596 THE SMALL GRAINS 



and completely, leaving the residues soon available for the 

 succeeding crop. A crop of buckwheat also leaves even 

 hard soils in loose friable condition, doubtless due partly 

 to its complete shading of the ground. 



666. Weeds are seldom able to make headway in com- 

 petition with a crop of buckwheat, owing to its rapid ger- 

 mination and growth. The ground is soon shaded and is 

 covered so densely with the later growth that weeds are 

 smothered out. This crop is therefore valuable as a 

 means of cleaning the land of weeds (515). 



667. Fungous and insect parasites. Buckwheat is 

 particularly free from destructive insect or fungous 

 enemies. Since this is the case, losses do not often occur 

 as a result of these causes. Wild and domestic birds 

 when abundant may eat a considerable amount of the 

 grain before it can be harvested. Blasting of the flowers 

 often occurs as a result of unfavorable climatic condi- 

 tions, but this does not seem to be due to disease. The 

 flowers seem very sensitive to high temperature and dry 

 weather, and often fail to develop grain because of such 

 weather. Hot days followed by hot nights seem espe- 

 cially destructive, either when the soil is dry or wet. The 

 Japanese variety seems to be least injured by such condi- 

 tions. 



Injury to buckwheat by Rhizoctonia is reported from 

 western North Carolina, and attacks by the nematode, 

 which causes the stalk disease of rye, are reported from 

 Germany. 



USES OF BUCKWHEAT 



668. Feeding value of buckwheat. Buckwheat grain 

 has a fair feeding value, but its total nutrients are some- 

 what lower than those of the leading cereals. The hulls 



