The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1919-12-02
Aicher Testifies
In Wheat Case
Selection of Seed Wheat Of Great
Importance-Usually Not Given
Enough Consideration
SELECT FROM GROWING FIELDS

L. c. Aicher, who has for a num-
ber of years been in charge Of the
government experimental station at
Aberdeen, was called to Blackfoot
last week to testify as to methods of
wheat production in a case involving
the sale of one variety of wheat for
another. The testimony of Mr..
Aicher in this case, that of Nelson VS..
the Intermountain Farmers Society
of Equity of American Falls, was to
prove to the court and jury that win
ter wheat to the extent of IS per
cent had been planted in a certain
field instead of all spring wheat of
the Bluestem variety, as alleged.
In setting precedent this case
had more than usual value, and will
perhaps be the means of warning
many farmers in the county of the
danger of careless seed selection.
Discussing his testimony, Mr.. Aicher
said:
"To my knowledge this is the first
time that the new state seed law
was used in connection with a sale
of seed. It was proven that seed
wheat had been sold to the Nelson's,
and that the seed was supposed to
be Bluestem. Inasmuch as but 35
per cent of the seed was spring wheat
and that there was mixture Of 8
varieties in the spring wheat, but
predominantly Bluestem, it was clear
@'-oe+am wheat wac -
tHag oluSHS~--s7 ~.--..@r" 'rr Hus sV4u
them, but that a mixture OF Bluestenl
and other spring and also Wiiter
wheat had been sold. The loss in
crop to the Nelson's was heavy owing
to the great amount of winter wheat
in the seed. The jury felt that the
Nelson's had been damaged to the ex-
tent of $1700.00.>
MY interest in the case centers
around the facts that farmers should
exercise greater care in the selection
Of seed of all kinds, that handlers
Of seed should make greater inquiry
into the genuineness of seed they sell
and should make more effort to sell
better seed as whole. Farmers also
must expect to pay more for good
seed than for an inferior grade of
seed, as 1t costs more to grow a good
crop Of pure seed than just crop of
grain, and more care must be exer-
cised in handling it and sorting it.
However, pure seed Of the best high
Gliding strains will more than pay
back the cost of seed of the best quail
ity Of seed that farmer can buy.
IT believe that many farmers over
look one very important phase of the
crop producing part of their busi-
ness. If every farmer who intends
planting grain the following year
would buy his seed in the fall, and
only buy seed which he knew was
good because he had seen it growing
in the field and knew what the crop
yielded such unfortunate occur
rences as the above would not
happen.
1T became necessary during the
course of the trial to give testimony
as to best methods in the production
of wheat on irrigated land. This in
volved much data obtained at the
Aberdeen experiment station regard
ing fall and spring plOwing, cultural
rate of sowing, amount Of
and the best variety to
plant. Our results here indicate
that fall plowing is by far the best
for any spring planted seed crop.
Our results also show that early
spring planting always produces a
better yield than late spring plant
g, and that about 100 pounds of
wheat to the acre for irrigated land
will give a very good stand. In six
years of trials the Dicklow spring
wheat has proven our best yielder by
an average Of almost 5
bushels per acre per annum over
all other varieties. Three to four
depending upon seasonal
time of planting and seed
bed preparation, will be ample to
produce a maximum crop"