18 
BULLETIN 450, TJ. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
Table VI. — Yields of grain and of flour and volumes of loaf obtained from three pure-line 
selections of Ghirka and five standard varieties of hard spring wheat grown at the Dick- 
inson (N. Dak.) substation in 1913 and 1914. 
[The varieties are arranged in the order of their average yields.] 
Variety. 
Yield per acre (bushels): 
GhirkaNo. 5 4414 a 40. 5 &13.2 26.9 
GhirkaNo. 66 4425 a 35. 2 &12.4 23.8 
GhirkaNo. 4 4413 a 35. 7 6 11.2 23.5 
Kubanka 1440 c 31.2 <*14.2 22.7 
RedFife 3329 c28.3 ^10.2 19.3 
Preston 3081 c25.6 ^12.9 19.3 
Marquis.. 3641 c24.0 ^14.0 19.0 
Haynes 2874 c 24. 8 d 8. 3 16. 6 
Yield of straight flour (per cent): 
GhirkaNo.66 4425 72.4 67.9 70.2 
Kubanka : 1440 71.8 66.9 69.4 
Preston 3081 70.7 68.1 69.4 
GhirkaNo. 5 4414 69.6 69.0 69.3 
GhirkaNo.4 4413 71.2 67.2 69.2 
Haynes 2874 71.2 66.6 68.9 
Marquis 3641 69.2 63.8 66.5 
RedFife 3329 71.8 60.0 65.9 
Volume of loaf (cubic centimeters): 
Haynes 2874 2,260 2,900 2,580 
GhirkaNo. 4 4413 2,450 2,685 2,568 
RedFife 3329 2,220 2,775 2,498 
GhirkaNo.5 4414 2,300 2,660 2,480 
Preston 3081 2,170 2,785 2,478 
Marquis 3641 2,250 2,475 2,363 
GhirkaNo.66 4425 2,097 2,520 2,309 
Kubanka 1440 1,985 2,435 2,210 
Aver- 
ts Plats one-eightieth of an acre, 
b Plats one forty-eighth of an acre. 
c Plats one-tenth of an acre. 
d Plats one forty-eighth of an acre, replicated four times. 
It is possible that a mixture of two or three of the best selections 
may result in a further improvement in yield or quality. A pre- 
liminary test to determine this, combining selections Nos. 4 and 66, 
is already under way. Crosses have been made between these best 
pure lines and other varieties of hard spring common wheat, and 
promising selections of the progeny of the second and fourth genera- 
tions are now in existence. From these a still further improvement 
in quality and in rust resistance is expected, while retaining the 
high-yielding and drought-resistant qualities of the Ghirka wheat. 
CONCLUSIONS. 
Ghirka Spring wheat, a variety of commercial importance in 
Russia, has proved adapted to the northern part of the Great Plains 
area of the United States. The variety is susceptible to rust in 
moist seasons and hi humid areas, but it has proved to be a valuable 
drought-resistant wheat. 
Tests at seven experiment stations in the northern Plains area, 
covering a period of seven years, have shown that on an average 
the Ghirka Spring has yielded more than the Rysting Fife and 
Haynes Bluestem common wheats, but less than the Kubanka 
durum wheat. The quality of the Ghirka, however, is inferior to 
that of these standard wheats. 
