8 BULLETIN 357, U, S. DEPARTMENT OP AGEICXTLTURE. 



At Juliaetta, on September 4 and 5, 1908, the expert found about 

 700 acres of this wheat being grown for the seed company. The 

 wheat in different fields was then being thrashed and was found 

 to be yielding from 10 to 35 bushels per acre. The average was esti- 

 mated to be about 25 bushels. Well-known wheat varieties of the 

 Pacific Northwest were yielding as much and more under identical 

 conditions. It was found that good farmers around Juliaetta were 

 not growing this wheat. 



This accords with a statement made by the promoting company 

 in a later pamphlet to the effect that the farmers refused to rent 

 their summer fallow for the growing of this wheat, and the pro- 

 moters were obliged, therefore, to sow it on continuously cropped 

 land. 



Orders and remittances for the seed w^heat were being received 

 in large numbers. Most of the wheat was being shipped in bushel 

 and half-bushel lots to farmers of the New England and Atlantic 

 States. It will be remembered that the wheat had been advertised as 

 having especial value for eastern conditions. An agent was spend- 

 ing his entire time taking orders in the South. Very little was 

 found to have been sold in the Northwest. Many telegrams cancel- 

 ing orders were also being received, probably as a result of the press 

 notice given out by the United States Department of Agriculture 

 and of the disclaimer published by the paper which contained the 

 original article. 



A widespread controversy immediately arose concerning the iden- 

 tity and value of the so-called Alaska wheat. Those who had seed 

 for sale claimed that it was a wheat of wonderful producing power. 

 State and Federal investigators reported it to be nothing more or 

 less than the old Egyptian or Seven-Headed wheat under a new 

 name. Chemical analyses and milling and baking tests were made 

 at several places, with results unfavorable to the flouring value of 

 this wheat. 



The Post Office Department in 1908 took account of the doubtful 

 nature of the advertising matter being circulated and issued a fraud 

 order against the promoting company. 



In 1909, however, another campaign was begam in favor of the 

 wheat. Various press items appeared contradicting the conclusions 

 of the chemists and millers. It Avas claimed that the wheat was 

 just as good for milling and baking purposes as the Palouse Blue- 

 stem or any other wheat. A 12-page pamphlet was published by 

 the promoting company, discussing the controversy which had 

 arisen over the value of the wheat. Extracts from Idaho Agricul- 

 tural Experiment Station Bulletin No. 65, issued in November, 1908, 

 aire included in this pamphlet. 



