The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1912-03-29

was unable to attend the meeting
because of illness but a copy of the
address ON Increased Production
Through the Use of Improved Pure
Bred Seeds" he was to have de-
livered was sent to The Free Press,
and it is as follows:
"The work of grain breeding has
been in progress ,at the Wisconsin
station since 1893 and experiments
clearly prove that, marked improve.
ment can be made with all grains
and forage plants by following de-
finite lines of systematic breeding.
For centuries our animal breed
ers have been busy improving farm
animals until throughout the civiliz-
ed world we can find the beautiful
Guernsey, Holstein and Jersey cattle,
the Percheron, Shire and Clydes-
dale horses, the Poland, China, Berk-
shire and Chester hogs, the Shrop-
shire, Dorset and OsfOrd sheep with
many other strains of cattle, horses,
etc., not mentioned. These patient
breeders have clearly demonstrated
through long series of years what
can be accomplished in the way
of improvement brought about by
animal breeding and have done much
in the way of establishing pure bred
animal centers where farmers can
secure pure bred sires and dams if
necessary to improve and finally
to take the place of the scrub stock
usually kept on the average farms.
A noble, painstaking work carried on
for hundreds of years for which
men devoted the best years of their
lives for this noble achievement.
..-. Seed Grain Situation.
"No one, however, seemed to
think seriously of the seed grain
situation and scrub grains of no die
tinct breeding were found every.
where throughout, farming commu-
mites. The production of pure bred
seed the very foundation rock upon
which the best live stock industry
is based seemed sadly neglected,
and general deterioration of the
productive powers of grains was
everywhere noticeable.
"The plant breeder has it within
his power to make great strides
and with his opportunity OF dealing
with millions of individual. plants
can accomplish In single generation
the Improvement that has taken cen
turtles to accomplish In animal
breeding. Only twelve years ago
Wisconsin was trying to grow a
hundred scrub varieties of corn,
from So to 100 varieties of barley,
oats, rye, wheat, etc. No distinct
varieties noted for their quality and
Corn, the crop upon, which so many
of our dairymen were dependent,
the seed with. few exceptions was
annually bought in accordance with
the scoop shovel method resulting
in the farmers getting shelled seed
corn usually: several varieties to
be planted together in the same
field. No wonder we were not sue
cessful in our efforts at corn grow
ing when our seed embodied early,
very low in vitality and energy
Our seedsmen were powerless no
pure seeds could be obtained and
regularly. they were. forced to put
upon the market scrub corn and
other seeds. hs. r., .,... ~
In the Barley Region.
In the barley region it was found
that often bearded, beardless. hull
less, two rowed, four rowed and
six rowed varieties were found in
the same field. Different varieties
of barley require different periods
of time for termination, some of
the varieties will terminate in two
days, some in four days some in
six days and some intermediate.
The malster was puzzled as he de-
sired to have a barley for mailing
that the kernals would all sprout
at approximately the same time If
he waited for the six day barley to
sprout he would lose the value of
the barley that sprouted in days
and If he tried to strike happy
medium, which was the only thing
he could consistently do he lost at
both ends. He could not stand the
loss, consequently paid for the bar
ley in accordance with the amount |
Of malt he could secure from it, |
hence the farmer received less
money for his barley.
Different Varieties Of Barley.
''Also the different varieties OF |
barley ripen at different periods and |
Tho 10 rrnor moo 4ornnd "a n,,4. a.