The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1913-07-31
ALL CORN VERSUS WHEAT

"Since certain spots in the state
have lost their wheat crops this sea
son, some newspapers are going so
far as to advocate the abolition OF
wheat raising, talking as IL corn were
the only certain CROP" says Manley
Champlin, Assistant Agronomist at the
State College when recently inter
viewed upon this important question.
There is always a tendency to jump
from one extreme to the other. Early
oats We're abandoned by many be-
cause early drouth injur d them one
season. Others quit growing durum
wheat and began growing bluestem,
because the hot winds came in 1910
just in time to catch the durum in its
most tender period, that is, while
blooming, but missed the bluestem
which was later in heading.
Nov some talk OF abandoning all
wheat and growing all corn. That OF
course Is impossible, on account of lack
of labor, but there may be much dan.
ger that more corr will be planted
than can be properly cultivated. Poor
ly cultivated, weedy corn fields, are
not desirable. Fortunately, there Is
not any immediate danger Of the total
abandonment OF wheat growing, except
among some of the most radical
Every now and then we have to go
to the Chinese to learn something"
said Mr.. Champlin, when discussing
some Of South Dakota's experimental
work the ether day. They gave us
powder and first invented printing
and many other arts originated with
them. What Is true in industry, is true
in farming.
The Chinese have a custom of grow
ing grain in rows and cultivating it.
Since there is much of our state where
small grains frequently fail by ordi'
nary methods of planting, it was de-
cided to adapt the Chinaman's method
for our use. Accordingly a trial is now
in progress at the Highmore Substa-
ton. Oats and barley are being used
in the experiment. One field is planted
in the usual way and not cultivated.
Another field is planted in drills,
twelve inches apart and cultivated
with the spring tooth weeder. A third
field consists Of double rows six inches
apart with a skip of thirty-six inches
which is cultivated. A fourth field is
sown with rows in threes, six inches
apart with a skip of thirty inches for
cultivation. 1t will thus be seen that
only ~three-eighths as much seed is
used by this method as Is used in ordi-
nary planting. This season the later
method Is proving best Of all. The
ordinary fields wilted and have been
cut for hay. All of the cultivated plots
promise a fair yield Of grain.
Everyone who has lived in the cen
IItl part VI lut Sltlt VIII ililiCuidtcly
see the great advantages of a method
that will produce grain crops in I'M
favorable seasons even II the yield
is not quite as heavy as In favorable
seasons. The price Is nearly always
high in ~unfavorable seasons and low in
favorable seasons. so that the man who
produces twenty bushels of grain
every year is ahead of the man who
produces thirty bushels one year, ten
one year, and twenty another, even
their average yield is the same.
when this experiment has run
through several seasons, 30 that an
average can be secured, the informa-
ton will be published in a bulletin
showing exactly what took place and
the comparative profit per acre from
the various methods will be given"