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VOL. LXV
INDIANAPOLIS, JULY 30. 1910.
NO. 81
INCREASING    YIELD   OF    WHEAT.
Address by Prof. G.  I. Christie, Supt.
Agricultural     Extension,      Purdue
Experiment Station.
What it is considered that the production of food producing cereals is
not keeping pace with the consumption, that the amount of cereals and
meat exported to foreign markets is
rapidly decreasing, that there is every
evidence of a continued increase in the
population of the United States, and
that the limit of tillable agricultural
lands has almost been reached, one is
forced to conclude that the American
people are confronted with a serious
problem and that its only solution lies
in developing methods of increasing
the production of the soil.
Wheat is one of the staple crops and
is the basis of bread stuffs. Therefore,
anything that can be done to increase
the total production of wheat means
much to all classes of people.
The average yield of wheat in the
United States for the past ten years has
been about 13.4 bushels per acre. This
is not a profitable yield and must be increased. In Great Britain for a similar
period the average yield of wheat has
been 34 bushels per acre, while in
Germany it has been about 28 bushels.
In Great Britain and Germany natural
conditions for the growing of wheat
are no better than those in the wheat
belt of the United States, but the attention given by the farmers to the
care of the soil and the crop is very
much greater than that given by American farmers. Similar care in the securing of suitable varieties, selection of
the seed, preparation and feeding of
the soil will give a marked increase in
yields on American soils. Attention is
called to some work conducted along
these lines by the Indiana Experiment
Station.
Secure the Best Variety of Wheat.
Experiments conducted at the Purdue Experiment Station show a wide
difference in the yielding power of varieties of wheat. The following table
shows some of the higher and lower
yielding varieties tested. The best half
dozen varieties have averaged over
eleven bushels per acre above the poorest half dozen, and the difference between the best and poorest is over
eighteen bushels per acre.
Average yields of some of the highest
and lowest yielding varieties of wheat:
Bushels
Highest Ylelders per acre
Rudy t   37.2
Winter   King 34.9
Gold  Coin 33.1
Grains O'Gold       32.8
Mealy 32.6
Niagara        32.2
Farmer's   Friend    32.1
Tennessee   Fultz 31.9
Poole    30.8
Dawson's   Golden   Chaff      30.3
Average 32.8
Bushels
Lowest Ylelders per acre
Diamond   Grit    19.0
Early   Arcadia        20.5
tlta    22.2
White (Jolden Cross    24.1
Padul        24.5
Old Iron  Clad      24.5
Pedigree.   Early 25.0
Jelvet Chaff 25.0
Kharkov    27.5
"Inter    Fife 1   27.6
Average 24.0
While the results of this test are applicable in a direct way only to Indiana
where conditions are similar to those
under which the test was made, yet
tr»ey illustrate  very  forcibly the  wide
difference that may exist between varieties. They emphasize the point
that variety tests should be made ln
every state and the results made known
to every wheat grower.
Thouasands of farmers are now growing Inferior varieties. By substituting
high yielding varieties in place of the
poor onea now being grown a tremendous increase in the total amount of
wheat produced could be made. Farmers, millers and experiment station men
will do well to give attention to this
point and to do everything in their
power to have grown the best and
highest yielding varieties of wheat.
Grade the .Seed Wheat.
The selection of large and well matured kernels, is an important means
of increasing the yield of wheat and
should receive the attention of every
farmer. Numerous experiments have
been conducted comparing the yields
of heavy and light seed and the results
show that it pays well to use large
plump seed.
Comparison of Heavy and Light Seed.
Heavy
Light
Difference
seed bu.
seed bu.
in favor
Station
per acre
per acre
heavy seed
Minnesota     .
.     ..29.4
24.8
4.6
Nebraska    . .
..    27.9
22.8
6.1
25.2
1.9
.    ..38.6
3S.7
26.6
4.9
Averages    ..
...30.7
4.1
In the above table it Is seen that the
difference in favor ef heavy seed is
from 1.9 bushels to 5.1 bushels with an
average for all experiments of 4.1
bushels. From this we are amply justified in concluding that it pays to carefully and thoroughly grade all wheat
to be used for seed.
The simplest and most practical way
of grading seed on the farm is by
means of the fanning mill. Every
farmer who grows small grain crops
should have one. However, where a
fanning mill cannot be had the wheat
may be cleaned at the grain elevator
or mill. Many mills and elevators
clean grain free, or at a very low cost
for their customers. In this connection millers and grain dealers can be of
much help to the wheat growers.
Wheat Should be Grown in a Rotation.
Wheat should never be grown on the
same land continuously. To get good
results some kind of a rotation must
be practiced; that is it must be alternated with one or more other crops.
What these other crops should be and
how many different ones should be included in the rotation will depend upon
a number of factors, among which are
the kinds of farming carried on, the
climatic conditions, the kind of soil
and its degree of fertility, the kinds of
crops that the local conditions will best
produce, and the extent to which they
can be profitably used in the system of
farming followed. One thing, however, is well established and that is
that some kind of a legume, usually
clover, should have a prominent place
in the rotation.
In the crop rotation experiments carried on by the Purdue Experiment Station during the last twenty years, a
number of rotations including wheat
have been studied. A comparison of
these at the present time shows somo
very interesting results, and make it
clear that continuous wheat culture
and the culture of wheat in exclusive
grain crop rotations are not good practices. The experiments along this line
also go to prove that to get the  best
results, wheat must be alternated with
other crops and that the rotation must
contain some kind of a legume.
