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



hard, ovate to elliptical, slightly humped, acute ; germ small to midsized ; crease 

 midwide to wide, middeep to deep ; cheeks usually angular ; brush small, mid 

 long. 



This variety differs from the true Fife strains in having a longer and more 

 tapering spike and larger and softer kernels. It is a high-yielding, drought- 

 resistant wheat, but is inferior to Fife strains for milling and bread making. A 

 spike of this variety is shown in Plate V, Figure 1. . 



History. — Ghirka (Ghirka Spring) was an important variety in Russia, grown 

 principally in southern Russia and the Volga River district. It was introduced 

 into the United States several times during the period from 1898 to 1904, inclu- 

 sive, eight lots having been imported by the United States Department of Agricul- 

 ture. Other importations were made by Russian immigrants. Joseph Dukart. 

 who settled at New England, N. Dak., brought a 2-pound lot from Russia in 1905. 

 From the increase of this, several thousand acres were grown in western North 

 Dakota from 1914 to 1916 (65, p. 2). 



Distribution. — Grown sparingly, mostly under the name Russian, in North 

 Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, and Wyoming. 



Synonyms. — Early Russian, Russian, and Russian Fife. The name Early 

 Russian has long been used for Ghirka wheat in Canada. Russian and Rus- 

 sian Fife are names used by Russian settlers who grow the wheat in western 

 North Dakota and South Dakota. 



RUBY. 



Description. — Plant spring habit, early, short ; stem purple, strong ; spike 

 awnless, oblong-fusiform, dense, erect ; glumes glabrous, yellowish white, short, 

 midwide ; shoulders wide, oblique to square ; beaks wide, obtuse, 0.5 to 1 mm. 

 long; apical awns several, 3 to 10 mm. long; kernels red, short, hard, ovate; 

 germ midsized to large ; crease midwide to wide, shallow to deep ; cheeks angu- 

 lar ; brush midsized, short. 



Ruby differs from Marquis principally in being about five days earlier and in 

 having purple straw. In preliminary experiments in the United States it has 

 not compared favorably with Marquis in yield, but has equal milling and bread- 

 making value. 



History. — The Ruby variety was originated by Dr. C. E. Saunders, Dominion 

 cerealist, at the Central Experimental Farm, Ottawa, Canada, and was dis- 

 tributed for the first time in 1917. The parentage of Ruby has been recorded 

 by Buller (50, p. 186) as follows: 



Gehun (f) X Onega (m) W. T. Macoun, 1891. 



I 

 Downy Riga (f) X Red Fife (m) C. E. Saunders, 1905. 



Ruby. 



Distribution. — Grown at several experiment stations in the northern spring- 

 wheat sections of the United States since 1918 and commercially since 1920. 



KITCHENER. 



Description. — Plant spring habit, early to midseason, midtall to tall; stem 

 purple, strong; spike awnless, oblong to subclavate, middense, erect; glumes 

 glabrous, yellowish white, short, wide; shoulders midwide, oblique to square; 

 beaks midwide, acute, 0.5 mm. long ; apical awns few, 3 to 10 mm. long ; kernels, 



