PHoroAtfe^Tol 
VOL. L. NO. 2172 
NEW YORK, SEPTEMBER 12, i89i 
PRICE, FIVE CENTS, 
$ 2.00 PER YEAR. 
THE WINNING WHEATS. 
Successful all Over the Country. 
A Brief History of Thk R N.-Y. Crossbred and Hybrid 
Wheats up to the Present Year. 
The Prizes for the Best Heads Awarded—three each of 
Beal, Stewart, Johnson, Bailey, Willits and Roberts. 
Favorable Accounts of Yield, Stiffness of Straw and 
Hardiness from many parts of the 
Country and Canada. 
First Prize to Canada; Second to Oreaon. New Jersey 
would have taken the Third Prize had there been one. 
The R. N. Y.’s interest in wheat culture began in 1878, 
and its experiments began simultaneously. They were 
conducted on its farm of 80 acres of a sandy loam soil on 
the ocean side of Long Island about 20 miles from New 
York. At that time Clawson was the favorite variety. 
The first step in the line of experiments proposed was to 
obtain and plant small plots of all the best kinds of wheat 
then known both at home and abroad. A reference to the 
records of those times shows that about 150 different 
varieties (so called) were tried from first to last. All of 
the foreign varieties proved Inferior or worthless, being too 
late or so subject to rust that the grain was small and 
shriveled. Among later trials of foreign wheats were half 
a dozen kinds from Sir J. B. Lawes—those which he most 
valued at Rotbamsted—but a single season made it evi¬ 
dent that all were too late for the climate. The foreign 
wheats in the latest trials were splendid samples bought 
In France by Secretary Rusk and sent here for trial and 
report. The names were Naples and Dattel. Both kinds 
were killed during the winter, though both plots were 
carefully mulched. 
Of all the wheats tried Armstrong (now sold as Land- 
reth) was chosen as the mother plant for crossing, because 
it seemed perfectly hardy, while it yielded well and made 
a flour of good quality. 
For several years an effort was made to change spring to 
winter wheats. Lost Nation, and, later, Defiance and 
Armstrong were sown for this purpose. But though a 
fesv plants would get through mild winters safely, all were 
killed by a severe winter. 
The writer well recalls an incident during the early part 
of Gen. Le Due’s adminstratlon as U. S. Commissioner of 
Agriculture. The fall previous an acre was sown to De 
fiance Wheat, a beardless spring variety originated by C. 
G. Pringle, and sent out by B. K. Bliss & Sons. The land 
was mellow and rich. Only a plant here and there sur¬ 
vived the winter, but those few plants, as might have been 
looked for, bore long, beautiful heads, a careful selection 
of the best of which was made. These were shown to Gen. 
LeDuc and surprised him greatly. “ I will give you,” 
said he, knowing nothing of the variety or how it was 
grown, “$250 for all you have of that.” It is needless to 
say that the offer was not pressed after he was made aware 
of the facts in the case. 
Our early work in crossing, as has been stated In previous 
volumes, was far from satisfactory. In truth, it was quite 
discouraging. The progeny generally seemed to be a re¬ 
production of the mother. Our first encouragement came 
from the use of pollen upon some of the first cross-breeds 
of Armstrong. From that time until this, these varieties 
BEAL- Beards cutcff. 
STEWART—Beards cut off. 
JOHNSON. 
PRIZE HEADS 
BAILEY. 
Fig. 236, 
WILLITS. 
ROBERTS-Beards cut off. 
