Wallowa County chieftain. [volume] (Enterprise, Or.) 1909-1911, 1909-04-29
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FIG. xIu-oooD AND BAD TYPES OF SEED
WHEAT


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 ale
entirely out of place in the seed bin.
This method of selection is especially
important In the case of wheat, as II
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 a larger
amount OF high grade -four.
II the most value is to be obtained
from the selection of seed some def
mite plan Of improvement must be fol-
lowed. BY a 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 a 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 a
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 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 a dry place until spring.
when they should be thrashed out sep
arately and planted in a little plot I'm
the garden. The seed from each head
should be sown in a row by iteclf.
The rows should be about four inches
apart and the plants the same dis
tance 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. A few of the rows win
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 obsery-
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
he weighed and the preference given
TO the heaviest yielders. Seed from
Eve 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 Off 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