD
be weighed and the preference givel
to the heaviest yielders. Seed iron
FIVE or six Of the best producing plot
may then be saved for larger plots tn,
fourth year. The yield of these, to
gether with the quality of grain ant
strength of straw, will determine
which strain is to be selected for fell
use.
A factor which often cuts off a
much as 10 per cent from the yield O
small grain is smut Unlike rust, tn
treatment Of this disease comes NOR
under the head of preparation of tn
seed than that of selection. 1t may b
well, however, to give brief outlin
Of the methods Of prevention here.
Smut is fungous growth-that is,
! low form of plant which lives on othe
, plants. 1t usually attacks the head
Of small grain, filling the place wher
the kernels should be with blacL
worthless mass. The black dust Q
which this mass is made up is CON
prised largely of spores, which CORE
spond to seeds OF higher plants. Thes
spores become scattered over the see
i. in thrashing and storing. In til
spring, when the grain sprouts, til
smut spore terminates also and send
, tiny thread up through the stem
the head, where it develops into tn
familiar smut ball. Often these smu