122 BULLETIN 1074, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



Triplet differs from Jones Fife in being slightly shorter and earlier and in 

 having a harder kernel with a smaller germ and rounded rather than angular 

 cheeks. Plate XXXI, B, shows spikes, glumes, and kernels of the Triplet 

 variety. 



History. — Triplet was originated at the. Washington Agricultural Experiment 

 Station, Pullman, Wash., from a combination of crosses in which Jones Fife, 

 Little Club, and Turkey were used as parents. Its pedigree is as follows : 



Jones Fife X Little Club. 



Jones Fife X Turkey. 



Unnamed. 



X 



Unnamed. 



Triplet. 



It was first grown as a pure strain in 1910 and was distributed for commer- 

 cial growing in 1918, after it had proved to be a high-yielding variety in nursery 

 and plat experiments at Pullman. 



Distribution. — Grown at experiment stations in the Pacific Northwest and 

 commercially in Oregon and Washington in 1920. 



Description. — Plant winter habit, midseason, midtall to tall; stem white, 

 midstrong to strong ; spike awnless, oblong-fusiform, middense, inclined ; 



glumes pubescent, white, midlong, midwide ; 

 shoulders midwide, oblique to square; beaks 

 wide, obtuse, 0.5 to 1 mm. long; apical awns 

 few, 3 to 10 mm. long; kernels red, mid- 

 long, semihard, ovate; germ midsized; crease 

 wide, deep ; cheeks angular ; brush large, 

 long. 



Mealy differs from Triplet in being slightly 

 taller and later, with stronger stems and in 

 having kernels with more angular cheeks and 

 larger and longer brush. Kernels, spikes, and 

 glumes of Mealy wheat are shown in Plate 

 XXXII, A. 



History. — This variety was distributed by the 

 United States Department of Agriculture in 

 1885, and for several years thereafter, and the following record of its origin 

 accompanied the seed : 



Originated by M. A. Mealy, in 1880, by planting the kernels of three heads of 

 wheat selected from a growing crop of Fultz. It is similar to other varieties 

 known as White Velvet Chaff ; is of fair promise and is said to excel the Fultz 

 in yield and flouring qualities (57, p. 19). 



Distribution. — Grown in Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, 

 North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, and West 

 Virginia. (Fig. 47.) 



Synonyms.— Velvet Chaff, Velvet Head, White Velvet Chaff. 



Velvet Chaff and Velvet Head are common farm names for Mealy wheat. 

 White Velvet Chaff was the name of a wheat grown previous to the origin 

 of Mealy, but the varieties probably were identical. The wheat evidently has 

 disappeared from cultivation under this name. 



Fig. 47. — Outline map of a portion 

 of the eastern United States, 

 showing the distribution of 

 Mealy wheat in 1919. Esti- 

 mated area, 65,500 acres. 



