ALASKA AND STONEE, OR ^^MIEACLe/^ WHEATS. 27 



Regarding subsequent tests made of this variety by the Pennsylva- 

 nia Agricultural Experiment Station, the following extract from a 

 letter received from Charles F. Noll, assistant professor of experi- 

 mental agronomy, is self-explanatory: 



Replying to your letter of May 28 in regard to Miracle wheat, we seeded 

 this variety in 1914 only at the rate of 2 bushels per acre, which is our usual 

 rate of seeding the variety testing plats. I have averaged the yields of our 

 named varieties for the years 1913-14, and find that Miracle gave us a yield 

 of 32.5 bushels of grain and 3,772 pounds of straw per acre. In yield of 

 grain for these two years, it has ranked eighth, and fifth in yield of straw. 

 For our conditions it is a good variety of wheat, but there is nothing remark- 

 able about its productiveness or its tillering. 



TESTS IN INDIANA. 



The Miracle wheat under the name of Marvelous has been tested 

 by the Indiana Agricultural Experiment Station at Lafayette, Ind., 

 and the results secured are given in the following extract from a 

 letter from C. O. Cromer, associate in crops at that place : 



Last year (1914) was the only year in which we have secured any data 

 on this wheat (Marvelous). The other years that we sowed it the winter 

 was too severe for it. In looking up our records I find that in comparison 

 with the Michigan Amber, the variety which we have used as our check for 

 a number of years, the Marvelous wheat stands as follows : The Michigan 

 Amber at 3 pecks per acre produced 10.9 bushels. The Marvelous produced 

 4.8 bushels. The Michigan Amber at 6 pecks per acre produced practically 

 the same as the Michigan Amber at 3 pecks, while the Marvelous at 6 pecks 

 produced 5.5 bushels. The spring survival of the Michigan Amber was 85 

 per cent; that of the Marvelous was 45 per cent. A much larger percentage 

 of the Marvelous wheat lodged than was true of the Michigan Amber. The 

 straw of the Marvelous is a little stiffer, however, as a rule. The Michigan 

 Amber, according to our data of last year, was on the average 4 inches taller 

 than the Marvelous wheat and ripened two days earlier. 



CONCLUSIONS. 



The reader should remember these facts about the branch-headed 

 wheat known as Alaska, Seven-Headed, Mummy, Egyptian, or by 

 some other name: (1) That it has been, used in this country very 

 often as a means of deceiving people and very seldom as a farm 

 crop; (2) that it has failed to produce even fair yields when tried 

 in many parts of the country, and has never been known to pro- 

 duce extraordinary yields; (3) that it is not as good a milling wheat 

 as many other widely-grown varieties, some of which are much 

 better adapted to any given location; (4) that the branched head 

 is not a sign of superior yielding power. 



Stoner wheat does not differ essentially in value from many other 

 wheats now being widely grown in the eastern half of the United 

 States. It is not as good as some and is somewhat better than others. 

 The class of wheat (soft red winter) to which it belongs is adapted 



