2^6 Bulletin 238. 



wheat is usually about twenty-five pounds, though twenty-eight or more 

 may be secured if the grain is plump and very dry. The middlings, a by- 

 product of the flouring process, is much sought by dairymen as food for 

 dairy cows on account of its high content of protein. The hulls have 

 little or no value. Sometimes they are ground and used as an adulterant 

 for black pepper. 



Buckwheat grain is much relished by poultry and has a reputation of 

 being of special value in egg-production. In recent feeding experiments 

 this reputation is scarcely sustained. 



Enemies. — The buckwheat crop is unusually free from interference 

 from weeds or plant diseases. It starts so quickly and grows so rapidly 

 that most weeds get no chance to make headway against it. In fact buck- 

 wheat is one of the best crops for cleaning land by smothering out weed 

 growths. Wild birds as well as domestic are fond of the grain and when 

 abundant sometimes cause considerable loss. No insect or fungous 

 troubles have been sufficiently destructive to attract much attention. 



Buckwheat as a soiling crop. — A number of farmers have reported 

 favorably upon the use of buckwheat as a soiling crop, but its use for 

 this purpose has not been sufficiently extended to establish its value. 



BuckzvHcat as a green manure crop. — The use of buckwheat as a 

 green manure has been much more extended. It possesses several char- 

 acteristics that adapt it to this purpose. It thrives on quite poor soil. It 

 grows rapidly. It smothers out weeds, thus helping to clean the land. It 

 leaves hard soils in a remarkably mellow condition. It decays quickly 

 when plowed under. 



