The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1911-01-20

GFS convention was that or Dean A r.
Woods of the Minnesota Agricultural
college.
Mr.. Woods paper was as follows:
Our two most important grains,
wheat and corn, are Of sub-tropical
origin, wheat from the region of Pales-
tine and corn from the highlands Of
Guatemala. The great food value of
these grains has led to their spread
into all climates where it is possible
to grow crops at all. Through ages
of adaptation and selection, numberless
varieties have been developed adapted
to a great variety of conditions In the
past we have considered many Of these
as botanical or agTonomic curiosities.
When Aaronsohn announced few
years ago that he had discovered wild
wheat Of the speltZ and durum type
growing wild On the mountains OF
Palestine, / often heard the remark of
what Importance is it except as a
matter of scientific interest. Mr.Aaron-
sohn told me that attitude of mind
was quite general in Europe and not
infrequent in America.
When the national department first
sent Mr.. Carleton to Russia to
study wheat culture there, especially
the hard winter varieties Of the Turkey
type and the durums, we were often
asked why IT was necessary to waste
money on goose wheats when they had
long been tested and found of no value
and as for the Turkey wheats we al
ready had the best. But the trip re-
suited In securing strains that car
ried the winter wheat belt 200 miles
north and west and also the introduce
ton Of better types of durum adapted
to the drier areas of the great plains
and possessing great rust resistance.
The Swedish select oat was also intro
duced at that time.
It is worthy of note that these most
valuable strains are found in the old
world often in restricted localities and
usually grown up very poor and ignor-
ant farmers, men who lived on land
that their ancestors had been living
on and cultivating for many genera
tions. They were as a rule too poor
to buy seed in the markets and trusted
each year to saving seed from the
years crop. If a drought or rust or in
sect pest destroyed a large part of the
crop the remaining crop was not
wasted, but as much as possible saved
for seed. Thus by a process Of ma
tural selection under the existing con-
ditions, strains adapted to the limiting
conditions of the region were gradually
developed.
Beginning an Era,
We have now clearly realized the sit
uation, and the great value Of these
adjusted strains for areas in our own
country when these conditions are
present, and we are beginning a much
more scientific introduction and test
ing. The whole problem of more per-
fectly adjusting varieties to soil and
climatic conditions of individual
farms is just beginning to be appre-
ciated. We are just beginning the sci
entific era of seed growing. Either the
farmer must learn to grow his own
seed and adjust it to his local condi-
tons or we must have growers who
make a speciality of growing seed for
certain we'll defined areas fixed by
comparative agricultural and soil sur
veys
In this adjusting process, more use
viii need to be made of composite
breeding such as the combining Of the
rust and drought resistance Of the
emmers and durums with the berry of
the bluestone. Our experiments are
making 1t clearer as the work pro-
crosses that unit characters of value
may be thus sifted out and recombined
into permanent types of agricultural
value. Real scientific introduction and
breeding is now in its infancy and
much more may be expected from 1t in
the near future.
This is work that must be done
while in the experimental stages
largely by the experiment stations as
it is slow and expensive. The north
west is familiar with Minnesota Sc
lections of blue stem No. 1863 distrlb-
uted in 1902 and which averages 10
yield Is per cent better than the or
binary unsolicited blue stem. No. 1f3
a selection of fife distributed in 1899,
averages IS per cent more than the I'M
selected strains. The blue stems. how
ever. are subject to rust and not as
high yielders as some of the durums
If rust resistance and yielding power
of the durum can be combined with
the berry of the blue stem, Wa would
have an ideal spring wheat for the
northwest. We have gone long way
towards accomplishing this at the
Minnesota station. 1 believe we will
succeed. This alone would add not
less than 200,00O,000 bushels to the
Minnesota crop on the basis of the
present average. IF Minnesota No. r69
ExaA ~ To-
spring wheat acreage in the state, the
increased yield would have been nearly
95,000,000 bushels. The epoch making
work of Professor Bolley has shown
that wheat, like fax and numerous
other crops Is subject to attacks of
certain fungi which weaken the plant
and reduce the yield. 1t is probable
that as in the case of wilt disease of
flax and similar disease OF cotton,
cow peas and melons, that the snaI
solution Of the problem of control will
be In the finding or breeding OF resist
ant varieties. If BolIey is correct as
to the extent of reduction In weld due
to these organisms, this would mean
getting again the old time yields of
thirty to fifty bushels instead of
twelve to sixteen.
Disease Resistant Varieties.
In the development of varieties more
resistant to disease and unfayorable
conditions and of higher yielding pow
er, the question of milling and bread
making must not be overlooked. Too
much weight, however, must not be
given to qualities which are more mat
ters of style or fad than of intrinsic
value. If perfectly white color can be