1906.] 



Red Fife Wheat. 



469 



There is no indication that " Duluth " has lost "strength" 

 and it seems to have gained in size. It is observed in regard to 

 the 1906 sample that if it could be depended upon to mill as 

 well as imported Duluth, i.e., to yield as good a percentage of 

 flour and an equal " strength," the value of the sample would be 

 31S. per quarter, whilst that of the best English sample shown 

 would range about 28s. 



In the course of the experiments in the improvement of wheat 



y the Homegrown Wheat Committee of the National Associa- 



r» J T,T. . tion of Millers, it was found that Fife wheat 

 Red Fife Wheat. .,1.11 



gave variable yields of grain and straw 



under differing sets of natural conditions, but as it gave such 

 uniformly excellent results as to quality, the Committee deemed 

 it desirable to ascertain, if possible, under what conditions it 

 was likely to succeed as a farmer's wheat. With that object 

 seed was distributed in many parts of England, and although 

 the complete results have not yet been ascertained, the following 

 particulars will be found of interest : — 



The ears of Fife are small, but give a yield of grain per 

 acre altogether larger than their appearance in the field would 

 lead anyone to expect. This experience has been so common 

 that it was thought desirable to ascertain its cause. With that 

 object, in a case where Fife and Squarehead Master were 

 grown close together, the number of stems per foot were counted 

 in the stubble of both sorts. As an average of thirty counts in 

 each case, it was found that the Squarehead Master had 29*4 

 stems per foot, and the Fife 44'8, or 50 per cent. more. It was 

 then thought desirable to ascertain how this particularly thick 

 plant was caused, and it was found that one bushel of Square- 

 head Master contained about 567,831 grains, and one bushel 

 of Fife 694,983 grains, or 22 per cent. more. For the purposes 

 of this counting samples were drawn from the bulks of the two 

 sorts which had been grown side by side in the same field. Fife 

 wheat is known to tiller well, and it would appear from the 

 foregoing figures, seeing that only 20 to 25 per cent, of the 50 

 per cent, thicker plant could be accounted for by the smaller 



