The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1911-07-20
Better Wheat Crops in Missouri.
+. H. Demaree, Acting Director Of the
Agronomy Department. Missouri
Experiment StaIIOn.

+. H. Demaree, Acting Director of the
Agronomy Department Missouri
Experiment Station.
Because of the comparatively large
profit and certainty Of the corn crop.
there has been in the last few years
an excess In the corn acreage which
has resulted in an injury to the
ground and a reduction In the yield.
The excess can also be accounted for
by the fact that the hcssian fly and
he chinch bug did so much destruc.
lion in the wheat crop and caused the
farmers TO lose interest in It. Few
men have stopped to figure the com
paratve cost and returns OF the two
crops
The statistics kept by the state
show that the corn and wheat crops Of
Missouri just a little more than pay
rent on the land To increase the
profits the yields must be increased.
The first step in increasing the
yields is 10 rotate the crops. At the
Missouri! Experiment Station the re.
suits Of the two methods OF cropping
hays been thoroughly compared
While the plots on which the same
crop has been grown continuously for
the last 20 years have not paid for
he cost of production, those growing
corn in rotation with other crops pro-
duccd S02 per cent more than the con.
linuous cropping ones Wheat yields
increased 2S4 per cent during the
same time, due to rotation.
The differences in the variety Of
wheat are not so great as some OF the
other factors. There are many good
varieties grown in the state How.
over. It pays to use pure seed Of n
given variety and keep It pure on the
farm.
The wheat is best adapted to a close
soil. It is a shallow roofing crop, con.
sequently II the soil Is very porous
the plants are heayed out in winter
and the soil washed from around them
in spring So any variety OF wheat
will do best on the above mentioned
type Of soil where 1t Is held most
firmly in the ground. However much
can be done to make such a condition
in other types OF soil Too often our
farmers pillow their ground late and
are unable to crush the clods, then
SOW the grain when Il Is not we'll GOV.
cred, and do not get down to the
moist dirt so It can terminate at
once. Consequently, n poor stand Of
weak plants results. These are never
able TO withstand severe winter
Flowing for wheat should be done
as early IN the summer as possible,
and frequent cultivation made over
the top of the ground. This will
allow the connection between the sur
face soil and the subsoll to be re.
sumed, and will make n fine seeded
on top. Liberal use of the roller is
recommended, then fine seeded
made on top with a spring tooth har-
row.
Many farmers practice following
wheat after corn, either cutting up the
corn or sowing 1t between the corn
rows. II the corn has been cut up,
the ground should be disked thorough
iy before the wheat is put in, or II 1t
is the intention to SOW between the
rows, late cultivation Of the corn
should be practiced, in order to keep
the ground free Of weeds and loose
seed bed on top. AS good results can.
not be expected by sowing wheat af
ter corn as by sowing on plowed
ground.
For north Missouri wheat may be
sown from September / to 18th, or II
the season is late, even few days
later. In south Missouri II is not ad.
visable to SOW earlier than the goth
of September, and sowing may be