516 FIELD AND GARDEN PRODUCTS 



466; Iowa Ag. Col. E. S. 55; Kans. St. Ag. Col. E. S. 123, 144; 

 S. Dak. A. E. S. 71, 81, 86.) 



BUCKWHEAT. 



A moist, cool climate is most favorable for buckwheat, although 

 the seeds will germinate in a very dry soil, and considerable heat 

 in the early stages of growth is an advantage. High temperatures 

 in the period of seed formation, especially hot sunshine following 

 showers, is usually disastrous to crop yield, causing blasting of the 

 flowers. The same effect is attributed to strong east winds. The 

 yield is much reduced by drought during this period. Buckwheat 

 will mature in a shorter period than any other grain crop, eight 

 or ten weeks being sufficient under favorable conditions. It is 

 thus well adapted to high altitudes and short seasons, but its period 

 of growth must be free from frosts as the plants are very sensitive 

 to cold. 



Soil. Buckwheat will grow on a wide range of soils, but those 

 of a rather light, well-drained character are best suited. It will 

 give fair yields on soils too poor or too badly tilled to produce most 

 other crops and seems to be less affected by soil than by season. 

 It is not desirable, however, to attempt to grow buckwheat on very 

 rich land, as under such conditions the crop frequently lodges 

 badly with results even more serious than occur when other grain 

 crops go down, as the plant has no method of rising again. This 

 ability to produce fair crops on poor soils and under indifferent 

 cultivation has led to buckwheat being often considered the poor 

 farmer's crop, and to poor and unskilled farmers being dubbed 

 "buckwheaters." The crop lends itself well to the farmer who lacks 

 capital to secure timely labor or wait for returns on investments in 

 tillage and fertilizer. It may be planted after the rush of spring 

 work is over; it may be resorted to as a substitute for spring crops 

 or meadows that have failed and it brings quick return for invest- 

 ment in fertilizers One farmer is reported as saying: "I like 

 to raise buckwheat because it is the only grain for which I can buy 

 fertilizer on a 90 day note and pay for it out of the crop it makes." 

 Buckwheat, however, responds to more generous and intelligent 

 treatment and deserves to be held in higher esteem than it usually 

 enjoys. 



Since buckwheat is not usually planted till the last of June, 

 owing to pressure of other work, the land too often is not plowed 

 till just before seeding and then receives hasty and indifferent fit- 

 ting. This allows little time for sods and other organic matter to 

 decay and become incorporated with the soil and capillarity is not 

 re-established between the subsoil and the seed-bed. Under these 

 conditions, the development of the crop is slow and if drought ensues 

 disaster is the result. Early plowing of the land so as to allow of 

 several harrowings at intervals of two weeks and a thorough set- 

 tling of the soil nearly insures the maximum crop the land is 

 capable of producing. If early plowing is impracticable, then the 

 greater attention should be given to a thorough fitting of the 

 seed bed. 



