The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1916-11-24
GROWING GRAIN ON SOUTH.
ERN IDAHO DRY FARMS.

reliable Information which will en-
able them to make homes on the dry
farms as quickly and al as little ex
pense as possible. the a. s. Depart
ment of Agriculture has just publish
ed Farmers 'Bullentin 76s. Growing
Grain on Southern idaho Dry Farms =
The author OF the bulletin. l.. c. Aich-
er, assistant agronomist in theBureau
OF Plant Industry, discusses in detail
the soil, climate and conditions on
the Snake river plains of southern
Idaho and the dry-farmed valleys op-
ening into this great basin. the section
to which the publication applies.
Several pages are devoted to dis
cusston of the proper dry.farming ma.
chinery and its use. The remainder
OF the bulletin deals with selection
and treatment OF seed. and seed.bed
preparation. and recommends the va.
rieties OF spring and winter wheat,
oats. barley. emmer. spelt. rye and
flax found best adapted 10 the dis,
triet. The author after discussing va.
rieties gives definite directions as to
time OF sowing and methods OF hand,
ling the different varieties to attain
the best results.
OF the general soil situation in this
district. he states:
'Humus and nitrogen are lacking
more or less in the southern Idaho
soils The dry farmer on the plains
is handicapped because of lack OF SUI.
ficient moisture in the soil TO rot any
great quantity OF vegetable matter
Straw, manure and legumes should be
used to help build up the dry-land soils
but owing TO the light rainfall this
must be done very slowly.
THE dry-farm soils. il properly
iarmed. will yield good returns. If
profitable rotation can be planned a
permanent dry-farm agriculture prac-
tically is assured"
Importance Of Good Seed.
The author lays particular stress
on the importance OF selecting and
treating seed. particularly wheat
ON this subject he says:
Wheat growers and seedsmen often
claim that wheat runs out Some of
the best farmers In southern Idaho
ship in Turkey wheat from other To-
calities every three or four years be.
cause they say their seed is running
out These growers think that yields
decrease and the percentage OF yel-
low berry increases each year the crop
is grown.
This is not really the case. II
properly handled. the quality OF the
crop can be improved or at least
maintained as long as it is grown in a
community. The variety becomes
adapted 10 local climatic conditions.
II the conditions are severe. only the
best and most fit plants survive.
The results OF many experiments
prove eonclusiyely that the source OF
seed has nothing TO do with the pro.
portion of yellow berry in the crop in
any year II is proved also that de
creased yields need not result from
using homegrown seed. other fac
tors are responsible for the low yields.
Grading the Seed.
Grading the seed with a tanning
mill will do more to maintain yields
| than the introduction OF new seed.
Blow out all the chaf. straw, and
| Shrunken kernels. Sow only plump
seed. which contains plenty OF food
10 supply the sprouting plant until the
roots are able to obtain food from the
soil Plump grain also is less injured
| By the smut treatment and always
terminates better than shrunken seed.
Get pure. high.yielding variety from
sour state experiment station or some
other reliable source and then take
| good care OF H.
Treating Wheat for Sinking Smut.
The first essential for treating
wheat for bunt or sinking smut is to
/ fan the grain well. thus blowing out
all light material and any smut balls
that may BE- preafnt II smut balls
still are presen,. put the wheat in q
barrel OF wafer. They then come u
the surface and can b. skinned OF
Toe water is then drained out Of the
barrel. and the seed resacked and
made ready for immediate treatment
in the smut destroying solution.
The formsldehyde treatment foi
sinking smut requires soaking ths
grain about ten minutes in a solution
Of pint Of commercial forInAldehyds
10 Is gallons Of water The seed
should then BE- dumped in a pile. pref
erably on a canvas. and covered fol
two hours This is done TO distribut,
the formaldehyde gas throughout tbs
pile and to prevent the escape Of tbs
gas. The seed then should be spreaC
out thinIy on a canvas. dried sufiic
isntly TO SOW in a drill. and put in