The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1920-09-30
CHAMPION WHEAT
GROWER OF WORLD
NEIGHBOR OF MONTANA FOLKS
In SASKATCHEWAN TELLS
HOW III is DONE
Advocates Deep Flowing, and De-
ciares that Importance of Selecting
Good Seed Cannot be Over-Esti-
mated; Process of Selection Must
be Practiced.

Mp north of Montana in Saskatche.
wan, where farming conditions are
much the same as they are in this
state, lives Seagar Wheeler, the
champion wheat grower of the world
on his Maple Grove Farm, near the
town of Rosthern. Winner of innu-
merable prizes for growing wheat.
oats and barley, his fame is great
enough to let the whole western
part of the American continent share
in it. The story of his achievements
is an inspiration, and the details of
his work are of great practical value
to all wheat farmers.
Wheeler has been growing grain
there for 20 years, and since 1911 he
has been capturing the majority of
the capital prizes at the international
land shows held in this country. His
first big prize for wheat was award
ed at the New York Land Show in
1911, when he won $1,000 in gold
offered by the Canadian Pacific rail
way for the best hard red spring
whea grown on the entire continent.
In 1915, and again in 1918, he
won sweepstakes for wheat at the in
t~ernational land shows at Ell Paso
and Kansas City.
Practical Suggestions
wheeler was asked to give as
many practical pointers as he could
about wheat farming. He wrote in
Il am a strong advocate of deeper
ploW1ng at all times. BY deep pIow-I
ing mean any kind deeper than six
The gospel of good farming is to
all things well. One cannot force
nature, but can work hand-in-I
with her, and he who reads her
cannot fail. 1t is a simple Cos
pei after all.
"a perfect type of wheat should
possess high milling qualities as the
lrst consideration, high yielding
lualltles, good length of straw to
'ult every condition of season and
-ocality, good stooling or tillering
Qualities that make for high yields.
rect straw and erect, upright head
Great opportunity comes to the
'rower who will lay down a seed plot
II an acre or two and devote it to
rowing the best strain of registered
to supply the demand from the
,rower of larger areas.
Importance of Seed
Exceedingly important is the part
layed by seed selection in crop pro-
-uctlon. That is not sufficiently
ealized by the majority of grain (,
1t is equally important, | |
'hether we select our own seed or '
Sc seed bred up by others. Better
eed means better, surer, safer crops. c
Good seed, especially that with a 9
edigree, can be depended upon to Q
e uniform in termination, growth I
ripening, to give higher yields
TO possess better quality. This
.ock, selected from the most vigor- =
us plants, can hold it's own in the 8
cid d unfavorable seasonal fac +,
'rs. Plump. sound seed of high |
ermination makes for rapid growth 1
the early part of the season when |
are most favorable. !
termination
In the wheat growing areas of the /
continent the average yield
low, as compared with those of
uropean countries. The reason is
far to seek. There is something
rong with our methods of grain
All the seed put in the
'ound does not reproduce. The seed i
partly at fault. If all terminate
e weaker plants are crowded out
the more vigorous. Seed of mixed
or races is mostly to blame.
lie variety may be fairly true, but
ere is a difference in the charac-
r of the grains: some have the abiI- /