The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-07-31
A DROUGHT FIGHTER.

Since the organization of the Depart
ment Of Agriculture in 1889 the work
has steadily grown in Importance. In
twelve years the bulletins of the de-
partment have increased in number and
value to Such an extent that recon-
mendations made by the Government
experts are taken as authoritative. The
growing fields Of alfalfa, Kaffir corn
and deep-rooted grasses in Kansas and
Nebraska are practical evidences that
the suggestions Of the department have
practical value.
Another recommendation that is en-
bodied in bulletin just issued by the
Division Of Vegetable Physiology and
Pathology relative to new variety Of
wheat is Of the utmost importance to
those regions of the United States that
have small rainfall. According to NJ.
A. Carleton, the author of the bulletin.
| regions now uncultivated or cultivated
with a minimum Of profit may pay the
enterprising farmer as well as if he
owned a wheat farm on the richest soil.
Macaronl wheat, as the new variety
is called, differs radically from the ordi-
nary bread wheats, and in the field
looks more like barley than wheat. Ac-
cording to the bulletin, the heads are
fiat, compressed and bearded, the beard
often being black. The chaff is usually
golden yellow, but sometimes black.
The grains are large, hard, yellowish
white, and clear, or, in wneats of the
best quality, sometimes translucent
The grain is much harder than that OF
the hardest bread wheats, and in the
best varieties contains an unusual
amount of nitrogen and q correspond
ingly small amount Of starch
Both the quantity and quality of the
gluten make the different kinds of thu
wheat valuable for the manufacture OF
macarom. The United States annual,
import about 15,0OO,O0O pounds Of mac
aroni because the peculiar quality OF
wheat required for the manufacture o-
the best macaroni Is not grown in tbi.
country.
Strange to say, this European wheat
it comes chiefly from the semiarit
regions of Russia-thrives best wler,
the rainfall is limited. A rainfall O
from ten to seventeen inches is con
sidered best. 1t is a spring wheat I,
this country north of the thirty-fift]
parallel, which includes the greater par
Of Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska ant
North and South Dakota. Below tina
parallel it is best to SOW the wheat II
the fall.
According to Mr.. Carleton, the exec
lent qualities Of macaroni wheats ma,
be summarized as follows: They ar
very resistant to leaf rust and smuts
they often ripen little earlier tina
other spring wheats; west of the on
hGndredth meridian they will yield a
average of twelve to twenty bushels DE
acre in many places where wheat grow
ing is now practically an impossibilit
q because Of drought; and in the large
!. part of the Great Plains region they wi
5 yield on an average about one-thir
\ more per acre than the wheats ordinar
e ly grown there.
Manufacturers are creating deman
for this wheat, the department havin
received many letters asking about til
possibility of growing the macaro,
q wheats. Since March Of this year abo,
!. 100000 tons of Wild Goose wheat. or
{ Of the macaroni group, was exporte
from Canada to Marseilles. Mixed wit
?. a softer wheat the new wheat make
excellent -four.