The following table shows the average wheat yields secured in a number
of different rotations at our station,
with and without fertilizer.
20-Year Average Wheat Yields in Different  Rotations  at  Purdue  Experiment   Station.—Cropping   Systems
and Yields in Bushels per Acre.
Unfer-          Fertilized tllized Av.
Continuous   wheat   ..    ..15.6 21.0 19.2
Corn   and   wheat 14.2 25.8 21.9
Corn, oats, wheat.. ..16.5 23.9 21.4
Corn, oats, wheat and
clover     19.8 27.3 24.8
Corn,  oats,  wheat,
clover   and   grass 16.8 24.2 21.7
In this comparison every factor except crop rotation is eliminated on the
unfertilized plats, and the differences
shown are attributable to the effect of
the rotation only. The results show-
Clearly that clover has a decidedly
beneficial effect in the rotation and that
continuous grain cropping gives considerably smaller yields. On the unfertilized plats 'the difference in favor
of rotation is still greater and the four-
course rotation containing clover is
again decidedly the best. The average
increase due to fertilization in continuous wheat culture is only 5.4 bushels
per acre, while the average increase in
all the rotations is 8.5 bushels per acre.
The results show that with liberal* fertilization good wheat crops can be
grown in almost any kind of a rotation
but the average cost per bushel is
greater.
It Pays to Fertilize for Wheat.
The Indiana Experiment Station has
conducted extensive experiments with
fertilizers for wheat. These experiments have been carried on in various
counties of the state and on most types
of soil. The results obtained have been
most uniform and universally in favor
of fertilization, giving in every instance
a handsome profit over and above the
cost of the fertilizer.
The following table shows the results
obtained in the different counties of
the state.
Results of Fertilizer Tests   on Wheat
Yield Bushels per Acre.
County
Fayette 13
Ripley 20.6
*6
O so
oa
c_   -    -
c   -  -
31.0 $3.60 $21.95
Sullivan
Clinton    ..     .
Dekalb.
Bartholomew.
Johnson
Tippecanoe
St.   Joseph   ..
Average   ..    .
.20.0
.15.3
.21.6
6.3
.13.1
19.2
.30.8
.16.4
23.0
28.3
34.0
35.0
27.0
14.7
25.0
26.0
38.7
28.0
2.60
3.30
3.90
3.90
3.90
3.90
3.90
3.90
3.90
3.67
8.50
7.75
11.00
19.60
5.40
8.40
11.90
6.80
8.00
7.65
In the above table it will be noted
that the increase in yield on the fertilized plats range from 5.4 to 27.0
bushels per acre. At m&rket prices
the value of the increase varies from
$5.40 in Dekalb county to $24.95 in the
Scott county experiment, with an average value for the increase for all the
tests of $7.55.
The general practice in Indiana is to
follow corn with wheat. The wheat
is sown late in the fall after the corn
has matured and has drained the soil
of all the readily available food. The
young wheat plant, in order to make a
strong   growth   and   withstand   winter
conditions, must have a good supply of
readily available food for its use.
Therefore to supply this an application
of fertilizer should be made. That it
pays to do so is clearly demonstrated
in the above table.
Many of the soils of southern Indiana are lacking in phosphorus. When
this element is supplied a marked increase in the yield is obtained as is
seen in the results of the tests in Scott,
Fayette and Sullivan counties.
A State Campaign Organized.
From a study of the foregoing data
it ls readily seen that the yield of wheat
can be easily and materially increased.
It is also evident that means should be
employed to present information on
wheat growing to the farmers and urge
the application of improved methods.
How this can best be done must necessarily be worked out in each state according  to   existing  conditions.
In Indiana a campaign for more and
better wheat is being planned and carried on by the State Millers' Association
and the Purdue Experiment Station.
The Experiment Station has prepared
a circular on 'wheat growing. This in
being printed and distributed through
the co-operation of the Association and
the Station. Wheat improvement special trains are b,eing arranged for over
the railroads of the state. Exhibits
with special literature are .being placed
in the schools, at county fairs, and at
the District Farmers' Short Courses.
By these and other means the attention
of the people of the state will be directed towards this most important subject,
and it is felt that a great good will
be accomplished.
COAL-PITTING STUMPS.
Editors Indiana Farmer:
The way we get rid of our stumps
here is called "coal-pitting." Our
stumps vary in size from three to seven
feet in diameter. We dig round the
stump at its outer edge at a distance of
from three to four feet and one foot
deep. The earth is thrown up round
the stump until it is buried in earth
about six to nine inches all over. One
small inlet is left for lighting the fire.
When the stump is entirely covered,
we bring a small quantity of light
wood, and light a small fire in the point
of the stump left accessible. When the
fire has got a hold and is burning right
into the stump as it will, we cover completely from the outer air, and let it
burn.
After a few hours, smoke will begin
to find egress to the air. Then we throw
more earth on that place, and so keep
the fire covered and at work. The fire
will not only burn up the stump entirely, but follow the leading roots down
into the earth.
In a week or ten days; sometimes
longer, (if the stump is exceptionally
large) we open the pit, and find a
buajhel or two of charcoal, but nothing
else. The place where the stump waa,
is easily plowed over. The special advantage is that one.man can tend many
fires all at work at once. Stumps that
have pitch in them, of course burn the
more readily. The process was originated some years ago by Col. Thorpe, of
this state. His experience was not
gained in the giant stumps of the Coast
Range, but'in those of a much smaller
size. I* A. N.
Oregon.