198 BULLETIN 1074, U. S. DEPAKTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



KEY TO POLISH WHEAT. 



Spike Awned. 



Glumes Glabrous; White. 



Kernels White (Triticum polonicum levissimum Haller.). 



Kernels Long to Very Long ; Hard. Page. 



Spring Habit White Polish 198 



DESCRIPTION, HISTORY, DISTRIBUTION, AND SYNONYMY OF POLISH WHEAT. 



WHITE POLISH. 



Description. — Plant spring habit, early, tall ; stem white, weak ; spike awned, 

 linear-oblong, lax, nodding ; glumes glabrous, white, paperish, very long, narrow ; 

 shoulders usually wanting ; beaks narrow, acute, 0.5 to 1 mm. long ; awns black, 

 usually deciduous, 4 to 10 cm. long; kernels white (amber) very long, hard, 

 elliptical, acute; germ midsized; crease narrow, shallow to middeep; cheeks 

 usually rounded ; brush large, midlong. 



A spike, glumes, and kernels of White Polish wheat are shown in Plate 

 LX, A. 



History. — This wheat is not definitely known to be of Polish origin, as the 

 name implies. It has been grown in England and other European countries for 

 many years, and was early introduced into the United States. It is known to 

 have been grown in Maryland as early as 1845 (180, p. 413). From that time 

 until the present frequent references can be found concerning the variety. It 

 has often been used for exploitation by unscrupulous growers or seedsmen, the 

 seed often being sold for as much as $1 a pound. It has been tried in most 

 sections of the United States, but has never become established anywhere for 

 more than a year or two. It is usually a poor yielder, although it has produced 

 large yields in some sections. It is difficult to market this wheat in the United 

 States for purposes other than for feed. 



Distribution, — Polish wheat was reported in 1919 only from New Mexico and 

 Wyoming. It is known, however, to be grown sparingly in Idaho, Montana, 

 Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota, and is doubtless grown to a 

 slight extent in many other States. 



Synonyms. — Belgian rye, Corn wheat, German rye, Giant rye, Goose wheat, 

 Jerusalem rye, Rice wheat, Siberian Cow, and Wild Goose. 



Belgian rye, German rye, Giant rye, and Jerusalem rye are names used by 

 exploiters of Polish wheat because the spikes and kernels have a genera] 

 resemblance to those of rye. 



Corn wheat is the name applied to Polish wheat by W. J. Shields &• Co., of 

 Moscow, Idaho, about 1900, the reason stated for so naming it being that it 

 makes the same kind of meal as corn. The exploitation of Polish wheat under 

 this name was continued a number of years, and the wheat is still grown 

 in Idaho under that name. 



Goose and Wild Goose are names sometimes applied to Polish wheat, as well 

 as to durum and poulard wheats. 



Rice wheat is a name used for Polish wheat by many men in the grain trade. 

 Siberian Cow is the name applied to Polish wheat in Nebraska, according 

 to a report by Walter Fowler, grain supervisor of the United States Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture at Omaha, Nebr. 



EINKORN. 



Einkorn, or 1-grained wheat, has no English name, but is called 

 einkorn in German and that name has become fairly well known in 

 America. The spikes are awned, narrow, slender, and laterally com- 



