B. P. I.— '204. 



III-GARLICKV WHEAT. 



By J. W. T. DuvEi,, Assistant in (Iw Seed Laboratory. 



INTRODUCTION. 



Wild garlic {Allium vineale L.) was introduced into the United 

 States from Europe considerabl}' more than a century ago. Since its 

 introduction it has made a slow but steady advance, and is now 

 found growing more or less abundantly throughout the greater part 

 of West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Tennessee, North 

 Carolina, the northern part of South Carolina, the southern part of 

 Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Connecticut, and locally in almost 

 every State east of the Mississippi River. In all places where it has 

 become well established it is a veritable pest to farmers, millers, grain 

 dealers, and dairymen. 



Wild garlic is one of the worst weeds to eradicate after it has once 

 gained a foothold, being propagated by underground bulbs, aerial 

 bulblets, and in some sections by seeds. 



WHEAT CONTAINING GARLIC. " 



The presence of wild garlic in the grain fields of the central eastern 

 States and in other sections where it is locally abundant has caused a 

 very great loss to agriculture. Farmers have been obliged to sell their 

 garlicky wheat at greatly reduced prices, principally because foreign 

 markets will not buy it except at a low price, and millers as a rule 

 refuse to handle it, for they have been able to grind garlicky grain only 

 at a much increased cost. The garlic bulblets gum the rollers, neces- 

 sitating the stopping of the mills and the washing of the rollers before 

 the grinding can be resumed. The frequency with which the washing 

 must be done depends on the quantity of garlic present. In extreme 

 cases the washing must be repeated every two or tliree hours, the 

 operation requiring fi'om ten to fifteen minutes for each set of rollers. 



Furthermore, flour made from wheat mixed with garlic bulblets is of 

 inferior quality, as bread made from such flour has the garlic odor so 

 disagreeable to most people. This is especially noticeable if the 

 bread is eaten warm. Moreover, on boards of trade, wheat containing 

 garlic bulblets in considerable quantity is graded as "Rejected," and 

 is then sold only on sample. Wheat of this character is generally sold 

 at a price ranging from 20 to 40 per cent lower than No. 2 Red. How- 



100— III 21 



