The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1910-07-01
CROPS OF WHEAT MAY DOUBLE
important Discovery by Agricultural TX
pert-FunguS Causes Poor Crops
Instead of Depleted Soil


College of Agriculture, has solved the
mystery of reduced yields and appar-
ent depletion of fertility in the soil OF
fields that have raised several success
sive crops OF one variety. He has,
after years OF study and experimenting,
succeeded in demonstrating that the
causes back OF the diminishing yield OF
wheat, for example, are not chemical
as has been generally supposed, but
biological. That the trouble is not SO
much that the nitrogen or any other
constituent in the soil has been dimin-
ished, as that the wheat and not the
soil, is exhausted; that the disease
from one crop of wheat is in the field
and contaminates the next, with the
result that there is decreased yield.
The importance Of this discovery can
scarcely be overestimated. 1t holds
out to agriculture, to all who are inter
ested in agriculture-and that means
everyone-the hope of more and better
things. Who can estimate its value to
the Northwest, or the effect upon man
kind? Consider what it would mean
to the farmers Of Minnesota and North
Dakota to have the wheat yield restored
to the average that was obtained on the
virgin soil and under the most favor
able conditi 1ns, and better still, to
have it maintained at that high
mark year after year. The present av-
erage in the two states is about the
same-13R bushels to the acre. 1t
has been demonstrated repeatedly that
twice that amount should be produced,
which would mean in round numbers
500, 100000 added to the annual in
come of the farmers in each state.
That would represent the benefit, I'M
der the present acreage, to be derived
from one crop in the two states. Re-
suits equally beneficial may be expect
ed from various other crops.
1t is impossible to estimate the i'm
portance of getting started on the RICH
track in the effort to cope with the
problems of agriculture. Professor Boil
ley has laid the foundation upon which
investigators and scientists may be ex-
pected to build. He has demonstrated
that there is comparatively little in the
old notion that the soil is worn out
when the yield begins to fall off. He
has proved that the wheat is sick; that
it is suffering from the ravages of a
fungus that spreads thru the soil and is
communicated to succeeding crops;
that the remedy is to get the germs
out OF the soil and to SOW only healthy
seed. He has succeeded in isolating
the fungus that is causing the trouble
and has been carrying on long series
of experiments at the college and on
its demonstration farms to become sure
of his ground before making public
what he has done. The cause of the
trouble has been found to be microbe
known to its associates and aquaintances
by the euphonious and rather signif-
cant appellation helminthosporium. The
professor says the continuous wheat crop
ing has been chiefly instrumental in
the introduction of the wheat parasites
into the soil and the seed and that the
parasites are carried in various ways
from field to field and from crop to crop.
The soil becomes infested with the
fungi which attack the grain, and the
farmer imagines that his land is be-
coming worn out when it is only wheat
sick. The disease may attack the crop
by way OF the seed, the soil or the
wind-blown spores. The action of the
fungi is greatly heightened by hot,
moist weather and poor drainage. 1t
has been found that the fertilizers ap-
piled to the soil have a marked effect
upon the amount of injury the fungi
are able to doethe grain, but the cure
is not in the treatment of the soil alone.
Prof. Bolley is with the Northern Pa
cifc's Better Farming special train
that is at present touring North Dakota
on the way to the Coast. He teaches
the farmers to understand that they can
not SOW good wheat in germ-contam-
mated ground and get the best of re-
suits, nor can they SOW diseased seed
in virgin soil and get maximum yield.
The old excuses for a poor crop are