Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-07-09
POOR DAT SEED CAUSES DROP
IN ANNUAL WELD OF
so,sso,ooo BUSHELS.
CROP OF PRESENT YEAR
MAY SHOW GREATER LOSS
Yield slumps From "a to "a Bushels
Per Acre-secretary Wilson Sets De-
partmsnt at Work Studying Problem
of Developing and increasing Crop
Here and Elsewhere.

over the rapidly decreasing yield of
oats turnout the United States and
has had one of it's expert agronomists,
c. w. Warburton, make a special
study Of the oat trouble. In a report
prepared by Mr.. Warburton and just
issued by the government, he urges
that farmers improve their oat crops
by careful selection of seed, just as the
corn yield. has been greatly increased
in many states, especially in Iowa, by
the development of high grade seed
corn.
This effort of the government to as
sist in the Improvement of the oat
crop is Of vital importance to the
farmers of Iowa who for years have
lead the nation in the production of
oats. Tho Iowa continued to produce
more oats than any other state in the
union, the decreasing yield of oats
there has been particularly noticeable
the last few years. Last year Iowa pro-
duced 1l0,444,000 bushels of oats, while
in 1906 the yield was 140,777, 900 BUSH
els. a decrease of 30,333,000 bushels in
two years. In 1907 the yield was 10S,-
100000 bushels. The average yield an
acre last year was but Slightly above
tWenty-four bushels, as compared with
yield of thirty-four bushels to the
acre in 1906, decrease of nearly ten
bushels an acre in the two years.
Loss of is Millions.
Figured out in dollars this falling off
of 30,339,000 bushels in the Iowa oat
crop from 1906 to 1908 caused loss
Of $15,166,500 to the farmers of Iowa,
valuing the oats at so cents bushel.
Their loss seems certain to be even
greater this year, for the government
experts reported the Iowa oat crop to
be ~ per cent below the normal con-
dition on June 1, as compared with
only per cent below normal on the
same date last year.
The decreasing yield of oats is I'M
doubtedly responsible for the smaller
acreage Of that grain being planted
in Iowa. This year there were planted
4,227,000 acres of oats in Iowa, as COM
pared with 4.645,000 bushels last year,
a decrease of per cent.
Government Agronomist Warburton
says in regard to the need for inn
provement of the oat crop:
| Average Yield Is Bushels.
| Nearly 100000 acres were devoted
to the production of oats in the I'M
| lfed States in 1907. This was the farg-
est acreage reported up to that time,
but the acre yield was the lowest since
1898 and among the lowest recorded
by the bureau of statistics of the I'm
lifted States department of agriculture.
| tho ~, No ,r;o
ducing sections was also very poor.
The acreage in 1908 was approximate
| ly the same as that of the previous
year. and tho the crop was slightly
larger than in 1907, yet it was far be-
low the average of the previous ten
years. When the average yield Of oats
for the United States is as low as
twenty-five bushels to the acre, as it
has been in the past two years. it is
evident that improved varieties and
better methods of growing and hand
ling the crop are much needed.
"The prominent lines along which
| the oat crop can be improved are the
yield, ratio of kernel to hull and weigh
per bushel. Incidentally, selection may
be made for strength of straw, resist.
ance ito disease and earliness, tho al
these points usually contribute to the
increase in yield. Generally speaking
selection will be made for increased
yield with incidental reference t.
lodging and disease resistance and tt
time of maturity. Several methods o
attaining the desired end in the i'm
provement of any small grain crol
may be suggested. These are: Me
chanical selection, Introduction of new
seed, use of the seed plant, individual
plant or head selection and hybridiza-
ton
Choice Of New Seed.
In regard to the Introduction of new
seed, Mr.. Warburton says:
Little permanent improvement cal
be secured by the exchange of see
from one locality to another TIL
transfer of plump, heavy grain grow
under irrigation in Montana can hardl
be attended with success when the sue
ceeding crop is grown under the yer
different conditions of Iowa or Illinois
Experiments now being made by tn
office of grain Investigations of thi
bureau indicate that homegrown see
of given variety will in general out
yield that from a distance, even wher
the original stock is the same. Wher
improved high yielding. varieties ca
be secured from nearby growers, thei
purchase to replace common or inferio
stock is to be recommended, but it i