Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 223, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 September 1919 — NORMAL ACREAGE OF WHEAT AND RYE URGED FOR STATE. [ARTICLE]

NORMAL ACREAGE OF WHEAT AND RYE URGED FOR STATE.

' Lafayette, Ind., Sept. 15.—The sowing of a normal acreage of wheat and rye throughout the state this fall is urged by the Indiana committee on food production and conservation. Any reduction in acreage of these , two important crops will serve only to aggravate the world food shortage, while a normal crop will do much' to help restore normal conditions, the food men say. In connection with the efforts of the committee to obtain a normal acreage of these two crops, soil specialists at Purdue university declare that the treating of seed wheat Ito prevent smut, thorough prepara- ’ tion of the seed bed, cleaning of I seed, are three important factors jwhich will help determine the yield iof next year’s crop. It is better to cut off the corn, when wheat follows .this crop, thoroughly disking and harrowing the field, than to sow between the rows of corn, as it will prevent waste of the ground and also insure a

more even stand and consequent betiter yield. When wheat follows such i crops as potatoes, soy* beans or cow i peas, an ideal seed bed can be pre- > pared by disking and harrowing, land on clean mellow soils, harrow- , Ing alone will be sufficient, the men say. Because of the extremely hot weather early in the summer, which shriveled up much of the grain, the quality of this year’s crop is below standard. These shriveled, bad grains may 'be taken from the seed Iby cleaning the seed once or twice. ■Rye, cheat, cockle and weed seeds also will be gotten rid of in this

way. „ . Use of formaldehyde, one pint to forty gallons of water, the wet method, may be used successfully to treat seed wheat to prevent stinking smut. This, however, will not prevent “black heads” or loose smut in wheat, which may be controlled by the hot water method.