The Greenville times., 1910-09-23
WHEAT IN MISSISSIPPI.


Mississippi Experimental Station, will
be instructive to those of our farmers
who contemplate experimenting with
this crop next seasUn.
'FOur experiments indicate that the
best time to plant is from the middle
of October to the middle of November
Our best yields have been from wheat
sown from the middle to the last of
October. The usual amount of seed
sown per acre is four pecks, but five
pecks will probably be better
"There is common belief that va
rieties run out when grown for many
years on the same soil. Experiment
station records show that this is not
true, and that it is unnecessary to
change seed for good yields. The rec
ords show further that the yields in
crease as the variety becomes adapted
to its environments. Running out of
varieties is due to the failure to Sc
lect the best seed each year, and to
poor preparation Of the soil, rather
than to natural causes. There is pro-
badly no ONE variety of wheat or 9th
er grain, that is best for all sections
of the state. In each locality some
varieties are better than others. Tt
is not always the best variety that al
ways gives the largest yield in a vari-
ETY. test for any one year. In study
ing variety tests made at other sta
tions, as well as those of our own, we
find that the highest yielding wheat
in a test for any one year, may not
hold its place for two years in success
sion. Tn our experiment with wheat
the past season, KIOndyBe, a new va
riety tested for the first time, made
the largest yield. We consider this
variety very promising, but will make
further tests before recommending it
to the farmers. There are a few stan
dard varieties that have been tested
for several years in the state, which
we can recommend. Purple Straw,
Golden Chaff, Fulcaster and Fultz are
all good varieties.
"Any suggestion as to the kind and
amount of fertilizer to be applied to
any crop is more or less indefinite
without an accurate knowledge of the
soil and its previous treatment. Fer
tilizer problems are, to a large ex-
tent, local and must be so considered.
The fertilizer that would give best re-
suits on sandy or saniy-loam soils
would probably be of little or no value
on prairie soils. Stable manure is of
more general application than CONNER
cial fertilizers. Manure is more eff
fective in increasing the yield than
commercial fertilizers. Ten tons per
acre is better on average land than
heavier applications. Large quantities
of stable manure usually result in a
heavy growth of straw and tendency
to lodge. If commercial fertilizers are
to be used, I would recommend 500
pounds per acre of a mixture of equal
parts of cotton seed meal and high
grade phosphate, to be applied after
the land had been plowed and thor
oughly worked into the soil with
harrow Tt is often noted in early
spring that the wheat is beginning to
turn yellow and making very little
growth. At this stage an application
of from rs to 100 pounds of nitrate of
soda per acre as top dressing will
often start the wheat back into a Wig
orous growth and materially increase
the yield.
F'After the wheat has been harvest
ed the land may be prepared and plant
ed in early corn to be used for ensil-
age or for a grain crop. There will
be plenty of time for the grain to
mature. Kaffr corn may be planted
for forage, seed or both, sorghum will
produce a crop of hay, molasses, or can
be used as a soiling crop to supplement
a short pasture. German millet, cow
peas or soy beans may be grown for
either hay or seed. Spanish peanuts
and sweet potatoes may be grown for
market or used to fatten hogs, Irish
potatoes and many other crops may
follow wheat with profit TO the farmer.