66 



BULLETIN 1074, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



until recent years it has been the principal spring Avheat grown in the so-called 

 " Inland Empire." 



Distribution. — Grown as Bluestem in Ar.'zona, California, Colorado, Idaho, 

 Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington. The distribu- 

 tion is shown in Figure 21. 



Synonyms. — Australian, Bluestem, Chile, Palouse Bluestem, White Australian, 

 White Bluestem, White Chile, White Elliott, and White Lammas. 



As indicated above, Australian, Bluestem, ' White Australian, and White 

 Lammas are old names for the variety in Australia and the United States. 

 Palouse Bluestem and White Bluestem are names which more recently came into 

 use for this variety to distinguish it from other bluestem wheats in the United 



States. Chile and White Chile are names 

 which came into use for the variety because ■ 

 cargoes of this wheat were received from 

 time to time from Chile and in part were 

 used for seed. White Elliott is a local 

 name used for this wheat in Douglas 

 County, Wash. 



MEXICAN BLUESTEM. 



Description. — Mexican Bluestem is a 

 variety similar to Pacific Bluestem, except 

 that it is slightly shorter and earlier and 

 has bronze rather than white to yellowish 

 glumes. The glumes, however, never be- 

 come dark enough to be classed as brown. 



History. — Seed of this variety was ob- 

 tained by the Washington Agricultural Ex- 

 periment Station from Mexico. It was 

 grown at the Western Washington Experi- 

 ment Station, Puyallup, Wash., where it 

 proved to be the best yielding spring wheat 

 in a 6-year experiment and was distributed for commercial growing in the 

 vicinity of that station. As it differed slightly from Pacific Bluestem and was 

 a better yielder, a distinct name seemed necessary, and Mexican Bluestem was 

 used to indicate its origin and its similarity to Pacific Bluestem. 

 Distribution. — Grown in Grays Harbor and Pierce Counties, Wash. 



DART (DART'S IMPERIAL) . 



Description. — Plant spring habit, early to midseason, midtall; stem white to 

 yellowish, strong ; spike awnless, subclavate. middense, erect ; glumes glabrous, 

 white, niidlong, midwide; shoulders narrow to midwide, oblique to square 

 beaks wide, obtuse, 1 to 2 mm. long; apical awns several, 3 to 20 mm. long 

 kernels white, midlong, soft to semihard, ovate, acute ; germ small to midsized 

 crease midwide, shallow ; cheeks rounded, brush small, midlong, collared. 



History. — This is an Australian variety. Its origin is recorded by Richard- 

 son (158, p. 124) to be as follows : 



This popular variety was originated by Thomas Dart, of Nhill, Victoria, 

 formerly of Lucindale, South Australia, and is a selection from a purple-straw 

 variety. It is one of the oldest varieties in general cultivation at the present 

 time. 



The earliest introduction of this wheat into the United States is thought to 

 have been in 1915, when it was included in the Australian exhibit of wheats at 



Fig. 21. — Outline map of the western 

 United States, showing the distri- 

 bution of Pacific Bluestem wheat 

 in 1919. Estimated area, 1,363,400 



acres. 



