VOL. XXIV.
INDIANAPOLIS, IND., AUG. 31,1889.
NO. 35
31.1!
80.7
32.1
29.0
HELD EXPERIMENTS WITH WHEAT
Abstract from Bulletin No. 27 of the Agricultural Experiment Station of Indiana, August, 1889.
This Bulletin is sent ont In compliance
with a custom practiced at this Station for
several years of publishing, at the time of
harvesting our wheat crop, the results of
onr season's experience, that the faots developed might be in possession of the
farmers of the State in season to be utilized before the time for seeding the next
'year's orop of winter wheat arrived.
The wheat was aown near the last of
September in a thoroughly prepared,dark,
compact soil of moderate fertility. A
gravelly subsoil gave perfect natural drainage. The seeding was done with the
Hoosier hoe drill, set to sow six pecks per
acre.
The average yield for all varieties tested,
or the entire experimental field, was 33.94
bushels.
YIELDS OF VARIETIES PEB ACRE.
Name. Bushel
Velvet Chaff  35.8
Golien Cross  SS.O
New Monarch	
Red Fultz _	
Ontario Wonder,. _,	
Michigan Amber . 	
Currell's Prolific 	
■ Mealy  „  23..6
Improved Rice.- „  30.2
Hedge's Prolific _  38.3
Velvet Chaff (brown smooth) ««.....__..«.. 35.6.
Egyptian.**..   _ _.... 42.1
Fultz _ „_  35.1
Dietz Longberry „  32.0
Original Red  29.6
Fulcaater  :.  33.1
Sibley's Imperial-.. -_.  34.4
Ranb's Black Prolific __  38.4
Wyandotte :  34.3
German Emperor _.......„.  33.8
Velvet Chaff (white smooth).     34.6
European „  33.0
Velvet Chaff (white bearded)  33.7
Poole _„.  33.4
It will be observed that Velvet Chaff and
Michigan Amber—our standard bearded
and smooth sorts respectively—show good,
though not the highest yields. Their
chief merit is their hardiness, whioh Is
superior to most other kinds that have
been fully tried at this station. It shonld
be borne in mind, howevc r,that hardiness
is a prime characteristic of any wheat for
this severe olimate. The good quality of
these two varieties—especially the Velvet
Chaff—makes them deservedly popular
and accounts for the fact that the Secretary of Agriculture has purchased this
Station's entire snpply of the latter kind,
for general distribution. The Egyptian
wheat heads the list in point of yield this
year as it has done in two previous years.
Its long weak straw unfits it, however,for
very rich soils.
QUANTITY OF SEED TO THE ACRE,
Experiments to ascertain the most desirable rate of seeding, have been conducted six years under the following conditions: grounds of average fertility, well
prepared and naturally drained; good
seed drilled in withont fertilizers, in the
last third of September.
YIELDS, PER ACRE, (BUSHELS).
Quantity of Beed  ,-,-  1M,   ,„,  1MM Average
"own, per acre.    1885  lm  ls87 ,883
T-o pecks    16.3   18.5   27.3    7.7
"Three pecks    25.3   24.7   S1.4    7.2 23.1
Four pecks  »29.1 .27.4 031.8 •11.2 •25.7
Five pecks _..   32.2   32.3   35.1   U.S 24.6
Six pecks....    33.4   32.1   36.5   16.3 25.9
Seven recks    32.2   85.0   35.7   16.1 29.2
Eight Pecks    34.8   36.3   36.2   16.0 31.4
•Average of sour duplicate plats.
The evidence steadily accumulates in
favor of thick seeding. For rates higher
than six pecks, the increase in yield is
•Ught, but enough to Justify the extra
•mount of seed required. The regular
rate at the station for the field crop is six
pecks; and in several instances a thicker
stand would have given a greater yield.
BROADCAST AND DRILL SEEDING.
The results of four trials of broadcast
and drill seeding are tabulated below.
of
Five Yrs.
19.9 17.J6
22.34
25.44
27.76
29.01
29.61
10.91
The broadcast seeding was done in 1884
and 1885, with the Strowbridge Beeder,and
in 1887 and 1888 with the AlDion combined
harrow and seeder. The drillseeding was
done with the Hoosier hce drill. The rate
of seeding in each case was four pecks per
acre the first two years, and six pecks the
last two.
BROADCAST AND DRILL SEEDING.
No.   Method of Sowing.    1885 1886 1888 18S9
Average
of
Four Yrs.
