SEPT. 40 
WHEAT NOTES. 
Shumaker is as early as any of our 77 
kinds of wheat. Each head averages seven 
spikelets and each spikclet averages two and 
one-eighth grains. It is a tall-growing wheat 
■with rather slender straw and dark chaff. We 
learn it makes a very good quality of flour 
though not, perhaps, Die best. Of all our 
wheats the Shumaker (sometimes Shoemaker) 
was the only one that lodged at all, and this 
only in one part. It yielded heavily and wo 
should commend its trial to our readers. 
Mr. Wysor once stated in this journal that 
out of a gill of grams of wheat planted four 
inches apart, not one was lost by winter-kill¬ 
ing, while at least one- kdf of that sown 
broadcast on the Held was so killed. 
From a trial ol' Stiver (.'huff wheat uiado 
by 15 farmers, in Ohio chiefly, in 1880, the av¬ 
erage yield was bushels. Of Velvet Chaff, 
according to the reports of 11 fanners in Tils., 
Mo., Kan., Md., N. Y., Pa., Mich., YVis., and 
Ohio, the average yield was 2(5 bushels per 
acre. Arnold’s (Sold Medal, tried by 12 far- 
mere, mostly in Ohio, yielded 21% bushels. 
Sandomirku, tried by seven farmers, mostly 
in Ohio, yielded 24*.. bushels. These trials were 
instituted by C. E. Thorne, the Farm Manager 
of the Ohio State University. 
We hkmkvjs that the recommendation per¬ 
sistently urged several years ago to sow wheat 
late in order to escape the Hessian Fly, lias 
cost the fanners of this country thousands of 
dollare. 
Wm. Ki.ii>!>art says that Velvet Chaff 
Wheat was abandoned in Franklin Co., Ky., 
years ago. It. yielded, he says, 40 bushels 
per acre, but deteriorated, as it was liable to 
injury from insects, smut and rust. In other 
parts of the country, this wheat is particu¬ 
larly rust, smut and insect-proof. Thera are 
many kinds of Velvet Chaff wheat, however, 
some boarded, some beardless. The variety 
best known by thut numu is shown in another 
column and succeeds admirably in Ohio as 
well as at the Rural Farm. 
It is pretty well known that pistillate straw- 
berries, like the Manchester, are more prolific 
than those bearing perfect flowers having 
both stamens and anthers. Does it follow 
that beardless wheats should be more prolific 
than bearded wheats ? The cuses arc not 
quite alike, since the Ward is but a part of 
the palet while the stamens are the male gen¬ 
erative organs and may be supposed in their 
growth and development to require a greater 
amount of nutriment. 
Fultz. —This ripens early (July 7 the past 
season); hours a straw of medium bight, which 
turns reddish before ripening, It is not very 
thick but strong and is seldom broken or 
lodged. The heads average rather small; the 
kernels are of only medium size; but theyure 
close together upon the heads and the aver¬ 
age number is greater than that in a head of 
Clawson, lienee it yields well. But there 
are scores of kinds, if they were but known, 
that would yield OS Well and yet mukeallour 
far better in quality. Fultz is, as we judge 
from experiment, well adapted to low or ill 
drained grounds, if this can be said of any 
wheat. 
In Japan, it is said, the wheat has been so 
developed by Japanese farmers, that no mat¬ 
ter how much immure is used, the straw will 
not grow larger, though the length of the ear 
increases. The bight is rarely more than two 
feet, and often not more than twenty inches. 
We should much like to see some of this 
Japan wheat. 
Isis was supposed to have introduced wheat | 
into Egypt, Demeter into Greece, and the Em¬ 
peror Chiu-Wong into China, about 3,000B. C. 
In Europe it. was cultivated before the period 
of history, as samples have been recovered 
from the lacustrine dwellings of Switzerland. 
- *-•*--* - 
Crossing Wheats. 
Crossing wheats is rather a delicate opera¬ 
tion until one has gained dexterity by exper¬ 
ience requiring both a steady hand and a deal 
of patience. The outer husk or covering of 
the flower is called a glume, see A, Fig. M2, 
Within this are two similar coverings called 
pales or pah‘in, the first of which is nwnod in 
the bearded kinds and in the beardless kinds 
merely pointed. Between these two pales are the 
generative organs the stamens and pistil, (I). 
