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In the rapid advance of scientific methods of farming, not the least important result is that obtained in breeding new kinds of grain suitable to the peculiarities of soil in the different sections of the country. Particular study in this line has been made by our agricultural colleges, and marvelous are some of the new species developed by careful and persistent experiments. The stronghold of these experiments is the Minnesota State Experiment Station associated with the agricultural school of the University of Minnesota. From the results of the efforts made here, a revolution in the production of wheat is promised, if, in fact, it has not already been achieved. The purpose of the experiments was to develop new breeds of wheat. The new kinds of grain thus produced show a power of increase, both in yield and quality. By a process of breeding and careful selection a product has been evolved which not only stands every test of successfully withstanding climatic severity, but also shows the presence of every essential food quality. No longer is this development in the merely experimental stage. The new breeds have stood the test also of the farm, and the result will doubtless be a bettering of wheat harvesting, not only near the section where the experiments were carried on, but in the wheat area of the whole world; it will also result in the addition of great wealth to the farming districts. Millions of dollars are being added to the value of single sections of the wheat raising country, and a practical denial is given to a statement that ere long, there would not be enough wheat for the increased population of the world. The work at the Minnesota station began something over ten years ago. The purpose was not only to secure new breeds of superior wheat, but to secure enough of this superior breed to enable the farmers to profit by the practical use of it. The process followed necessitated removing the pollen from the flower of one grade of wheat to the stigma of the flower of another. Two breeds of good character are selected in the experiments, one for the father, the other for the mother of the new breed. About four o'clock in the morning, when the florets of the wheat open, the operation is performed, and then the head of the wheat is enveloped in a sack of tissue paper, in order to keep out insects. It may be that some of the good qualities of one wheat are mingled with the bad qualities of another, when the harvest of the new breeds is garnered. Painstaking work, however, has finally resulted in new and much stronger varieties, and now that they have been secured, they will go on reproducing themselves, to the benefit of mankind. In the process off selection, only the hardiest grades were selected for new breeding. The best start in life is accorded the new wheat, and only the best of the new grades are kept. Some kinds were found to be too heavy and rank in growth, thus tending to "lodging" or falling during periods of rain and much moisture. Others were found to be especially susceptible to wheat diseases. Still others showed a deficiency in food quality. In all, over 500 new grades were thrown out in the early tests, and less than a dozen were retained for the practical farm tests. Something of the practical results of the experiments may be learned from the prolific qualities shown. In tests where the new breeds were grown side by side with old wheat, there was an increase in some cases of from eight to twelve bushels an acre. The new wheat that has been best tested so far, is called Minnesota No. 163, and shows an average yield of 42.7 bushels per acre. Of eight grades tested in small experiments, none averaged less than 19.5 bushels per acre, while the average of six breeds was 27 bushels,, and the average of all averages showed 28.1 bushels. Tests made comparing the new breeds with Fife wheat—one of the old standard wheats—showed an increase of four and one-half bushels, and an increase of one and one-half bushels an acre was made over all wheats compared. From these tests it is concluded that the new breeds will excel the old by at least two bushels, although, when it is considered that under ordinary conditions the old breeds develop only about thirteen to fifteen bushels an acre, this seems too small. And yet, when it is further considered that in the Dakotas and Minnesota about 15,000,000 acres are annually under cultivation this increase means an additional yield of 30,000,000 bushels. At 75 cents a bushel, the annual increase in wealth to the farmers of three states only should be about $22,500,000. When all these things are considered, it may be readily seen that humanity is a great gainer; for, not only is the greatest source of food supply made more hardy, more certain and more safe, but the wealth of the world is certain shortly to be greatly enhanced. If this proportion of increased production be applied to the entire wheat growing area of the country, the results to agriculturists would be of almost incalculable benefit. But the enhancement of the prosperity of the farmer through this multiplication of the profits of his labor is not the only cause for congratulation over the success of these experiments. As bread is verily the staff of life, and constitutes almost the main dependence of millions of lowly families, whose lot is ever on the verge of want, whatever tends to maintain the supply of this great staple up to the utmost possible demand, at rates within the means of needy multitudes, will be hailed as a boon. THE TWENTIETH CENTURY DAILY NEWSPAPER |