Mexico weekly ledger., 1917-03-29
WINTER WHEAT
Treatment for Smut-Burn out Trash
In Fence Rows to Kill Chinch
Bugs and Hessian Fly. Grow
the One Best Variety. A
Grain Breeding Club to
be Formed in Every
County.
By Frank II. Demaree, Agronomist.

county.
By Frank II. Demaree, Agronomist.
National Crop Improvement ssFvies.I
SOL; A close, compact soil is
best adapted to the growth of win
ter wheat. In case it Is desired to
SOW wheat on land Of a looser tex
ture, it will be found advisable to
thoroughly pack the soil with a land
roller in order to approach such a
condition. The land should be for
tile enough to insure a good growth
OF the young plants before winter
sets in, as such a growth always
withstands the effect OF the winter in
the best manner.
Climate and Geographical Limits:
Winter wheat is well adapted to as
far north as northern Iowa and from
that point south as far as wheat Is
grown, the winter varieties are
the mes that are sowed. The
climatic conditions, of course, vary
widely, and, in order to secure
the best results, it is necessary to
choose varieties suitable for different
localities. All of this has been sue
cessfully determined by the various
state experiment stations and this
knowledge should be secured.
!. Preparing Ground: Land Should
be prepared for wheat as early in the
season as possible. Wheat generally
follows oats and in this case the land
should be plowed preferably in July,
then worked with a harrow until seed
ing time. This will preserve the
moisture and secure a good seed bed.
Depth to Plow: On an aver
age it will be found that FIVE inches
is a sufficient depth to pillow for
wheat. However, where early plow-
ing is done, as recommended, it will
be found very profitable to pillow
deeper. Six inches, as for corn, will
be preferable. The Kansas Expert
ment Station found that blowing
seven inches deep the 18th of July
gave the laEgest returns of any
method of blowing.
Seed Bed: The seed bed should
be fine on top and we'll compacted
underneath. If the land is plowed
early and narrowed once every two
or three weeks before seeding, the
top of the seed bed should be in good
shape. 1t will be found advisable,
under practically all conditions, to
roll the land thoroughly In order to
insure restoration of capillary action
of the subsoil.
Fertilizers and When to Apply:
Fertilization depends altogether on
the land and previous methods
of cropping. The use of COM
mercial fertilizers is coming to be
very popular. On lands that have
been abused and are rather unpro-
ductiye. a complete fertilizer will
give best results. This fertilizer will
contain nitrogen, potash and phos-
phoric acid. Where proper rotation
has been ~practiced with clover or
other legumes in the rotation, then
a fertilizer containing only phos-
phorus or phosphoric acid will give
best money returns. Bone meal and
acid phosphate are largely used under
such conditions. Commercial fertil-
izer should be applied to an attach
ment to the grain drill at the time
the seed is sown. The amount to
sow will vary from $50 to 400
pounds per acre, according t. fertil-
izer and condition of soil.
Where sufficient manure can be had
a very little light top dressing with
a spreader during the winter is one
of the best forms of fertilization for
wheat.
The University of Illinois states
that raw rock phosphate used in con-
nection with lime is the cheapest way
to build up the soil.
Rotation: Throughout the winter
belt, where rotation is
used at all, it is largely used with
corn and oats. Such rotations as
corn, oats and wheat, and corn, oats,
wheat and clover are very common.
The one containing clover is prefera-
Bile to the other, as clover is a legume
and itself enriches the soil. Some
farmers leave out the oat crop, grow
ing corn, wheat and clover, but this
is not so satisfactory, due to the fact
the wheat must be sown in the
corn or the corn cut and the wheat
sown in the stubble.
How to Select Seed: Get a
bodybuilding variety and keep the
seed pure. In order to do this, IL
will be found necessary to have a
seed plot. Use an acre or two in
one corne of the field. Sow the
choicest seed there and when the
grain is about ripe, go through this
plot and cut off the mixed heads.
Harvest the crop by itself and
preferably after some other
kind of grain, for instance, oats or
termination Test: Count out
or three hundred grains lust
as they ON from a pile that is to
be seeded. Place these grains on a
moistened blotter with another blot
ter over them. Put both blotters In
a shallow plate, or wrap in waxed
paper, and keep well moistened. In
q few days the grains will be germ.