THE AMERICAN BOTANIST 



147 



argued that 1 bushel of seed per acre would produce 220 

 bushels. A seed grain company had obtained the seed from 

 the farmer and w'ould dispense it at the rate of $20 a bushel. 



Upon investigation the United States Department of 

 Agriculture found that about 700 acres of the wheat were 

 being grown for the company in Idaho. The average yield per 

 acre was estimated, not at 220 bushels but at 25 bushels. Upon 

 identical conditions well-known wheat varieties of the Pacific 

 Northwest were yielding fully as much or more and good 

 farmers in the neighborhood were not growing the wonder- 

 ful wheat. 



This investigation was followed by a warning notice from 

 the department and also by a fraud order from the Post Office 

 Department against the advertising material circulated by the 

 company. In spite of this fact, however, another campaign 

 was begun in 1909 and in 1915 the wheat was actually placed 

 on exhibition at the Panama Pacific Exposition. Last year, 

 also', the same wheat was offered for sale at $7 a bushel under 

 the name of Egyptian 7-headed wheat. At other times this 

 wheat has been sold :as Eldorado, Many-Headed, Many- 

 Spiked, Multiple-Headed, Reed, Smyrna, Syrian, and Wild 

 Goose. 



