PROGRESS IN WHEAT-GROWING

Otago Witness, Issue 2803, 4 December 1907, Page 21

PROGRESS IN WHEAT-GROWING

Farmers' Bureau at Georgetown, South Australia, Professor Custance said that a great improvement had been made in the method of growing wheat since the time — more than 20 years ago —when he was laughed at by farmers for using a drill nrUh superphosphate arid told to put lIJS drill in the museum. He complimented the farmers upon the progress they had rrade; he believed that better cultivate n of the soil, the use of the drill, and more care in the selection of seed-wheat had an equal share with the use of superphosphate in the larger yields of wheat now obtained. What are the essentials for successful—that is, profitable —wheat-growing? Tho first point to be noticed is the mechanical condition of the soil before sewing; a. good tilth is requisite if the vounjr plant is to extend its rootlets and flourish. The noxt essential is a sufficient supply of food for the young and growing i plant. A good wheat crop can only ho j prown when the land 1 h in such condition 1 that the plant can got all the food it re- I quires, so that, seasons being favourable. 1

the problem of growing good crops ol wheat resolves itself into the cheapest waj of keeping up a sufficient supply of avail* eble plant-food in the soil. There are various ways of doing this. In Europe it is accomplished by rotation of crops, deep cultivation, the use of manure, feeding* crops off the land by -sheep, and other ■ways. » After speaking in detail on the various ways of keeping up the supply of available plant-food, Professor Custance strongly, advocated s the necessity of providing a> good depth of soil in which the roots oC the wheat plant could extend freely, and* gather easily the food requisite for a. heavy crop of wheat. He considered the selection of the seed deserved more attention ; beside selecting a variety suited. to> the soil and climate, the farmer should! know that the seed he uses is of a good l strain of that variety, for the pedigree of plants has as, much influence on their value as that of animals has on theirs. Aa to thick versus thin sowing, he was satisfied that on good land,, in first-rate condition, thin sowing was better than thick.We want to increase the yield of wheat* per acre; instead of growing 20 bushels we wish to grow 30 bushels per acre. j Now, the only nossiblo mode of increasI ing the crop is by increasing the number ' of «ars, or their contents, or both. Tha number of ears •on an acre of wheat ti« practically the same, whatever the quantity • of seed "employed" say- 23 to the square foot; but when^these 23 ears,, instead of being produced, Begm an eaual number ol weakly, half-starv^Wto^^ded plants, are -produced -upon^oiie^Wr^wo fully-developed i plants, whose root* have had free growth' in a deep soil, they, are doUhle the ordinary «i^e. and can. by repeated selection, be made to contain, on an average, at leas* double th« ordinary number of grains. Undoubtedly the present yield of wheat per acre can be much increased : to do that should be the aim of every farmer— not more acres of wheat, but more wheat per acre.