Bu. Bn. Bu. Bu.
1 Drilled 17.0 2*.8 16.7 3i.O
Bu.
24.12
3 Drilled  20.9 25.7 17.8 31.8
.16.63
24.CS
 Average, Nos. 1 and3„ 19.0 26.817.3 31.4
Grain frooiuseol drill   1.7 9.7 13.8 4 7
21 12
7.47
The broadcast plats have invariably
been damaged most in winter. Muoh of
the seed it left too near the surface in
minute elevations of soil which the rains
wash down, leaving the upper portions of
the wheat roots exposed.
LARGE VS. SMALL SEED.
An experiment to determine the relative yields from large and small seed was
undertaken. The two were separated by
a seed screen and sown at the rate of Bix
pecks iier acre.
Bushels.
1. Large se:d „    25.78
2. Small seed..._   _.    25.76
Gain from large seed      0.02
The experiment will be repeated, and
the small wheat for the next test will be
delected from the small seed product of
this year.
CONTINUOUS GRAIN GROWING'VS. ROTATION
CROPPING.
Two series of experiments were begun
in 1880 to determine the effect of grass on
the yields of grain crops in rotation involving both. Wheat, oats and corn were
rotated in each series. The presence of
grass and olover in one rotation, and their
absence from the other const itnted the essential difference between the two series.
The average yields per aore of all the
wheat plats in eaoh series for the last three
years are as follows:
Bushels.
First series, grain crops only    10.7
Second series, grain and grass crops-    15.5
Grain from rotation with grass      4.8
The yields of corn and oats also show
the superiority of rotation of crops over
constant grain growing. The yields are
not large—they could not be; as manure,
the mainspring of successful agrioulture,
is left out of both seiies. The purpose of
the experiment was not to show the possibilities of crop production, but to emphasize the importance of growing grass
and clover in connection with other crops.
SUGGESTIONS TO WHEAT GROWERS.
The following practical suggestions,
based en the results of our experience at
the Station, are offered fn the confident
hope that their application would result
advantageously on a very large proportion of the wheat farms of Indiana:
1. Sow less wheat; grow more grass,
and better live stock.
2. Select a hardy,prolifio wheat adapted
to your soil and stick to it. Give it good
treatment and it will not "run out." Sow
not less than six pecks of sound seed to
the acre.
3. Flow wheat ground early, and harrow immediately after plowing. You
can thus more easily and more thoroughly
pulverize the soil.
4. If gronnd breaks np cloddy, use
heavy roll, alternating with some form of
harrow or cultivator that will bring clods
to surface.
5. If mannre or fertilizers are used,mix
thoroughly with soil in every case. Use
only rotted, manure, if any, and apply
after plowing. Reserve the fresh manure
for the corn crop.
6. Adopt a rotation of crops suited to
yonr soil and needs. It will (1) increase
the yield and improve the quality of yonr
crops; (2) enable you to take better care
of your live stock; (3) prevent serious insect depredations  and fungous diseases;
(4) improve your soil   and make it more
lasting, and (5) put money in yonr pocket
■  » »	
The Olover Stem Borer.
The appearance of this Insect is indicated in the illustration. The color ls: head
and thorax reddish yellow, other parts
brilliant blue. Known principally as an
enemy of red clover.
Fig. 3.—Eggs, larva, pupa and adult of Languria
Mozardi.
On September 5, 18SS, while searching
for galls on solidago (Golden Rod), whioh
grows abundantly on the . bluffs in the
vicinity of Lafayette, Indiana, we found a
well developed gall on a stock of wild lettuce, (Lai-tuca Canadensis L.). This gall
was carefully opened and found to contain
a pupa, plainly Coleopterous, of a yellow-
ish color, much enlarged anteriorly bnt
more slender posteriorly. The gall was at
once bound up, the pupa having been replaced in Its cavity exactly as found, and
the whole placed in a glass j tr. On September 21st, 16 days after, an adult of L.
Mozardi made its appearance in the jar,
and an examination of the gall revealed
the cavity empty, and the avenue there
from through which the beetle had made
its escape.
Prof. J. H. Comstock states in the report of the Commissioner of Agrioulture
for the year 1879, p. 199, that the insect, as
a clover pest, pupates in the lower part of
the stem in whioh the larva, originated.
