456 FIELD AND GARDEN PRODUCTS 



the risk of having it deteriorate in quality from No. 1 or No. 2 to 

 No. 4 or even "no grade." 



Another gain which may result from properly stacking the 

 wheat is that it will come out of the stack dry and thrash out clean 

 from chaff, thus preventing the loss sustained when thrashing bun- 

 dles that are damp and tough from rain or dew. With the bundles 

 in this damp condition, considerable wheat remains in the heads or 

 is blown over as "whitecaps" and goes to the straw pile. This is 

 usually a total loss, as much of the straw in the Great Plains area 

 is burned. 



Improvement in the quality and condition of the wheat is not 

 the only benefit derived from stacking the crop. In addition to 

 making the crop safe should several heavy rains come after harvest, 

 which would prevent thrashing and cause rapid deterioration, the 

 stack-thrashed grain can be placed in tight bins and kept, or it can 

 be shipped direct to market without imminent danger of heating 

 and spoiling in transit. Also, the shocks are removed from the 

 field, so that plowing may be 'begun at once, and all good farmers 

 readily agree that such early plowing is productive of good results 

 in the next year's crop. 



WINTER WHEAT IN WESTERN SOUTH DAKOTA. 



The value of winter wheat as a dry-land crop in western South 

 Dakota has been the subject of much discussion during the past few 

 years. The production of winter wheat in this area has not reached 

 the proportions of commercial importance. The advantages in 

 favor of winter wheat, where it can be successfully grown, are bet- 

 ter distribution of labor by fall seeding and early harvest; early 

 maturity, and therefore less danger from hail, hot winds, disease, 

 etc. ; greater drought resistance ; and larger yields. Its importance 

 as a dry-land crop is due largely to its early maturity and to its 

 ability to produce a fair yield even in seasons of severe drought. 

 Winter wheat has been grown at several points in western South 

 Dakota, in some instances for a number of years. While not uni- 

 formly successful, the crop promises good results when properly 

 handled. 



Winterkilling is the injury most commonly feared in growing 

 winter wheat and is the principal limiting factor in the northward 

 extension of the winter-wneat belt. It is due to extreme cold, to ex- 

 posure and injury of the roots by the heaving of the soil, and to 

 other causes. The extent of injury differs widely with the different 

 varieties grown and is affected to a less extent by the preparation of 

 the soil and seed and by the time, rate, and method of seeding. 



Damage from the blowing of the soil in high winds is an im- 

 portant consideration on the dry lands. The danger is greatest on 

 soils containing sand or fine gravel and in fields fully exposed to the 

 wind. In the late winter and early spring months, the velocity of 

 the wind is often great enough to carry the soil particles rapidly 

 across the field, cutting off the plants near the ground and exposing 

 the roots to the weather. This condition is especially trying on dry 

 farms, as dry winters are common and the plants and soil are left in 



