The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1921-05-12
"HoW TO GROW SPRING WHEAT.

HOW TO GROW SPRING WHEAT.
Fourth prize $1,000. Written by
Kathleen Leslie, Antler, N. D. Teach
er Esther Hanson, School No. 4, Dis
trict SO.
The first, thing to be considered in
raising Of wheat is-how are you 60
ing to prepare the soil? Flowing is the
first step. This should be done in tue
fall because it always rains consid-
cradle at threshing time and after
ward. If the ground is plowed the
soil can take up this moisture and it
gives it a better chance to settle.
If there is to be any fertilizer put
on the soil it should be done before
blowing. The best and cheapest fertil7
izer is manure.
When winter breaks up and the soil
is dry enough to be cultivated, then
it should be disced. This mulches the
soil on top. After the discing is COM
pleted the next step is to harrow the
soil. Narrowing breaks up the Jumps
and crumbles the soil on top so as to
stop rapid evaporation, and evens it
off. When this is all finished the soil
is ready for the seed.
In the meanwhile the seed should
have been tested. The more common
and easy method Of testing is to take
two plates, place a blotter that has
been soaked in water on top of tie
bottom plate, then take m hundred
seeds, just as they were taken from
the bin, on the top Of the blot.e'.
Then take a second soaked blotter
and put it on top Of the seeds and
the plate on top Of blotter and put
in a warm but not too hot place.
This way you have a good seed test
et that works just as wei as a real
one. If about ninety-seven seed ge1.n-
mate it is counted as a good test But
if less than ninety five terminate it
Is not advisable to plant the seed, be-
cause it will take so mucn more grain
to- bring the same results.
When the seed has been tested it.
should be cleaned. This is done by a
machine called a fannirg MI. This
separates the weed seeds and the
shrivled grain from the grain that is
fit for seed. It is a good plan to test
the seed after cleaning to see if much
is made by cleaning it.
If the wheat to be planted is not a
smut resisting wheat it should be
treated. The best treatment is formal
dehyde. There are many ways in which
to treat the grain. A solution for dip
ping the grain should contain one
pound of formaldehyde to forty gal
Ions of water. The latest method of
cleaning wheat is with a machine.
This smut cleaner has a hopper on it
similar to one on the tanning mill.
The wheat feeds into the machine thru
this hopper. In the lower part of the
machine is a galvanized iren tank in
which the solution is kept. The wheat
is raked out of this solution by ele-
vator Stats. These Stats have a close
fit to the carrier so nc grain can
spill. The wheat is carried out of the
machine by means of this elevator
and is emptied into a wagon box or
on the floor where it is left to become
thoroughly dry before seeding.
As for rust. There has been no 9TH
er treatment made to destroy theTdis-
ease except destroy all barberry
bushes. If the neighborhood is rid of
all barberry bushes there will be very
little trouble about rust. The grain
may be attacked by red rust but it
will not reach the black stage if you
are free from barberry bushes.
When the grain has been treated the
next step is the seeding. The seed is
put into the drill. Wheat should not
be planted more than an inch deep.
The average amount sown per acre
is six to nine pecks. The less in regions
of scanty rainfall .
When the wheat is up about two or
four inches it should be narrowed
again.
Marquis is a hard red spring wheat
originating from a cross between the
hard red Calcutta, a wheat from India
and the Red fife. Marquis is a beard
less wheat like the red fife. The ker-
nels are broad, hard and the chaff is
smooth. The kernals are held tight in
sled the chaff an dthey do not spill
when real ripe. Marquis ripens quick
er than either fife or bluestem and
since it is earlier it is not as easily
attacked by rust.
If the soil is thoroughly cultivated
the farmers will not be bothered very
much with weeds.
During the summer rains, sunshine
and winds the grain will grow and rip
en-. When it is ripe enough it should
be cut with a binder and either
stacked or shocked which ever the
farmer chooses although stacking is
the more profitable because in the fall
there is usually a lot of rain and the
shocks vii get wet, when the sun
comes out it dries it, Of course, but it
is apt to get musty and it looses a
VIZ - H