The Mobridge news. [volume] (Mobridge, Walworth Co., S.D.) 190?-1917, 1914-04-17
DURUM wheat IN SOUTH DA.
kOTA
BY !. 8. OAKLAND.
Assistant In Asronomy State College,
Bookings


portation of Kubanka wheat in 1900
has proven to be one of the best durum
wheats for South Dakota. There are
two strains of Kubanka, but Kubanka
1440 is the best yielder at present.
Possibly a Wild Goose variety has
been grown in the state for some time.
This variety is not as good a yielder
above named.
Durum wheat (Triticum durum) Is
closely related to the common wheats
which comprise the principal wheat
crops of this country. The durum va
rieties are all spring wheats, at least
80 far as is known.
Durum wheat differs from common
wheat in size and character of both
plant and grain. The plants are usual
ly taller and the leaves are broader
than the common wheats. The head
is more compact and square, and the
boards are long and persistent, which
gives the plant somewhat the resum-
blance of barley. The chaff is brown
or black, and may be smooth or vel
vety. Kubanka 1440 is not a pure
strain since one often finds it mixed
with black heads. The grain is a light
amber color, differing from the COM
mon Wheats which are dark red. The
kernels are larger and harder than the
ommon wheat. One objection may
be raised because of the boards. but
nearly all the farmers living In the
dryer belts raise Bearded Fife.
The advantages of raising durum
wheat are that it is quite resistant to
smut and rust, although different va
rieties of this grain are also note
worthy. A five years test at the High
more station gave a yield Of seven and
one-half bushels Of grain over any
other variety of common wheat, based
on a f%ve-year average. In regions or
less han 20 inches Of rainfall 1T Will
yield better than any OF the common
wheats. Red Fife outyielded the du-
rum wheat at the Brookings station.
However, we may be quite safe in say
ing that where the average rainfall is
more than 20 inches, the common
wheats will outyjeld the durum wheat.
The greatest encouragement In the
raising of durum wheat was that it
brought less on the market than the
common variety. In 1902 the price for
durum wheat was 10 cents below the
common wheat, while in 1912 durum
wheat sold for 5 cents premium above
common wheat. The figures are taken
d. " nnl,fI NJ;N,,
on December I.
Experimental evidence has shown
that Kubanka 1440 yields as high a
per cent of -four as does the best COM
mon wheats, although the percentage
of high grade -four Is less. The per-
centage of shorts, however, is greater,
while that of bran is less from durum
than. from common wheat. The hard
ness of the durum kernel increases
the cost of milling. Millers have esti-
mated the cost of grinding to be Is
cents a barrel more than for common
wheat. The baking qualities of durum
-four are high. 1t contains more crude
protein than does the flours made
from other classes Of wheat. The col.
or Of durum wheat -four is more yellow
than that made from other wheats, and
this IS held Objectionable by some
people.
The culture for durum wheat is
much the same as for common wheat.
The date of seeding is the same, but
the rate Of seeding would be more
since it does not stool as much. Three
stools to a plant IS about the average
for a good field, while some of the com
NOR wheat varieties stool more than
twice as much. Three to five pecks
per acre will be about right for most
parts Of South Dakota. The drill
should be opened wider than for the
same amount OF common wheat since
the kernels are much larger.
II one Is to make a success in the
raising Of durum wheat, two things
must be kept in mind: "a Sow a
good variety. Kubanka 1440 is n OF
the best varieties. 1t is hard to get
any quantity Of this seed now, either
from the seed houses or from expert
ment stations. It will be but a short
time DtlOlS IdiSC duuItitiOo N"h w
obtained, and IN the meantime you
may be planning out a rotation con
tanning durum wheat, sweet clover, anc
corn or any rotation which will keel
up the permanent fertility of the soil
The raising Of more legumes and dairy
cattle will be the only solution.
(2) One of the greatest objections
the buyer finds today is the difficulty
Of buying pure wheat. Much OF the
durum wheat on the market today con
tains a large per cent of common
wheat. such mixtures being very objec
tionable to the millers and result il
materially reducing the price OF Thu
crop. Mixtures Of over 10 per cent are
very common, and these mixtures cal
not spell but loss to the raiser. IL
cutting the durum wheat, we shoulc
wait until it is dead ripe, since a grea
shrinkage will result II harvested whel
400 green. 1t does not shatter as tn,
bearded common wheats do, so that n
loss will result when harvested in tn
ripe stage. Send for bulletin No. LAT
Experiment station, Bookings.
NAMING FRUITS AND VEGETA