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



Description. — Plant spring habit, niidseason, tall ; stem white, midstrong ; 

 spike awned, oblong-fusiform, middense, nodding; glumes finely pubescent, 

 black, midlong, midwide ; shoulders narrow, usually oblique ; beaks wide, 1 to 2 

 mm. long; awns black, 6 to 16 cm. long; kernels white (amber) midlong to 

 long, hard, elliptical, humped ; germ midsized ; crease midwide, middeep ; cheeks 

 angular ; brush midsized, short. 



A spike, glumes, and kernels of Kahla are shown in Plate LVI, B. 



History. — The Kahla variety (197, S. P. I. No. 7794) was introduced in 1901 

 by Messrs. D. G. Fairchild and C. S. Scofield, from Setif, Constantine Province, 

 Algeria, for the United States Department of Agriculture. Concerning the 

 variety they recorded the following information : 



This is one of the wheats commonly grown by Arabs throughout Algeria. As 

 the name Kahla signifies, this is a black-chaffed sort. It is generally considered 

 to be one of the best of the Algerian wheats for adaptability to a wide variety 

 of adverse conditions. When such are favorable it produces grain of excellent 

 quality for macaroni manufacture. Under certain favorable climatic conditions 

 the chaff loses color somewhat, but under native culture on the gravelly hills of 

 Algeria or in the semiarid plains the purple-black of the chaff is a striking 

 feature. This seed is furnished the department by Mr. G. Ryf, manager of the 

 Geneva Society of Setif. Commonly planted in November or December and 

 harvested in June or July. 



Experiments with Kahla wheat showed it to be a fairly good yielding variety, 

 but not superior to Kubanka. 



Distribution. — After being grown in experiments for a series of years in many 

 sections of the northern Great Plains, its culture largely has been discontinued. 

 Small lots are known to have been distributed, however, and apparently the 

 wheat has become established on farms, especially in Montana, North Dakota, 

 and South Dakota, and known by various names. 



Synonyms. — Black Don, Black Durum, Black Emmett, Black Swamp, Purple 

 Durum, Red Swamp, and Sloat. 



Black Don (197, S. P. I. No. 5645) is a wheat similar to Kahla except that 

 (like Velvet Don) it usually is mixed in kernel color, a considerable percentage 

 of red kernels being present. The variety is of Russian origin. It was intro- 

 duced in 1900, from Ambrocievka, 20 miles northeast of Taganrog, in the Don 

 Territory, Russia, by M. A. Carleton for the United States Department of Agri- 

 culture. In experiments in the United States this variety did not prove superior 

 to Kubanka and it now largely has been discontinued. It is possible, however, 

 that this variety may be commercially grown. 



Black Durum is the name under which wheat similar to Kahla is commer- 

 cially grown in Montana. Its distribution apparently started from Fergus 

 County. Black Emmett is the name commonly used for a wheat, apparently 

 similar to Kahla, in North Dakota, the distribution of which apparently started 

 in Hettinger County. Purple Durum is a name used for Kahla in Wyoming. 

 Black Swamp and Red Swamp are names under which a wheat practi- 

 cally identical with Kahla was obtained from' Morrow County, Oreg., where it 

 is grown to a very small extent. Sloat descended from a head selection made 

 by Sloat Bros., of Gettysburg, S. Dak. They state that a single head of black- 

 chaff wheat was found in a commercial field of Kubanka, and from this origi- 

 nated' the wheat they have been growing and distributing as Sloat. This strain 

 apparently is identical with Kahla. Its distribution dates from 1917. 



