26 IMPROVEMENT OF THE WHEAT CROP IN CALIFORNIA. 



Milling Quality. 



The milling quality of Chul wheat is superior to that of either the 

 Club or the White Australian wheat, and for this reason this variety 

 is of much value to the State of California. As previously shown, the 

 common California wheats do not in themselves produce a high 

 grade of flour. 



The Department has made milling and baking tests of Chul and 

 White Australian wheats grown at Modesto, Cal., in 1908. The 

 results of this test indicate that Chul wheat produces from 100 

 pounds of grain about 10 pounds more flour than the Australian, 

 and that it mills very much like Turkey wheat. The flour from the 

 Chul is darker than that from either Australian or Fretes wheat, 

 which in itself indicates that the Chul variety is stronger in gluten. 



In the baking test Chul flour required more water to the loaf than 

 that of the Australian variety and produced loaves of fair color and 

 texture. 



In August, 1909, the Oakdale Milling Company, Oakdale, Cal., 

 made a milling test of Chul wheat, crop of 1909, grown at Modesto, 

 Cal. This, test gave 55 per cent wet gluten for the Chul, while similar 

 tests showed only 10 to 38 per cent in the White Australian. Mr. 

 Haslacher, manager of this company, was very enthusiastic over this 

 variety and anxious that farmers should secure seed. 



THE FRETES VARIETY. 



Origin and History." 



Seed of Fretes wheat (fig. 9) was received by the Office of Seed 

 and Plant Introduction of the United States Department of Agri- 

 culture on September 26, 1901, from El-Outaya, Constantine, Algeria. 

 It was obtained by Messrs. D. G. Fairchild and C. S. Scofield, who 

 make the following notes on it: 



This variety, sometimes called Freitiss, is one of the few soft wheats grown in 

 Algeria. It is particularly noted for its early maturity and is often extensively 

 planted in the Sahara Desert in seasons when the winter rains occur so late that the 

 durum varieties usually grown would not have time to mature. When planted in 

 November, as it is in Algeria, at the same time with durum varieties, it is said to ripen 

 two months in advance of them. The seed obtained was grown on the rather salty 

 desert sands in the vicinity of El-Outaya, north of Biskra, and watered with somewhat- 

 alkaline but still drinkable irrigation water. The variety is said to have originated 

 from a shipment of Russian wheat which was made into Algeria at the time of a famine 

 many years ago. Its early-maturing qualities attracted attention, and it has been 

 cultivated in small quantities by the Arabs ever since. The seed obtained is from the 

 farm of Mr. Charles B. des Places. 



a Bulletin G6, Bureau of Plant Industry, U. S. Dept. of Agriculture, 1905, p. 151. 

 178 



