65 



In 1862, in Mifflin County, Pa. , Abraham Fultz, while passino- through 

 a field of Lancaster wheat, which i.s a bearded variety, found three 

 heads of bald wheat. He sowed the seed from these heads the same 

 year, and continued sowing a larger amount each year, until he ol)tained 

 sufficient seed to distribute it pretty well over the country. It soon 

 became a well-marked and popular variety, called Fultz from the name 

 of the breeder, and is now the best known of American wheats. In 

 1871 this Department distributed 200 bushels of the wheat for seed. 

 This variety is rather early in ripening, fairl}^ hardy, and possesses a 

 semihard, red grain of good quality. It comes nearest being a general 

 purpose wheat of all our varieties, being grown with good success in 

 nearly all parts of the country and in several foreign countries. 



Next to Fultz, one of the best known of our native wheats is White 

 Clawson, or >;imply Clawson. This variet}^ originated in Seneca County, 

 N. Y., in 1865, through the selection of certain superior heads from a 

 field of Fultz by Garrett Clawson. On planting the grain from these 

 heads, both a white and red-grained sort resulted the following season. 

 The white wheat was considered the best, and the pint of seed obtained 

 of this sort was sown, producing 3!J pounds the following season. The 

 third year after this 254 bushels were harvested, and that season the 

 variety was distributed to other farmers. In 1871 this variety took first 

 premium at the Seneca County fair, and in 1874 seed was distributed 

 by this Department. Though judged inferior by millers at times, this 

 variety has become a very popular one. It must not be confused with 

 Earl}^ Red Clawson, a very distinct variety. It is a bald wheat, rather 

 hardy, with soft, white, or light amber grains. Early Red Clawson, 

 because of its earliness, has taken the place of this variet}^ to a great 

 extent in recent years. 



One of the best of the more recently produced varieties is the Rudy, 

 which was originated at Troy, Ohio, in 1871, b}' M. Rudy, through a 

 careful propagation of the seed from a superior and distinct stool of 

 wheat found in a large field. It is a semihard or soft reddish-grained 

 wheat, bearded and with white chatf. It is widely grown in Ohio, 

 Indiana, and adjoining States. 



A number of tiie different varieties of Fife and Velvet Blue Stem of 

 the spring- wheat States were also produced by simple selection. 

 Wellman's Fife is a good example. In 1878 D. L. Wellman, of Frazee 

 City, Minn., received a sample package of Scotch Fife wheat from the 

 Saskatchewan Valle}', in Manitoba. This was sown in the sprmgof the 

 following year, and as a result it was found that the seed was badly 

 mixed. Removing all plants but those of the true Fife and propagating 

 carefully from year to year, Mr. Wellman gradually bred upward a ver}^ 

 pure strain of the Fife, which became known as the Saskatchewan Fife. 

 From the crop of 1881 were seliM-ted some uinisually large heads, and 

 from the seed of these as a beginning he finally produced a rather 

 4879— No. 24 5 



