DRY FARMING CONGRESS. 



95 



for export trade. The spread in price between the diirums and the No. 1 

 Northern is becoming less each year. Durum now sells for about two 

 •cents more than No. 2 Red Winter at the Chicago market. The attitude 

 of the northwestern grain journals regarding durum is rapidly becoming 

 less antagonistic, and even the millers are beginning to concede points 

 in its favor. As the millers perfect their methods for milling these wheats, 

 they invariably recognize the merit of the durums, especially as blends 

 with the softer varieties for flour and as a source of semolina or "macaroni 

 flour." It seems certain that the durum wheats are destined to become 

 the leading spring varieties throughout the whole Arid West. 



The Hard Winter Wheats. 



We shall next consider the hard winter wheat belt. This is probably 

 better known to the members of this Congress than any other wheat 

 belt of the United States. It is included in the states of Kansas, southern 

 and central Nebraska and Oklahoma, and extending into the Panhandle 

 of Texas, the maximum production being in central Kansas. 



The Crimean group of wheats predominates in this belt. The typical 

 varieties of this group are the Turkey (sometimes called "Turkey Red"), 

 the Kharkov and the Crimean. These are commonly known as the "hard 

 red winter wheats." The Kharkov is probably the most highly valued. 

 In appearance it very closely resembles the Turkey, the variety most 

 generally known among the farmers because of its widespread growth 

 prior to the more recent introduction of the Kharkov. In brief, the 

 wheats of this group are all bearded, have white chaff and medium hard 

 red berries. They usually do not grow very tall but are very heavy 

 yielders. They are in great demand as a milling wheat, although they 

 are not ecjual to the Fife and Blue Stem of the Dakotas (or the No. 1 

 Hard and No. 1 Northern). No. 1 Hard Winter, the best wheat of this 

 belt, brings about the same price as No. 2 Hard Spring, of the northern 

 belt. 



These hardy winter wheats originated in Russia and get their name 

 from the province of Crimea, where they are most prominent. They 

 have long been known in that section as leading varieties and have always 

 been subjected to extremely severe winter conditions. They have been 

 grown in the United States for a third of a century. They were probably 

 first grown by the Mennonite colonists who came here from Russia, bring- 

 ing their seed with them. They have continually advanced in popularity 

 up to the present time, but tlie area of winter wheat i)roduction has been 

 greatly extended through the more recent introduction of still hardier 

 types of the Crimean group, the most conspicuous among them being the 

 Kharkov before mentioned. 



The production of these winter wheats is hy no means limited to this 

 belt. They are successfully grown locally in various sections of Montana 

 and Colorado, where the}^ are becoming recognized as the leading winter 

 types. They are also becoming prominent as far north as the wheat 

 areas of Alberta, Canada, In some of these sections their quality is 



