Milford chronicle., 1923-09-21
FACTS ABOUT WHEAT
Testing Seed Wheat Is Free To All Delaware Farmers at
State University and Only Five Days To Make The
Test-It Will Pay To Have 1t Done.

all Delaware farms, and if an average
reduction could be calculated not all
farmers should reduce alike. The crop
acreages of Delaware, previously quo
ted 1920-23) show that Delaware far
mers started to reduce acreage as
soon as wheat priced declined rapid
! ly. This movement has been accentu-
| ated by recent poor crops resulting
! from disease, and unfavorable weather
| at planting and harvest time. The far
mer on the poorer wheat land with the
lowest acre yield will be the first to be
forced to abandon the crop in any
! given locality where other conditions
are similar. The farmer with, large
acreage, good acre yields and relative
ly low production costs, with no al
ternate crop to use as a nurse crop
for grass should certainly reduce his
acreage but little, if any. Even under
present conditions any acreage reduc-
tions should be gradual or our rota-
tiOns and systems of farming would
be so disrupted as to cause greater
losses from Embellishments than
would be gained directly from reduc-
ed wheat acreage. Reducing wheat
acreage is a matter to be decided
largely by the individual farmer on
his own farm in the light of his own
experience as wheat grower, keep
ing in mind his yields, soil adaptable
ity, cost of production, other crop al
ternatives, but all adjusted to the
price outlook as outlined above. For
tunately, in Delaware our farmers
have the alternative of a greater
choice of substitute crops than OBJ
tains in most any section of the cOun-
try, such as numerous canning crops,
corn, soy beans, small fruits, or pas
lures whose acreage might be increas-
ed as market and soil conditions JUS
tify.
1t is the best time for all farmers
to determine proper steps in reducing
production costs-dificult though it
may be.
Farmers are not all equally efficient
in the use of man and horse labor, in
the use of low unit cost fertilizers, in
the use of the best seed adapted to
their respective localities, in planting
at the proper time to avoid Hessian
fly and in treating wheat to avoid
stinking smut or "bust." Neither have
all our farmers made the fullest utiIi-
zation of wheat as a feed crop for
poultry and live stock, especially the
lower grades, heavily discounted in
the market and now cheaper sources
of feed than corn.
Last year, the University of Della
ware Laboratory received for testing,
about two hundred samples of home
grown seed wheat from the Delaware
farmers. The termination found on the
samples tested ran from zero to nine
ty-eight per cent. Fifteen of the sam
pies tested under fifty per cent and
only sixty-nine ran ninety per cent or
better. Information was distributed
whenever requested as to where high
grade seed could be obtained, and
there would seem to be no question
but that the information obtained by
testing the seed wheat last year was
a great benefit. According to esti-
matees of the U. S. Department of Ag-
riculture, there were 100000 acres of
wheat in Delaware in 1922 which
yielded 1,766,O00 bushels valued at ST.
100000. The average yield per acre for
the State was 1862 bushels. The seed
wheat itself for this acreage, allowing
IL bushels per acre at one dollar per
bushel, would be valued at $157 500.
When it is considered that the above
average yield per acre is very low and
that three important factors in yield
are condition of soil, fertilization, and
seed, and when it is considered that
this Laboratory will be glad to test
any seed wheat for the farmers of
Delaware, free of charge, thus insur-
ing one of these factors, it would seem
to be worth while to send samples for
test before sowing.
The weather conditions this year
have not been as unfavorable for ma
turing seed wheat as they were in
1922, but as a matter of safety, it
would be wise to have seed tested All
samples will be examined promptly
and reported upon completion. 1t takes
five days to test seed wheat. The SER
vice is free to farmers Of the State.
What is said above regarding wheat
is equally true of any other kind of
agricultural seed. For example, the
U. S. Department of Agriculture is au-
thority for the statement that there
were used in the State in 1922, 791,70O |
pounds of clover seed. At twenty-five |
cents per pound, this would be worth
$197, 1925. Glover seed is not only |
low in termination but is
adulterated with nOXious |
weed seeds. The same thing is true of |
other forage crop seeds. There is a
great difference in the termination of
different lots of tomato seeds. This
stands ready to assist in
the purity and germi!la-
tion Of all kinds of agricultural seeds
used in the State.