130 WHEAT 



it with hard wheat in milling in order to make 

 good flour. The club wheat is grown because of 

 its peculiar characteristics which make it suitable 

 to the climatic conditions and to the harvesting 

 methods commonly practiced. The climate being 

 always dry at harvest time, the grain is left in 

 the field until it is fully ripe, when it is harvested 

 with the "combine" which harvests and threshes 

 the wheat at a single operation. It is desirable 

 therefore that the wheat should stand erect and 

 not shatter. The Club Head is peculiar in this 

 respect. It has a very compact spike without 

 beards and a stiff, short straw. It is a rapid- 

 growing, early-maturing, erect-growing, non-shat- 

 tering variety which is well adapted to the con- 

 ditions. It is also hardy and a good yielder. 

 Hence it has held its place as the most popular 

 variety in spite of its poor milling quality. 



In the Pacific coast states, wheat varieties are 

 classed as "spreading" or "erect," referring to the 

 early habit of growth of the plants. Certain 

 varieties, largely grown in the central and western 

 states, including nearly all the varieties of com- 

 mon wheat, spread out or stool for sometime before 

 shooting. These varieties do not cover and shade 

 the ground quickly and do not check weed 

 growth. 



The "erect" growing varieties of the club head 

 type shoot up quickly and soon shade the soil 

 and check weed growth, thus the wheat keeps 

 ahead of the weeds. This is an important factor 

 in wheat culture in the Pacific coast states, be- 

 cause of the foul, weedy condition of the wheat 



