Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1910-05-22

ClanSeQ, anu YET olAe1S 10y
blame upon poor drainage, etc., whlle
the division of soils of the deprat-
ment of agriculture has proposed the
theory that the wheat crop kills itself
by exuding poisons, toxins.
Observation in the fields through
out the northwest during a period OF
twenty seasons cOnvinces me tnat
many of these factors have some bear
ing in special areas, but that IN gen.
eral they do not apply. Practically
all best farmers of the Red River
valley seem convinced that something
is wrong, but they cannot agree that
the soil is chemically exhausted, or
that in general the tillage Is worse
than in early years. l agree with
them and was ready to do so ten
years ago. These men point out var
iOus evident facts, as for example,
all farming tools are now OF better
quality, plows, harrows, tanning mills,
manure spreaders, rollers, discs, weed
burners, etc. Never in the history or
the valley have the big wheat fields
been so we'll plowed and titled. Never
in the history of the state of North
Dakota have so many farmers placed
a careful manner and never have so
many men carefully graded their
grain or tried so hard to procure good
seed for sewing as have done so in
the past few years. Yet on the best
titled fields, whether on summer 1al-
low, corn ground or even new break
ings of the valley, the harvested grain
is apt to be shriveled, white bell1ed,
black pointed, forty or fifty-five pound
stuff. School lands Of the eastern
portion of the state, virgin sod, never
previously broken, often does no bet
ter than the surrounding old wheat
areas. Many farmers have for sew
eral years testified to this last fact,
which Is apparent to the careful OBJ
server. 1t is evident that the poor
tillage," poor drainage chemical
exhaustion" or toxine theories, either
severally or together cannot apply
in all these cases.
Does Not Urge No Manure.
do not wish to be misunderstood
| do not argue for constant cropping.
I would not argue that soil cannot De
exhausted chemically. l would not
argue that manure should not be ap"
piled. l do not argue that there are
not many weedy and faulty farmed
farms, but I do say that never IN the
history of general wheat farming mas
it been so carefully and we'll done as
at present on the great farms of the
Dakotas and Minnesota. There must
therefore, in consideration OF the facts
named above, be other more general
reasons for wheat deterioration IN
yield per acre and in wheat quality
per bushel than is advocated in the
general theories previously mention
ed.
Chief Cause of Deterioration.
l here give what I take to be the
chief cause of wheat deterioration,
and I expect to be able to prove that
that cause rests essentially in poor
sanitary conditions of the seed ana
soil. Other factors may have been
specified bearing in specific sections
and on specific farms, but diseased
seed and disease infected soil now
holds over all other factors as the
general reducer of crop yields. But
a few years since this was demon
strated for the potato producers so
that they now know what it means
to select and treat the seed potatoes,
spray the vines and rotate for that
crop. Fruit growers, especially ap'
pie growers, know what a sanitary
handling of the orchards mean tot
them. I announce with full conf1-
dence, based upon studies and Obser-
vations which can only be interpret
ed from the sanitary point of view,
that wheat growers must get into
line on sanitary methods if they wish
to place wheat and cereal cropping on
a lasting and regularly profitable ba-
sis.
am often asked if such conclu-
sions are based upon few microsco-
pic examinations of few wheat
plants. My answer is, no. I have al
ways worked as botanist, but have
lived as an agriculturist should, in the
field. The conclusions are based:
~ on field observations throughout
North Dakota and other wheat areas.
(2) on observations upon climatic
conditions. (3) on general farm meth
DDS. a. on biological studies of the
wheat crop and it's allies under all
available conditions in the field in the
granary, in the laboratory, and in
culture houses and culture cages. 90
on specially planned experiments in
the field and the laboratory during
twenty seasons of careful study. 9th
er experiments cover specific trials in
blowing, spading, making of seed bed,
planting, fertilizing. sterilizing and in
treating the soil, chemically and deal
specifically with testing of varieties,
seed selection and seed breeding for
-eld, for color, for plumpness, for
hardness, for weight, for crushing re-
sistance, and yet others deal with
seed treatment in all the known
forms and in all directions possible
IN the time available. Pure cultures
for various varieties of wheat have
been kept under constant observa.
ton under many fixed cultural meth
DDS for a period of fifteen years. Fin
ally, the soil has been studied as to
it's chemical content, it's physical text
ure, it's bacterial and fungus content,
and it's weed relations, and a careful
field survey of all fungus growths
&1@ 1xyh~ h4r Id