In crossing different varieties the two pales 
must therefore bo separated so the anthem, 
which bear Die pollen or fertilizing dust, may 
be removed and other anthers inserted in their 
place—anthers from the kind with which it is 
desired to make a cross. The latter is called 
the male parent; while the flower receiving 
the anthers is called the female parent. A fter 
the stamens of the head to be fertilized have 
all been removed—which is easily effected by 
the use of a sharp-pointed stick, as shown in 
the engraving, Fig. 447—and other anthem in¬ 
troduced, it is best to wind a woreted yarn 
about the spikelets to hold the glumes and 
pales together and so exclude the possibility 
of the intrusion of pollen from the same or 
other spikes. Anthem should be selected of a 
golden color, just before the pollen has been 
shed, ns when severed green they shrivel up 
and the pollen grains never mature. Or the 
dust may lie collected by the aid of u camel’s- 
hair brush (see Fig. 447), and applied to the 
stigmas. We prefer to use the anthem as the 
simpler method. Twenty-five different heads 
Of wheat were crossed here during the past 
season. Of these three were destroyed by 
sparrows and the straws of two were broken 
so that the heads failed to ripen. Of the 20 
heads remaining, 182 perfect grains—or an av¬ 
erage of over nine grains to a head—were the 
results of tlio work. These wo shall, of course, 
plant separately, cultivating the ground about 
them and giving them every care. As pollen 
from different kinds was often used upon the 
same head, only the pistillate parent is re¬ 
corded. 
Egyptian Wheat. 
This grows to the liight of three feet, bearing 
a bearded, compound head about four inches 
long. Tho secondary heads or spikes vary. 
Sometimes there a re us many as 10—sometimes 
but two or three. It is simply a branching 
head the same as a half dozen secondary ears 
of corn sometimes grow from the main racing 
or cob. Tho kernels arc with ns of an amber 
color and small, though the seed planted was 
white and of a good size. This change may 
be owing to the fact that this is the fimt time, 
we believe, that it has been cultivated in this 
climate as a W inter wheat. The weight of the 
head is so great that, while ripening it is often 
bent over to the ground, sometimes breaking 
Die straw. It docs not seem wor thy of culti¬ 
vation except, it may lie, as a curiosity. We 
have, however, used some of its pollen in cross¬ 
ing wheats during the past seasoq. The en¬ 
graving, Fig. '441, was sketched from one of 
our best heads, which ripened J uly 25. 
Velvet Chafl' Wheat. 
This wheat orignated in Clinton County, 
Ohio, where, in 1857 or 1858, Mr. Abram Pen- 
quite, while cradling In a field of wheat, no¬ 
ticed three heads of a. different variety from 
the rest of the field. These ho saved and prop¬ 
agated. and from them has come the wheat 
now widely known in Southwestern Ohio as 
the Vi .vet Chaff. 
The name of “Velvet” or “Velvet Chaff” 
has been applied to a number of different va¬ 
rieties of wheat. John H. Klippart, in his 
‘‘Wheat Plant,” describes four varieties, all 
different from the one under consideration 
which hail I men cultivated in Ohio previous 
to 1800, and some of which are still in cultiva¬ 
tion, This variety is distinguished by ex¬ 
treme earliness in ripening;a straw of medium 
length and much stiffer than that of the Med¬ 
iterranean ; a heavily bearded head; a medium- 
sized, but very plump and heavy grain, of a 
dark amber color; and a peculiarly heavy 
brown chaff, which gives the variety its name. 
I have caused this wheat to be tested over 
a considerable extent, of country during the 
past two years, and it seems to bo especially 
adapted to the black soils of tho prairies. In an 
acquaintance of ten years 1 have never known 
it to lie injuriously affected by either varie¬ 
ty of smut. I have never Issen able to see 
that rust affected one variety more than an¬ 
other, except that lata varieties were more 
liable to its attacks than early onus. Tho 
Ohio millcra who aro acquainted with both 
varieties, pronounce the Velvet Chaff equal 
to Mediterranean as a milling wheat, while 
farmers generally prefer the former on ac¬ 
count of its superior earliness and stiffness of 
straw. 
