SPRING WHEAT ON THE NORTHERN GREAT PLAINS. 5 
Ruby.— Ruby wheat was originated by Dr. C. E. Saunders, of the Central Experi- 
ment Farm, Ottawa, Canada, from a cross between Downy Riga and Red Fife and 
was first distributed in 19] 7. It is earlier and differs somewhat in appearance from 
the Marquis variety. 
Ghirha Spring. — The Ghirka Spring wheat (C. I. No. 1517) came from Grodno 
Province in Russian Poland and was obtained by the United States Department of 
Agriculture in 1900. It differs from the true Red Fife in having long, tapering spikes, 
purple straw, and a midsized, semihard, pale-red kernel. 
THE BLUESTEM GROUP. 
The varieties of the Blues tern group of hard red spring wheats are 
all very similar in appearance. They also are very closely related in 
origin. The Bluestem wheats of the South Atlantic and Eastern 
States and the Pacific Bluestem of the Pacific Northwest belong to 
very different groups and should not be confused with these hard 
red spring Bluestems. 
The wheats here discussed are of medium height and rather more 
vigorous in growth than the Fife wheats. The heads are beardless, 
with pubescent white glumes and are rather broader than those of 
the Fifes. The kernels are hard, red, plump, and of medium size. 
The chaff is more loose and open than in the Fife wheats, and the 
kernels shatter easily if the crop becomes overripe. 
The word Bluestem is used commonly as a name for the whole 
group and also as a name for the variety on any given farm. This 
is correct in most cases, as there are no really distinct varieties in 
this group. However, the pure lines being grown are called by 
varietal names, such as Dakota, Haynes, etc. 
Haynes. — The well-known Haynes strain originated with Mr. L. H. Haynes, of 
Fargo, N. Dak., about 1882, when he started with an ordinary lot of Bluestem wheat. 
During 8 or 10 years he carefully selected his wheat for good plants, good heads, and 
good kernels, and distributed seed widely from 1892 to 1895. The Minnesota Agricul- 
tural Experiment Station obtained the wheat, calling it Minnesota No. 51 (C. I. 
No. 3021), from which was developed a pure line which was designated as Minnesota 
No. 169 (C. I. Nos. 2874 and 3020) and distributed widely. 
Dakota. — The pure-line Dakota variety originated at the North Dakota Agricultural 
Experiment Station about 1898. It was selected from the original Haynes, which 
probably was not a pure line. It was first called by its number, North Dakota No. 
316, later by the name Select Bluestem, and finally was named Dakota. 
Crossbred. — This Bluestem strain was produced from a cross between two plants of 
Bluestem wheat made by Prof. W. M. Hays at the North Dakota Agricultural Experi- 
ment Station in 1893. 
Marvel. — The name Marvel was applied to Bluestem wheat distributed by the 
John A. Salzer Seed Co., of La Crosse, Wis. 
THE PRESTON GROUP. 
The Preston group is made up of bearded common wheats with 
glabrous white glumes. The kernels are red, of medium size and 
plumpness, and are hard or fairly hard. The Preston wheats differ 
from the Fife wheats most noticeably in being bearded. 
