2 BULLETIN 450, U. S. DEPAjlTlVEENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



HISTORY AND DESCRIPTION OF GHIRKA SPRING WHEAT. 



The Ghirka Spring is the principal variety of beardless red spring 

 wheat grown in Russia, particularly in southern Russia and the 

 Volga River district. It forms a large part of the wheat exported 

 from Russia.^ This wheat has been introduced into this country 

 several times. During the period from 1898 to 1904, inclusive, eight 

 lots were obtained by the Office of Cereal Investigations of the United 

 States Department of Agriculture. These lots are recorded as Cereal 

 Investigations Nos. 1046, 1047, 1051, 1192, 1517, 1534, 2644, and 

 2646. 



Other importations of this variety of wheat have been made by 

 Russian immigrants. Joseph Dukart, who settled at New England, 

 N. Dak., brought a 2-pound lot from Russia in 1905. From the 



Fig. 1. — Heads of eiglit varieties of wheat grown at the Dickinson substation: (1) Kubanka dimim; 

 (2) Amautka durum; (3) Preston; (4) Ghirka Spring; (5) Kysting Fife; (6) Marquis; (7) Crossbred 

 Bhiestem; and (8) Haynes Bluestem. 



increase of this, several thousand acres are now grown annually in 

 western North Dakota as ''Russian" wheat. So far, however, the 

 variety has never become commercially important in this country, 

 though its acreage may be expected to increase. 



The Ghirka Spring wheat has been placed in the Fife group of 

 spring common wheat by most writers, as its characters are essen- 

 tially the same as those of the varieties of that group (fig. 1). It dif- 

 fers from the Red Fife varieties in that it is earlier, has pubescent 

 leaves, and the spike is a little more slender and distinctly more 

 tapering at the tip. The kernel is slightly longer, a paler red, and a 

 little softer. 



' Carleton, M. A. Triticum vulgare. Ghirka. In U. S. Dept. Agr., Bur. Plant Indus. Bui. 66 (Seeds 

 and plants imported), no. 6002. 1905. 