We are this year testing about 30 varieties, 
among thorn a wheat taken from tho valley of 
the Tlieiss, In Hungary, to Minnesota, in the 
hope that, it would rival tho Scotch Fife, but 
it failed to germinate there. Velvet Chaff 
will lie for sale at simply enough advance 
over market price to pay for extra liaud- 
ling, when the now crop comes in. 
Ohio State University. C. E. Thorne. 
--- 
MEDITERRANEAN WHEAT.-WHO 
SHALL IMPROVE IT ? 
my bam to clean his seed wheat, as I had 
purchased a new mill for that purpose. He 
brought what he supposed was enough wheat 
to give him all he wanted when cleaned, and 
ho also remarked that his wheat, was very 
clean as it was. You can hardly imagine 
his surprise on cleaning the same to find that 
instead of a few peeks of worthless stuff ho 
hud bushels, and so surprised was he that bo 
saved all the foul seed and shrunken wheat to 
show the farmer of whom he got the seed, 
who thought it. quite clean—fully fit for seed 
without extra cleaning. The result was a 
crop of nearly 40 bushels of dea n wheat per 
acre this harvest from six acres Of wheat tho 
seed for which had been well cleaned and the 
soil for which had been well prepared after 
oats and wheat grown on the ground in 1880, 
Another neighbor, also, whose seed T cleaned, 
had about the same amount, of land sown and 
his crop is also nearly, or quite, 40 bushels per 
acre of clean wheat, Both these crops have been 
thrashed, so the results are known to be an 
stated, and both fields were Die admiration of 
all farmers who saw them; yet how few farm¬ 
ers will take the trouble to clean their seed 
this Fall for the purpose of growing a clean 
crop nex t year. ()ne fanner said to the w rib,«r, 
last Fall, that ho know his seed was foul, but 
his land was a lso full of foul seeds, and if he 
cleaned his seed wheat, tho foul seed in 
his land would produce abundantly in the 
crop, hence there was Little use of cleaning 
his seed. The fact that his seed was foul was 
too true, yet with time and care in sowing 
only clean seed, the foul seed would soon be¬ 
come loss on any farm; while a careless sow¬ 
ing of foul seed with the good, will only in¬ 
crease the existing evil. In conclusion, I 
would advLso the sowing of clean seed on well 
cultivated fields to obtain the best, results. 
Rome, N. Y. Jonathan Talcott; 
.WESTERN WHEAT EXPERIENCES. 
PROFESSOR E. M. SHELTON, KANSAS STATE AG¬ 
RICULTURAL COLLEGE. 
So long as the wheat, plant continues to fur¬ 
nish the bread of civilized man, the condition 
of the crop at different seosi ns, and all means 
and methods looking toward its improvement, 
will be objects of interest to all classes of tho 
community. Indeed, with another farm crop 
can the fanner do more essential service to his 
country and kind, in following Dean Swift’s 
famous advice to make two blades of grass to 
grew upon a spot of ground where only one 
grew before, than by furnishing practical 
methods for profitably increasing t,ho “blades” 
and cam per acre of our wheat fields. 
Nevertheless, I am not an advocate of wheat 
raising, as it is generally practiced in the 
West, upon u very largo scale, and to the ex¬ 
clusion of all other crops. The exclusive 
wheat ruiser, whether he be a “ bonanza ” 
farmer, or a poor homesteader who rakes and 
scrapes the last cunt, and ventures it on a 
wheat crop, is, according to my observation 
and experience, certain to bring to himself 
poverty of soil, purse, and spirit. The pecu¬ 
liar mental stato of those farmers who grow 
wheat alone, is a study, albeit a depressing 
one. They are in an almost constant, state of 
terror or exaltation over the rain or Its 
absence, and scan tho heavens like tho 
Chaldeans. Drought, tho fly, frost, chinch 
bugs, grasshoppers rust, hail—all of these 
terrors of the farmer seom to have a 
special spite against the . wheat farmer. 
