56 THE BOOK OF WHEAT 



tors in hybridization, supplying precisely those qualities in 

 which American wheat is deficient. 



So far the most valuable importations have been made from 

 Russia. The now world famous red winter wheat grown in 

 the section of which Kansas is the center was originally im- 

 ported by the Department of Agriculture from the Crimea in 

 Russia. So successful has it proved that in 1901 Kansas grow- 

 ers individually imported over 15,000 bushels of this variety 

 for seed. Its superiority consists in higher yield, hardiness to 

 winter cold, better milling qualities and great rust resistance. 

 Four or five winter varieties obtained from eastern and south- 

 ern Russia, were tested by the department in 1901 and 1902. 

 They were much hardier than any varieties grown in this 

 country, and extended the winter wheat area farther north and 

 west. The better Russian varieties are late in maturing, while, 

 as a rule, Japanese sorts are early. Hybrids from the two ripen 

 early and possess the good qualities of the hardy Russian sorts. 



Drought-Resisting Durum varieties adapted to alkali soils 

 have been introduced from Russia. They have proved them- 

 selves admirably suited to the region west of the 100th meridian, 

 from Texas to Dakota, where wheat growing was supposed to 

 be practically impossible. The area on which they may be 

 grown is shown on the accompanying map. 1 



Some Hungarian wheats have also been introduced, as well 

 as white wheats from Australia, Europe and the Orient, to ob- 

 tain a higher grade of wheat with which to replace the de- 

 teriorating white wheat of California. The Weissenburg, a 

 very promising variety from Hungary, is the source of the flour 

 that sells on the Liverpool market for $1.00 more per barrel 

 than any other flour. 



The introduction of spelt and emmer must also be mentioned 

 here, both for a crop and for hybridizing wheats. In all this 

 work of introducing and breeding wheat, disease resistance is 

 kept in mind, and some sorts remarkably free from rust have 

 been procured. There are two needs which are common to the 

 whole country. Greater yielding power is, of course, always 

 desirable, and for one reason or another, the same is also quite 

 generally true of earlier maturity, whether it is to escape 

 drought, rust, insects or frost. The new environment may 

 See p. 48. 



