74 THE SMALL GRAINS 



than that of any other similar area in the world, but the 

 average acre yield is low. The large size of the farms is 

 one of the worst features connected with wheat growing 

 in the Northwest. From this cause not enough attention 

 is given to details of the work. The tillage is not thor- 

 oughly accomplished, weeds are not kept down, there is 

 more or less waste of land, and the grain is allowed to 

 degenerate in quality. 



The needs of the grower in this district are not so great 

 as in some others, but there is much to be desired. In 

 the northern portion earliness of maturity is needed to 

 enable the wheat to escape the early autumn frosts which 

 sometimes catch the crop before harvest, while in the 

 southern portion chinch bug depredations and rust at- 

 tacks might often be avoided through possession of the 

 same quality. A combination of earliness and rust- 

 resistance in the same variety would be especially desir- 

 able. The average yield could be made very much 

 larger, as already stated, but it is a matter depending fully 

 as much on methods of culture as on the improvement of 

 varieties. Proper seed selection should be more rigidly 

 practiced. There is a possibility of still further substi- 

 tution of hard winter wheat in South Dakota and 

 southern Minnesota, which if accomplished would be 

 a great advantage. 



1. Principal varieties now grown : 



Bolton Bluestem Prelude 



Fife Preston 



Haynes Bluestem Turkey (winter) 



Huron Velvet Bluestem 



Marquis Wellman Fife 



Minnesota No. 163 White Fife 

 Minnesota No. 169 



