2 BULLETIN 1276, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
producing section hard red winter wheat also is important in Lowa 
and central Illinois. Varieties of this wheat are practically the only 
winter wheats which are successfully grown in the cold northern 
States of Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, 
Wyoming, and eastern Montana. 
The first hard red winter wheat apparently was introduced into 
Kansas from Russia in 1873. Other records indicate that it may 
have been introduced into Iowa from Illinois as early as 1870 by 
Mennonite immigrants from Russia who first settled in Illinois. It 
did not become generally grown until about 20 or 25 years after its 
introduction. During the past 25 years, however, the growing of 
hard red winter wheat has increased rapidly. In 1919 this class of 
wheat was grown on more than 21,000,000 acres, which comprised 
nearly one-third of the total wheat acreage in the United States. The 
distribution of hard red winter wheat in 1919 is shown on the map in 
Figure 1. 
ime “es eens ROR ae aii Ce a ee 
HARD RED WINTER WHEAT 
fach Dot Aeoresents 
2,000 Acres 
Fic. 1.—Outline map of the United States, showing the distribution of the acreage of hard red winter 
wheat in 1919. Estimated area, 21,677,900 acres. Each dot represents 2,000 acres 
Hard red winter wheat was not received with favor by millers for 
many years. The development of the steel roller mill and the purifier, 
however, made possible the manufacture of flour of high quality from 
this wheat. The price of hard red winter wheat at the terminal 
markets always was less than that of soft red winter wheat until 
about 1910, since which time the hard wheat usually has been higher 
in price. 
VARIETIES COMPARED 
The hard red winter wheats consist of two distinct morphological 
groups. That properly called the Crimean group consists of a number 
of nearly identical varieties, of which Turkey is the best known. 
There are several additional varieties and selections which differ in 
yield, disease resistance, or minor taxonomic characters from the 
Turkey variety. The wheats of the Crimean group have rather 
tapering, inclined, awned spikes; glabrous white or yellow glumes; 
