Wheat 41
Experiment Station has been unable to carry on variety tests
on the various soil types of the State, because of lack of
funds. · .
In selecting new varieties or strains of wheat, they should ‘
be gotten from localities as nearly like the one in which 4
they are to be grown as is possible. The fact that a
variety of wheat yields well in one part of the country, does _
not mean that it will yield well in another. For example,
Dawson’s Golden Chaif is one of the most productive varieties
grown in Canada and the Northern pa-rt of the United States.
In a varietytest at this Station it was tried for four years
and ranked thirty—second out of forty—one varieties, with an
average weight per bushel of 55.2 pounds and an average
milling quality of 85.7 per cent. The Illinois Station found
Dawson’s Golden Chaff to be the third in yield among seven-
teen varieties when tried out in Northern Illinois, but when
tried in Southern Illinois, it was eleventh in yield among
_ eighteen varieties, and was so unproductive that it was
discarded. The Illinois Stationii found home—grown Harvest ·
King to be second highest yielder for Southern Illinois, and
to outyield strains of Harvest King imported from Indiana ‘
and Michigan. Y }
The results of experiments at the Experiment Stations of
Illinois, Indiana, North Dakota, Nebraska and Maryland
indicate that home-grown seed produces better results than
— seed of the same varieties obtained from a distance. In
‘ Bulletin No. 121 of the Illinois Station, after citing numerous ·
references to experiments, the authors make this statement :
“There seems to be no adequate evidence to show that
the practical wheat grower can hope for any gain from
changing seed wheat merely for the sake of changing.
There is more likelihood of loss by a change than of making
any practical gains." . _
While we have no data at the Kentucky Station to support
this statement, the weight of evidence from other Stations
leads us to believe that it is sound. It is our opinion that the
best place to buy seed wheat is at home, if it can be found
;;Iinlletin No. 121, Illinois Experiment Station.