26 



BULLETIlSr 357^ U. S. DEPARTMENT OP AGEICULTURE. 



The party furnishing Miracle wheat recommended 2 pecks per acre, claiming 

 great stooling power for it. 



Subsequent results obtained at the Kentucky station are given in 

 the letter below from E. J. Kinney, assistant agronomist of that 

 station : 



I beg to say that we did not continue the experiments recorded in 1911 

 In Bulletin 155 any longer than the one year. The Miracle wheat showed no 

 greater propensities for stooling than any of the standard varieties of wheat, 

 and there seemed no necessity for carrying the experiment any farther. So 

 far as moisture was concerned, 1911 was a very normal season ; in fact, better 

 than a normal season, according t(j my records, so that the thinner sown wheat 

 had the best opix)rtunity to stool. 



In 1912 Miracle wheat yielded only 22.5 bushels, as compared with 28.1 

 bushels for Fulcaster and an average of 30 bushels for a standard Fultz va- 

 riety ; 1912 was a very hard winter, and only the hardiest varieties of wheat 

 came through in good shape. 



In 1913 Miracle yielded 2S.7 bushels per acre, or a corrected yield according 

 to check plats of 32 bushels, as compared with an average of the check plats 

 of 32.8. Fulcaster the same year gave a corrected yield of 33.9 bushels per 

 acre. 



In 1914 Miracle gave a corrected yield of 26.76 bushels, as compared with 

 an average check-plat yield, which was Fultz, of 32.98 bushels per acre. In 

 all these cases, the crops were planted at the same time, in the same field, 

 with the same preparation of soil and the same rate of seeding. 



In 1914 a farmer brought in a variety of wheat which he said was sold to 

 him as Marvelous, and which I imagined and still believe is the same as Miracle. 

 It was reported as giving a full yield with a light seeding; say, 2 pecks. I 

 planted a plat of this at the rate of 6 pecks per acre and one at the rate of 2 

 pecks per acre, the corrected yield being 81.17 bushels for the 6 pecks per 

 acre rate of seeding and 24.46 for the 2 pecks rate of seeding. 



I do not see that Miracle or Marvelous stooled any more than a standard 

 variety of wheat, such as Fulcaster or other varieties. Certainly, in all cases 

 where we have tested these varieties with the proclaimed stooling characters, 

 the thicker seeding has given decidedly the heavier yield. 



TESTS IN PENNSYLVANIA. 



The Pennsylvania Agricultural Exf)eriment Station sowed the 

 Stoner (Miracle) wheat at two rates in the fall of 1912. The yields 

 in 1913 are given in Bulletin 125 of that station, and are as follows : 



stoner (Miracle) wheat. 



Actual yield. 



Grain. Straw, 



Corrected yield. 



Grain. Straw. 



Seeded at— 



2 bushels per acre . 

 1 bushel per ncre . . 



Bushels. 

 33.6 



2S.6 



Pounds. 

 4,665 

 3,350 



Bushels. 

 30.8 

 25.5 



Pounds. 



4,473 

 3,419 



The increased yield of 5 bushels resulting from the sowing of 1 

 6ushel more of seed is certainly worth the increased expense for seed. 



