274 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE 



II. WHEAT. 



EXPERIMENTS WITH FOREIGN WHEATS. 



In the fall of 1895 three collections of foreign wheats were sown by 

 the Station. First, ten cross-bred wheats from Australia. Second, ten 

 Russian varieties obtained through the U. S. Department of Agriculture. 

 Third, six varieties, three German and three Russian, from Haage & 

 Schmidt, Erfurt, Germany. 



I. AUSTRALIAN WHEATS. 



These wheats were sent by the originator, William Farrar, New South 

 Wales, Australia, to Dr. R. C. Kedzie, who has carefully watched their 

 growth and made selections for further trial. The wheats as received 

 were of the first generation from the cross and were all white in color 

 and differed from one another very little in general appearance. The 

 originator states that they were chosen mainly for their probable milling 

 excellence. Their parentage was as follows, the original stock or female 

 parent being written first and the male or pollen parent second. It will 

 be noted that the parent varieties themselves are in some cases crosses: 



1. Improved Fife x Cr6pi. 



2. Improved Fife x Rye Wheat (B16 Seigle). 



3. Improved Fife x Marshall's No. 8. 



4. Improved Fife x (Gypsum x Cr^pi). 



5. Improved Fife x (Blount's Fife x Ward's Prolific). 



6. Improved Fife x Ward's Prolific. 



7. Improved Fife x White Lammas. 



8. Improved Fife x (Improved Fife x French Early White). 



9. (Improved Fife x Gypsum) x (Hornblende x Indian B). 

 10. Fultz X Crepi. 



Following are brief descriptions of the varieties entering into the 

 above crosses : 



Improved Fife. A spring variety, originated apparently by Professor 

 A. E. Blount, of New Mexico. Described by C. G. Georgeson of 

 the Kansas Experiment Station, as follows: Plants erect, irregular in 

 height, straw medium to slender; heads poorly developed, bald, of medium 

 length, slender, moderately compact, round to square, and tapering; 

 chaff white; grain red, of medium size. 



Crepi. Of French origin. Described by Vilmorin as the hardiest of 

 the winter wheats. Straw tall and flexible; head bald and slender; chaff 

 white; grain soft, of medium size, dull grayish red, threshing easily. 



Rye Wheat. A variety which in France is sown in either fall or spring 

 and is there grown on rather poor lands, such as are customarily sown to 

 rye. Straw rather tall, erect and flexilble; heads bald, loose, tapering; 

 chaff bronze, covered with fine silvery hairs; grain reddish or pale amber. 



