DKY-LAKD GRAINS IN THE GREAT BASIN. 23 



farmer should obtain the best-known variety jijrown in his locality 

 or in a locality of similar conditions. lie should see that the seed is 

 as nearly as possible of one variety and that all weed seeds and light 

 or shrunken kernels of grain are removed from the seed before plant- 

 ing. The cleaning is quickly and easily done b}' the use of a com- 

 mon fanning mill, which can be purchased for about S40. This 

 simple machine should be included in the equipment of every grain 

 farm. 



TREATMENT FOR BUNT. 



The Mountain States are very fortunate in having few grain dis- 

 eases. Bunt (stinking smut) is the only disease that commonly 

 causes .serious damage to the dry-land wheat crop. This disease 

 can usually be avoided by soaking the seed from 5 to 10 minutes in a 

 solution of formalin, consisting of 1 pound of 40 per cent formalde- 

 hyde in 40 gallons of water. If possible, the farmer should use seed 

 that contains little or no smut. If there are smut balls present in the 

 seed, they should be removed by pouring the grain into a tank of 

 water and skimming off the snuit balls as they rise to the surface. 

 If this is done, the seed carefully treated, and the drills thoroughly 

 washed out with the formalin solution, there is very little danger 

 that the resultant crop will be smutted. 



PLANTING AND CARING FOR THE CROP. 



TIME OF PLANTING WINTER WHEAT. 



One of the most important factors in the growing of winter wheat 

 is the time of planting. The variations in the character of the sea- 

 sons pla\^ an important part in this test. The results have not been 

 the same every year, but by considering the average yields produced 

 by planting on different dates and by studying the behavior of the 

 crops under varying seasonal climatic conditions it is possible to 

 arrive at some valuable and definite conclusions. 



In this experiment one plat is planted on fallow soil at the rate of 

 3 pecks per acre on each of the following dates: August 15, Sep- 

 tember 1, September 15, October 1, October 15, and November 1. 

 (See PI. II, fig. 2.) In 1904-1907 " the Odessa variety was used. In 

 1908 and 1909 the Koffoid was used in place of the Odessa, on account 

 of its being much more widely grown in the Mountain States, particu- 

 larly in the Nephi district. From 1910 both the Koffoid and the 

 Turkey varieties will be used. 



a The results in 1904-190G are reported by Mr. W. M. Jardine in Bulletin 100 of the 

 Utah Agricultural Experiment Station. In 1907-8 the test was conducted by the 

 Litah station independently and the results have not before been published. Their 

 use here is made possible through the courtesy of Dr. E. D. Ball, director, and Prof. 

 L. A. Merrill, agronomist in charge of arid farms, Utah Agricultural Experiment 

 Station. Since the autumn of 1908 the work has been done cooperatively. 

 [Cir. 61] 