Tho place for the wheat crop—a position of 
profit and honor—is in alternation with grass 
and hoed crops. Hero wheat is profitably 
grown without injury to tho soil and with no 
unusual risks. 
A Favorite Sort. 
In Kansas, as elsewhere, many sorts of 
Winter wheat, are grown, but those which are 
the most successful aro not generally known, I 
think, oast of Dio Mississippi outside of some 
of the Southern States. Tho weak poiut of 
our climate* so fur aa wheat raising is con¬ 
cerned, is tho Spring season. The cold, web 
weather which, from the Atlantic to Dio lakes, 
occupies so much of tho season between tho 
first of March and the middle of May, is all 
but unknown in Kansas. Our Winter is no 
sooner past than the Summer is upon as. Con- 
J. H. WOODWARD. 
Each year brings to the notice of the wheat- 
grower some new variety of wheat, highly ex¬ 
tolled and sure to take tho place of favorite; 
but as is usually the case, on trial some fatal 
defect is found and each year as many varie¬ 
ties are discarded as are added of now ones 
A hundred different wheats might easily be 
named, that have thus been the favorite and 
again thrown by, since my farming oxpor- 
ience began- So far as my acquaintance ex¬ 
tends, onl} one variety now in cultivation 
has stood tho test of a single generation and 
is to-day as high in the estooui of both grow¬ 
er and miller us when first introduced. That 
variety is t he Red-boarded Mediterranean. 
When first introduced, it was course and 
dark; it made a strong healthful flour but 
very dark; about it-s only recommendation 
was its hardiness and earliness, enabling it to 
stand the Winter mul to escape the ravages of 
the midge. Its Inf reduction was, m fact, not 
a matter of choice but of necessity. Wo 
could grow a small Clop of that and wo could 
notgrow any other variety then known; but 
each year it, has grown butter and better, both 
in quality and yield, and lighter-colored in 
grain and flour, until now it- is the favorite of 
tho miller and the baker, and they pay from five 
tei seven cents more per bushel for it 
than for any other grown in this sec¬ 
tion. J f a farmer has a plot of ground 
less adapted to wheat than another, 
ho surely sows it to Mediterranean 
and often ( lien secures his best results. 
About the only defect it has is its lia¬ 
bility to lodge and its open, loose 
heud; but, then, it will lodge and fill 
when another would not, and its loose 
head will stand more bad weather at 
harvest time than any other. Tins 
present season in Western New Yoik 
it is the only variety that has entirely 
escaped the attacks of red rust on tho 
leaves. 
I fully believe that any man who 
will each year constantly sow Medi¬ 
terranean on u quantity of laud equal 
to that sown to any of the other or 
newer varieties, will at the end of ten 
years find the balance of account on 
the side of this old variety, 1 do not 
find fault with this constant desire for 
something better and more profitable. 
That is a characteristic of our peo¬ 
ple; but I do tiiink a great mistake 
is made by our improvers of wheats, 
in that they do not take t his old relia¬ 
ble stand-by us the variety from 
which to work lip, and secure some¬ 
thing that shall be better than any 
we now have and shall satisfy the 
wheat grower. 
What we wunt in a wheat is all tho 
hardiness, curliness and freedom from 
rest of the Mediterranean and, in 
addition, a closer head and a straw 
that shall be a little stiffer and loss 
liable to lodge—Who will load off 
in this now departure and secure so 
desirable and happy a result ? 
Niagara Co., N. Y. 
EGYPTIAN WAEAT.—FIG. 44 1. 
CLEAN SEED. 
I wish to say, for tho benefit of 
all tillers of the soil that shall 
read tho Wheat Number of the 
Rural, that more dollars can be gain¬ 
ed by sowing only eltan seed on well tilled 
lands than by ull other methods combined. 
Most wheat growers would be surprised if tho 
good that is sown was thoroughly cleaned and 
they could see the foul sowls that aro yearly 
sown even by good fanners. One of my 
neighbors, last year at seeding time, came to 
