The Glasgow courier. [volume] (Glasgow, Mont.) 1913-current, 1915-03-26
HOW TO IMPROVE u A
ITY OF DURUM E

HOW TO IMPROVE QUAIL
ITY OF r WHEATS
By Professor H. L. Bolley, Botanist
and N. D. Seed Commissioner.
Get a pure variety of proper mark
ct type, free from all other kinds of
wheats. Sow it on clean land in a
region where Durum wheat is adapted
to grow. The grower should then
keep his seed in good condition, i'm
proving it from year to year. To do
this be sure to harvest it a little be-
fore it is thoroughly mature. Most
people allow Durum wheat to get ov-
er-mature and it gets injured before
harvested. It should be harvested
dry. The seed should be saved dry.
It should then be graded SO as to elm
mate as far as possible all other
kinds Of seeds, particularly other kinds
of wheats. This process, continued
year after year by the same farmer,
provided he eve sows the wheat on
the same and more often than once
in five or more years, is sure to give
a success in increased yieds and inn
proved qualities. Assuming these gen.
eral methods, one Of the chief means
Of improving the Durum wheats is
to keep we'll in mind the nature of
the wheat, and sow it only in those
particular regions in which it is es-
pecially adapted to grow.
When, Where and What to Sow
The Durum wheats have been in the
habit of growing for countless num-
bers of years upon rather light weight
lands-lands which tend to be UNDER
layed with gravel or n e of high min
eral type rather than the reverse, and
particularly lands which are rather dry
or which are semi-dry in character,
and approaching desert conditions of
atmosphere in day and night-very
hot days in the maturing season, very
cold nights. It has eve been grown
continuously or successfully in lands
of the heavy clay, wet, improperly
or not thoroughly sub-soil drained. 1t
does not do we'll in very heavy, very
highly heterogeneous grounds, particu-
larly if those grounds contain a high
percentage of moisture throughout
the maturing period. On such lands
Durum wheat is apt to grow white and
soft, punky and large berried, and the
straw is apt to be subject to all the
diseases to which any wheat is heir.
The Durum wheats are noted for their
tendency to resist rust and root dis
eases which are rather characteristic
of the bread wheats. They almost
wholly fail to do this if sowed upon
wet, heavy lands.
Those who persist in sowing the
ordinary varieties of Durum wheats
Upon the heavier, wetter lands, SIM
. liar to those found in the heavier land
regions of the Red River Valley or
similarly located black lands where
there is a heavy rainfall during the
maturing and harvesting period, will
not only fail to produce the quality
of wheat which is characteristic of the
proper types of Durum for milling
purposes and thus fail to get the
grade on the market which they hope
to get but when those wheats 60 on
to the market will tend to discredit
the Durum wheats from other regions
of the state which can produce them,
Western South Dakota and Western
North Dakota are ideal regions for the
growing Of Durums. They correspond
very nearly to the original home Of
the chief varieties of Durum.
AS to the variety, it is of the great
est essential that the seed be pure
Durum. There should not be any com
mon bread wheats in them because tn
common bread wheats introduce thai
type of flour which is not desired ir
the Durum -four. Durum f1ours arr
used for special purposes. 1t is yer!
important that a variety should b.
selected that is characteristic of tn
Durum varieties on the market, de
manded by the market. Those VIII
are familiar with Arnautka and Ku
banka varieties will understand tina
these are the ones which have mad
the reputation of Northwestern Soutl
Dakota and Southwestern North Da
kota in the growing of Durum wheats
They are rather large, bright colored
rather light amber colored grains, an
when the sample is a perfect one
there is no sign of cloudness in tn
berry, only a pure, bright, amber col