104 DEPARTMENTAL REPORTS. 



of the Department the millers of the West have already imported 

 thousands of bushels of a hardy Crimean variety from Russia. Other 

 varieties now under experiment are still more hard3^ 



Swedish Select oats. — The importation of this variety of oats from 

 northern Russia in 1899 has, after three years' trial, resulted in almost 

 completely revolutionizing oat cultivation in Montana. It has been 

 impossible to supply the demand for seed of this variety in that State, 

 although it has sold at a good price. In Wisconsin the success of this 

 variety has been almost as great. 



Tobolsk oats. — This variety, introduced at the same time as the Swed- 

 ish Select, and though not so popular as the latter, has proved to be a 

 valuable introduction and has given good results as far north as 

 Alaska. 



Emmer. — This cereal, erroneously called spelt, has been grown to a 

 limited extent for a number of years in the Northwest. This Depart- 

 ment, however, has succeeded in extending the area of its cultivation 

 much farther, and other varieties have been introduced that were not 

 grown before. It is an extremely drought-resistant grain, but also 

 occasionally does well in humid regions. It is now known to be an 

 imj^ortant crop for stock food over a large portion of the semiarid 

 plains. 



Proso or broom-corn millet. — Five different varieties of this cereal 

 were introduced from Russia in 1899, and two others since that time. 

 The experiments made with them have been so far mainly in cooper- 

 ation with the experiment stations, but in a number of i)laces with 

 private parties also. Very successful results, even better than were 

 expected, have been obtained with these varieties, esijecially in South 

 Dakota and California. Three varieties have proved to be particu- 

 larly resistant to drought, providing food for stock over a large area 

 where it is difficult to grow much stock food of any other kind. These 

 three varieties are the Red Orenburg, Red Voronezh, and Black Voro- 

 nezh. The Black Voronezh is the most resistant to drought, while 

 the Red Voronezh is found to be the earliest maturing of all varieties, 

 ripening in fifty days from the date of seeding. 



Orenburg buckivheat. — This variety of buckwheat, obtained from 

 east Russia on the Siberian border in 1899, has proved to be extremely 

 well adapted to the regions far north. Among four or five varieties 

 it was the only one able to mature a fair crop in Alaska. 



Malahhov sugar corn. — This variety of sugar corn, obtained from 

 north central Russia, after several years' trial, has proved to be an 

 exeeedingl}^ early variety, and will mature ears in the extreme north- 

 ern portions of the United States where other varieties entirelj' fail. 

 It is not only earlier than other varieties but usually sweeter, and has 

 been particularly valuable in South Dakota. 



RICE GROWING. 



To give the American rice grower the advantage of every improve- 

 ment in methods or in varieties that might be found to be in use in 

 other rice-producing countries. Dr. S. A. Knapp was authorized to 

 visit Japan, China, India, and the Philippine Islands, and to report 

 upon the agriculture of these countries, especially as it relates to the 

 culture of rice, and to secure seed of promising varieties for test in 