We have fonnd the larva* not distinguishable from those of this species in
timothy, where they pass the winter in
the larval state. The question involved
seems to be, is the species evolving to or
from a gall maker?—Prof. Webster in Bulletin Ko 25 Indiana Agricultural Experiment Station.
"WHEAT EU8T.
We copy the introduction to Balletin
No. 26, Indiana Agricultural Station, Purdue University, by the director, H. E.
Stockbridge.
The beat results of labor in any
direction are to be expected from
those workers who devote themselves to a
single field. Division of labor, devotion
to specialties, are characteristic demands
of the present, and the truth of this fact is
nowhere more pertinent or capable of
more direct application than to the agricultural experiment stations of America.
Not only must each station confine its
efforts to the conditions and surroundings
of the State or locality in the interests of
which it is primarily laboring, but the
nnmber of stations is such that restriction
to limited fields of investigation for each
becomes a necessity. Moreover, the great
field of agricultural science and practice is
so extensive and the possibilities of the
unknown before the station workers so
great, that to hope to successfully cover
more than a mere fraotion of the ground
is preposterous.
The Indiana Experiment Station will
endeavor to negleot none of the demands
of the community in whose interests it is
laboring. But nevertheless our chief energies must be devoted to a single end.
We must have one special object. We
hope to add to the knowledge of "the
farmers of our State concerning the soils
they till, and Increase thereby their control over this chief factor In their dally
occupation.   Among the crops grown on I
this soil none possesses greater importance
to them than wheat, since it forms their
largest source of direct revenue. Wheat
ls the one crop with which the Station has
been chiefly concerned since experimental
work first began at Purdue, but the scope
of the work undertaken has been largely
increased, so that it now include? not only
the growing of the crop, varieties, and
methods of treatment, but the chief ene-
mieo, animal and vegetable, which infest
the plant will be embraced in our investigations relating to the orop.
Some of the insect enemies of the crop
have already received attention in Station
bulletins. We now present the results of
our study of doubtless the chief pest of
the wheat plant—the universally known
and dreaded "Rust."
This work has occupied the greater part
of the time of the Assistant Botanist of
the Station for nearly one year. Yet we
consider the work as really bnt just begun.
The results thus far obtained, however,
are believed to be of sufficient importance
to warrant makiDg them known to the
farmers of the State, and we offer them
with the sincere hope that they may be
found of practical value, but with the assurance that the woik will continue until
we are able to c ffer the hope of immunity
from this bane of the wheat grower, or
else assure him that no hope can be found.
The attention of the Station staff has recently boen called to another disease,
usually considered of little or no importance iu America, but which has during
the present season wrought much damage
to the crop in certain sections of the State
and is capable of being the source of serious harm in the fnture.
The disease is a fungoid growth known
as "Bunt," or "stinking" smut, on account
of its strong aud disagreeable odor. It is
rarely found in America, but is not uncommon in England. The wheat head on
ripening may possess a very nearly normal appearance, but on shelling, the place
of the grain is found to be filled with a
black greasy powder, the result of the
growth of the fungus, beginning with the
very germination of the seed and keeping
pace with the growth of the plant. Its
action is no more barmfiil than that of
common smut, but its odor renders it
more objectionable. Where not very
abundant it may be separated from good
grain either by fanning or by washing.
It is very apt to occur so abundantly in a
field, however, as to render the entire crop
well nigh worthless. It dots not spread
in the field, but the germs producing it
adhere to the grain and are thus sown with
the seed. Seed wheat may be freed from
the spores by being soaked in a solution
of blue vitriol (snlphate of copper) for
thirty-six hours, four ounces of the buI-
phate to one gallon of water. The Station
has undertaken a thorough study and Investigation of the disease, and toward this
end we would be thankful for any information or facts pertaining to its occurrence, and on our part we will gladly supply any further information in our possession. It is our intention to is.ue a Bulletin embodying the results of our study of
tho subject, before wheat for the next crop
is sown.
—We hope to presont a synopsis of this
bulletin in our next number, with the illustrations.—Eds.
The State Fair is near at hand, Sapt. 23-
28, and we wish to make a show of products at our pavilion. Not having much
of interest of onr own production we request our readers to save up some of their
biggest ears of corn, potatoes, etc., etc.,
and longest stalks of grass and clover to
be pnt on exhibition for the benefit of the
thousands who will oall on us. We have
already the promise of some of the tallest
and biggest stalks of corn that ever were
grown in the State, from Dr. J. P. Forsythe, of Johnson county.