8 BULLETIN 357, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
At Juliaetta, on September 4 and 5, 1908, the expert found about 
700 acres of this wheat being grown for the seed company. The 
wheat in different fields was then being thrashed and was found 
to be yielding from 10 to 35 bushels per acre. The average was esti- 
mated to be about 25 bushels. Well-known wheat varieties of the 
Pacific Northwest were yielding as much and more under identical 
conditions. It was found that good farmers around Juliaetta were 
not growing this wheat. 
This accords with a statement made by the promoting company 
in a later pamphlet to the effect that the farmers refused to rent 
their summer fallow for the growing of this wheat, and the pro- 
moters were obliged, therefore, to sow it on continuously cropped 
land. 
Orders and remittances for the seed wheat were being received 
in large numbers. Most of the wheat was being shipped in bushel 
and half-bushel lots to farmers of the New England and Atlantic 
States. It will be remembered that the wheat had been advertised as 
having especial value for eastern conditions. An agent was spend- 
ing his entire time taking orders in the South. Very little was 
found to have been sold in the Northwest. Many telegrams cancel- 
ing orders were also being received, probably as a result of the press 
notice given out by the United States Department of Agriculture 
and of the disclaimer published by the paper which contained the 
original article. 
A widespread controversy immediately arose concerning the iden- 
tity and value of the so-called Alaska wheat. Those who had seed 
for sale claimed that it was a wheat of wonderful producing power. 
State and Federal investigators reported it to be nothing more or 
less than the old Egyptian or Seven-Headed wheat under a new 
name. Chemical analyses and milling and baking tests were made 
at several places, with results unfavorable to the flouring value of 
this wheat. 
The Post Office Department in 1908 took account of the doubtful 
nature of the advertising matter being circulated and issued a fraud 
order against the promoting company. 
In 1909, however, another campaign was begun in favor of the 
wheat. Various press items appeared contradicting the conclusions 
of the chemists and millers. It was claimed that the wheat was 
just as good for milling and baking purposes as the Palouse Blue- 
stem or any other wheat. A 12-page pamphlet was published by 
the promoting company, discussing the controversy which had 
arisen over the value of the wheat. Extracts from Idaho Agricul- 
tural Experiment Station Bulletin No. 65, issued in November, 1908, 
are included in this pamphlet. 
