The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-05-19
PROF. BOLLEY TELLS OF
WHEAT DETERIORATION
Explains at Length the Causes and the Cure for "Wheat
Sick" Land-Gfves Present Status Of the Spring
Crop IN North Dakota

a lasting and regularly profitable basis,
! am often asked If such conclusions
are based upon a few microscopic ex-
n aminations of few wheat plants. My
answer Is, no, ! have always worked
as botanist but have lived as an
agriculturist should, in the field. The
conclusions are based: ID on field OBJ
servations throughout North Dakota
and other wheat areas (2) On OBJ
Iservations upon climatic conditions. (3)
On general farm methods. ca On
biological studies of the wheat crop
ana ITS allies under all available con-
dltlons In the field, in the granary, in
the laboratory, and in culture houses
ana culture cages CD On specially
planned experiments in the field and
the laboratory during twenty seasons
4 OF careful study Other experiments
cover specific trials in blowing, spad-
ing, making Of the seed bed. planting.
fertilizing, sterilizing and in treating
the soil, chemically and deal specif1-
cally with testing of varieties. seed
selection and seed breeding for WELD.
for color, for plumpness, for hardness
for weight, for crushing resistance and
for disease resistance. and vet Others
deal with seed treatment in all the
known forms and in all directions nos
| sible in the time available. Pure cuI-
lures or various varieties of wheat
have been kept under constant obser-
walton under many fixed cultural
methods for period of fifteen years
Finally, the soil has been studied as to
its chemical content, its physical text
ure, its bacterial and fungus content.
and its weed relations, and a careful
held survey of all fungus growths upon
the wheat plant has been made under
all available conditions of root. stem.
leaf and seed development.
Conditions of Soil and Climate.
The conclusions now reached are that.
many conditions of soil and climate
directly affect the yield of wheat, but
that above all else the crop is subject
to the attack of many parasites other
than present weIl-known insects rusts
and SHUTS, and that some five or six
of these are internally borne by the
seed grains from crop to crop and that
several of the least conspicuous of them
though the most destructive, are per-
sistent in the soils after once there.
and are scattered to new areas with
great rapidity at various times of the
year, seed borne, wind end water borne,
carried by farm implements, sacks ma
chinery, manures, ETC.
The scientific descriptions of such
parasites would hardly be in place in
this article, but it will be interesting
to most botanists to know that neither
rust nor smut can compare as wheat
destroyers with the heretofore sup
posedly innocent genera Helminthos-
porium, Colletotrichum, Fusarium. AL
ternaria and Macrosporium. Species OF
these fungi are regular inhabitants of
the soils of old wheat areas and attack
as internal parasites the roots, stems.
leaves and seeds of the wheat plant.
and are transmitted by the seed as in
ternal parasites to the seedlings of the
new crop.
or these genera mentioned. 1t is vet
impossible to affirm which one is most
destructive, but all aid either several
~ or individually in. bringing about
SEED deterioration and soil sickness. No
mother plant once attacked can pro-
duce normal berry as to color text
ures and weight quality. Even crops
cured under canvas may thresh out
SEED giving all the appearance of field
bleaching and blistering.
~~hAN@Ey Wow FOings
This new sanitary view point in
wheat cropping, hold should give new
nope to the wheat and cereal growers
IL gives new light on many questions
IL explains why supposedly virgin soils
Wnen surrounded by old wheat areas
no longer are certain to produce plump
wheat, and why first-class titled and
drained lands as in corn culture or
summer fallow, may only produce
shrlvelled seed, because disease con-
ANIMATED seed is sown thereon: also
why corn culture or summer faIlow
with plump, Well colored, treated seed
may give old-time yields of good quail
", even on old wheat soils for such
culture, through aeration, etc. tends to
Tree the land of these rather delicate
-ungl SO that healthy seed sown there
-nrlVes more nearly normally. 1t ex-
plains why 1t Is so difficult to get
normally good colored grain even in
absence or wet at harvest time. for
-hese fungi stain and blister or loosen
me seed coats even in nearly full form.
"a grams. 1t accounts in part for the
apparently great destruction caused by
comparatively slight attack of rust.
or In such cases these diseases great
exaggerate the injury done by the
'ust fungi. 1t explains why seed grain
should always be disinfected before
sowing, for even plump undiseased
sralns are found to carry the spores OF
hese minute fungi on the exterior
iusted on at threshing time. 1t ex-
'lalns why fresh uncomposted BARN
'ard manures applied to clean wheat
ands are often found to be very de-
tructive to the crop, for such mannres
re often thoroughly contaninated
With living spores of these wheat dis
ase producing fungi which have beer
Introduced into the barnyard manures
nd highly developed there because OF
he diseased wheat straw used as bed
ling for the stock.
Finally it gives clear cut reason
Which anyone can understand For
roper, long serted, crop rotation
nethods, and explains why nothing less
han the plumpest. best colored. heav-
est wheat grains should be selected for
eed, for no internally parasitized
Theat grain can be both plump and
lean Of color, nor can it produce q
ealthy plant or normal yield.
II IN ///Z/z%WT -----