Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1861-02-23
the great secret of success i'll raising
'f0TS'
NEW VARIETY OF WHEAT


NEW VARIETY OF WHEAT.
One of the settlers, Mr.. John Dom
nell, showed me new variety of wheat
procured from the crop of a wild goose.
AS its history is interesting, | will give
it as related to me by Mr.. Donnell.-
During the early part of the winter of
1863 Mr.. Samuel X. Matney shot wild
goose near the Butte mountains, Suffer
county, California, the goose was with
a flock coming from the north; in its
crop were some kernels of a grain such
as Mr.. Matney had never seen before.
1t was evidently species of wildwlcat.
The seeds were saved and planted the
next spring. but before the plants had
fully ripencd Mr.. Mathcv came to this
territory, bringing with him few of
the unripe kernels which he pluckcd
from three heads of wheat.
Mr.. Matney is we'll known, both here
and in Clallam county, as a great hunter,
spending the most OF his time in the
pursuit of game. He is known hereby
every one as "Cncle Sam On one
of his hunting excursions he called at
Mr.. Donnclls : house on Scquim prairie
and passed the nj CHIT; the ncXtmorning
he avcrrcd that he had lost Il parcel for
which he would not take five hundred
dollars. A search was then commenced.
and after while an old rag was found
with something tied up in it. Uncle
Sam Immediately claimed it as his lost
parcel. and related to Mr.. Donncll that
it was the identical wheat that had been
produced from seeds taken from the
wild goosc's crop. lie then gave IL
kernels of it to Mr.. Donncll. who plant
cd them last year, and has now two
thousand kernels which he will plant
this spring. and save the crop tor seed
until he can increase it enough to sell
to others. compared some of this
wheat with the common wheat raised
on the prairie, and it measured three
times the size. Its shape is more like
Il rye kernel, being longer III proportion
to its breadth than common wheat. 1t
ripens very early. grows from five to six
and half feet high, and has heads ave-
raging ten inches long. Mr.. Donncl!
says that if it should not prove good
wheat for Touring purposes it will be
most excellent for fodder. as its yield is
very great. The question naturally
arises, where could this wheat have cri-
ginated? The goose from whose crop
it was taken came from the north. and
as there is no wheat like it between
here and California it must have come
from some part of the country far to
the north of this, probably i'll the Rus
sian possessions. 1t is asserted hy
hunters that the wild goose, when ahou,
to start upon its migratory tour, always
first fills its crop with food and contin-
ues its flight so long as anything re-
mains undigested. Persons curious in
such matters can calculate the length OF
time it requires for wild geese to digest
their food while flying for length OF
time, then take the number Of miles Il
goose can travel through the cir per
hour, and the result will give some idea
from which to form an opinion as to
where the wheat originally grew.
have seen varieties Of wheat at the
Patent Office in Washington, from all
parts of the world, but never have seen
anything like this, and / have no doubt
that if Mr.. Donncll succeeds in incrcas.
ing the seed free from accident of smut,
rust, or millew, so that it can be gen
orally introduced, it will prove a most
excellent forage crop, and if its Touring
properties are of good quality it will
be a valuable addition to our cereals.
Mr.. Donncll calls it the "Cncle Sam
wheat.
WILD GAME.
Scquim Prairie would be an excellent
place for sheep raising but for the
presence Of innumcrablc quantities OF
wolves, whose dismal howlings make
night hidcous, and cause the traveller,
who may be benighted in the woods,
great apprehension. These animals are
very large and fierce, and cause the
hunters much trouble by stealing their
game. The elk are very plenty in the
woods of the prairie and on the side
hills, and parties 60 out to hunt them
at the eproperseason. The cusual method
adopted after killing the game is to
quarter it, and then go to the settle
ments for teams and assistance to haul
it out. Unless the hunter has taken
proper prccaution the wolves are sure
to get the game before he returns. One
of these hunters having been served
in this manner several times, placed
some strychninc in an elks carcass, and
killed some forty of the thieving wolves.
A good business might be made of
hunting these wolves for their skins,