Smyrna times., 1915-09-29
ADVICE TO KENT FARMERS
ON SOWING WHEAT CROP
N. o. PENCE. COUNTY AGENT.
ON HOW TO INCREASE YIELD
Good Varieties of Seed and Proper
Fertilizing. Together With Bust"
and Fly Preventives Important

The time is fast approaching when |
wheat will be seeded. and il would /
seem tin ely to take up some factors
that will increase the next crop snd |
help TO insure more bushels at less |
cost. The matter of seed is always |
important. The County Agent re-
Gently warned the readers of The In
dex about some of the wheats. for
which great and unreasonable claims
are made. So far as the latest ex-
periments and experience goes, none
Of these so called new wheats are any
better. and few as good. as the old
reliable varieties. furthermore. most
of the so-called wheats are only
standard varieties sold under a new
name. and at a much increased price.
Last year some Of our Kent County
farmers bought wheat at 50 ana up
ward, which could be seeded at the
rate of Jne peck to three pecks per
acre. and which would stool and oc-
cupy the land as we'll as other vari-
eties seeded at the usual rate. All the
growers who have been interviewed
report thai none of these new wheats
are superior TO their home varieties
We recently wrote in these columns
that the Marvellous. Wonderful. Mir
acle and Stoner are all one and the
same wheat. base this statement
on the investigation of several of our
experimental stations, who haze been
trying out the new varieties.
Leaps Prolific Heads The List
Among the smooth wheats the Leaps
Prolific stands out prominently as one
of the best Mr.. E. A. Evans. Of
Cheswold. reports a yield of thirty
one bushels per sere of this variety
for the season 1915. He also re-
ports that this variety outyielded the
Miracle Tor Stoner) during the present
season. The Miracle is cine of the
goo6 bearded varieties. along with
Rudy, Gypsy. Red Wonder. Lancaster
and Fulcaster. The County Agent
will be able 70 advise with any one
and help them secure a better variety
than is now being grown. Owing
to the rainy season and adverse con-
ditions attending threshing this sea
son. much wheSt was binned WITH too
much moisture. Many will be disap-
pointed with a poor stand. due to
heated wheat and injured termination.
IL you cannot test your wheat for
termination, ask your County Agent
10 do so.
Bust and How to Treat II
Hundreds of dollars were lost thi
year by our growers because Of so
called "bust. properly known a
"bunt. (" or sinking smut. II ha
been clearly demonstrated that witt
good materials and careful treatment
this disease. which is carried on tn
seed. may be prevented. Whethe
your seed has any ''bust" this yea
or no. it is just as important I
treat the seed. Your seed, whic
may have been threshed free fror
the trouble, may become infeete
from the threshing machine. the graf
drill OF the grain bin where stored
One pound. or one pint Of formalin I
hfty gallons Of water sprinkled owe
the seed properly will prevent thi
trouble, at cost Of less than on
cent a bushel for the materials. Afts
treatment. cover the seed with graf
bags or binder tsTpaulins. and allo'
the fumes to kill all the fungus spor'
Of the disease. This will take 1
least two hours. snd may be allowe
10 stay on all night onlv enoue
material should be used as is necesssr
to cover each seed with a film Of moi
ture. After treatment spread OF
the seed IN dry. and be careful not
put il where il will become reii
fected.
DO Not Seed Until After Oct. 10th.
Complete details will be given |
the County Agent. We should tai
- precaution this year given by Il
Department of Agriculture and see
wheat only after the fy-free dat
b which for this State does not con
. until October 10th. Previous seedil
. will not only endanger your whes
3 but it is a means of propagating Z
= insects for the neighboihood. Ext
= care should be taken and not alls
> the volunteer wheat. that has start
: on falloT ground. to live over wi
. that seeded this fall. If it is n
) deeply disked under il will carry 1
fly over on the whole crop ne
Q spring. Because Of the high price
q potash in all mixed fertilizers al
? the fact that manufacturers are liks
. tr run below their guarantee foT Il
element. il would seem profitable