Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1917-09-20
Warning to Guard Seed Wheat.

Warning to Guard Seed Wheat.
A warning to American farmers not to
be misled, in their zeal for increased
wheat production, into planting aonor-
mally high-priced seed for which ex-
trayapant claims are made has just been
issued by the United States Department
OF Agriculture.
"Wheat is attracting. at the present
time, greater attention than perhaps ever
before, owing to its comparative scarcity
and high price and The necessity OF sow
ing large acreage this fall, says the
departments statement. GAS might be
expected, therefore, various persons are
offering 10 the public varieties that they
describe as far superior to the kind now
being grown. These varieties are usu-
allv owen some catchy name and extraV-
apant claims are made for them.
IAN example OF this kind is the Alaska
or Seyen-headed wheat that was ex-
plotted few years ago. The hackers OF
this wheat did not get very far with II,
however, as the Post Office Department
issued a fraud order and their business
came 10 standstill. This type OF wheat
having large branched head has been
offered at high prices to the people Of
this country many times under one name
or another. Records concerning it 90
back more than a hundred years. Just
now another exploitation is threatening
under the name Titanic This type OF
wheat with branched heads should be
left strictly alone by the farmers OF the
country.
"a favorite scheme employed by those
having wheat for sale for which they
wish TO obtain exorbitant prices is TO
claim that their variety requires but
small amount OF seed per acre. A peck
of seed, twenty pounds and hall bushel
per acre, are amounts frequently men
toned. OF course, the claims OF maxi
mum Yields from these small seedlings are
not substantiated by fact. Only on dry
lands or under very special conditions is
the seeding OF as little as even 40 pounds
per acre OF wheat advisable. On nearly
all of the wheat lands OF the country il is
more profitable 10 sow from bushel to
two bushels OF seed per acre than 10 sow
less than bushel.
1.-The United States Department OF Ag-
riculture has shown in previous publica-
lions that the claims OF maximum yields
obtained from sowing one or two pecks
TO the acre OF the wheat known as Stoner,
Miracle, or Marvellous, are not substan-
tiated by experiments. Safe rules to
follow in case of all wheats for which
such claims are made are first to sow as
much as has been found profitable with
other varieties in the neighborhood, and
second, not to pay high prices tor the
seed.
"Radica claims OF high yields are made
for some varieties OF wheat. II is not
uncommon in advertising new variety
for an INSCRIPTIONS or uniformed pro-
moter to claim yields four or five times
that of the average yield OF the country.
Claims as high ds 10 or more times the
average yield have been made in special
cases. Such claims are absurd and no
one need be misled by them. A we'll
| bred variety in the section to which it is
adapted may yield few bushels more
than the varieties being commonly grown.
Very seldom, indeed, can doubling OF
the yield be expected.
Buying seed grown at great distance
from home is another thing that wheat
growers should be on their guard against.
No wheat grown and bred tor California
conditions. Tor instance, no matter how
good for California, has been found adapt
ed 10 the country east OF the Rockies.
California adapted wheats do not succeed
east OF that State. Neither would the
wheatS adapted TO the Atlantic Coast or
the Mississippi Valley succeed in Callfor-
MIA. In short, homegrown seed should
be used unless the State Agricultural ex-
pertinent station or the United States
Department OF Agriculture advises othet-
wise"