Evening journal., 1919-07-08
STATE WHEAT CROP
ABOUT THEAVERAGE
Hessian Fly and S c a b
Disease Prevent Banner
Yield This Year
STRAW YIELD
WILL BE GREAT

May alarming reports have been cir
culsted concerning the condition Of the
wheat crop In Delaware. There is
no doubt that the yield Of wheat will
not be up To expectations but the
average yield for the State as a whole
will not be far from the average for
the past ten years. Several factors
have contributed to the present cOndl-
iion OF the wheat crop. The very mild
winter with an early spring caused
the wheat 10 make an excessive
growth. This was followed by a per-
lod OF cool. wet weather during the
ilrst half OF May, favorable TO the de-
vel0pment and wide distribution Of
rust which attacked the blades OF the
plants. This had the effect Of check
ing the normal development and ripen-
Ing, and was followed by an unusual
amount OF scab and other diseases
which effect the head OF the plant.
These conditions combined resulted In
the wheat ripenlng in a very short
time SO quickly did the wheat ma
ture that many Of the fields were prac-
tlcally dead ripe before the farmer
was aware OF It. The combined diseases
a
eled grain. In addition 10 the dis
eases which effected the wheat some
OF the plants are straw fallen, due to
tie presence OF the Hess.an Fly. This
viii cut the yield considerably, but
the amount OF straw on the land Will
probably give a yield above the aver
age for the state. In the southern
part Of Delaware the wheat is better
than usual, and probably the yield will
be higher than that OF the average
year.
A. z. Granthan, agronomlst at the |
Delaware College Experimental sta |
tion. spent two or three days In differ |
ent parts Of the State noting the con- /
dition Of the wheat just before IL was
cut. These observations showed clear
lv that the bearded varieties OF wheat
were less effected by disease than the
smooth types. A variety known as
Red Wave. quite popular In certain
sections was cut 10 10 bushels per
acre by the scab disease. The inves-
tigat.ons-al the station have shown
that as result Of the comparison OF
bearded and smooth varieties extend
ing over a period OF ten years that the
bearded sorts are decidedly more re-
sistant to unfavorable conditions, such
as weather. insufficient plant food and
plant diseases than the smooth types
ID seems TO be a conclusive fact that
more dependence may be placed on the
bearded sorts for a satisfactory yield
one year with another under Delaware
conditions.
II IS worthy TO note that the kind OF
fertilizer applied TO the crop had much |
20 do with the resistance OF the crop |
10 diseases, etc. Where a proper bal
anco OF plant food was supplied the |
wheat rlpened normally. That Is, the
r pcning period extended over the us
nal number OF days and the wheat
straw took on that bright yellow col
or SO characteristic OF high yielding
grain Where the plant food was out
OF balance. and particularly where nj
irOgen was used in excess, the crop
v1s severely damaged and the grain
VIII be found 10 be much shriveled.
There is probably more straw per
acre this year than there has been for
long time and this will help make
ID the loss in grain due TO quality.