The Colfax gazette. [volume] (Colfax, Wash.) 1893-1932, 1901-06-14
NEW SPILLMAN WHEAT
Thinks He Has Something For
Eastern Washington.
Bred a New Variety Which Is Ex-
actly Suited To the Pa
louise Country.

Professor W. J. Spillman of the Wash
ingtOn Agricultural College and Expert
ment Station at Pullman, is origina ting
new varieties of wheat particularly
adapted to Eastern Washington. He is
one OF three or four men in the United
States who are engaged in the propaga-
ton OF new varieties of wheat. He was
in Portland Saturday, and in a talk
with reporter gave an interesting
statement of the results accomplished in
this line.
Professor Spillman has been trying to
get variety of wheat that would be
suited to the conditions of Eastern
Washington - the Palouse country.
Winter wheat is the crop for that coun-
try and all the varieties now grown
there shatter so badly that the harvester
leaves on the ground two or three times
ae much as would be sufficient for seed.
Another fault of the wheat now grown
there Is that the straw has not the
strength to stand up on rich land or
where storms may strike it, and the
grain frequently lodges so badly that it
cannot be harvested by the ordinary
means. Thirdly, the wheat now grown
too high in gluten. To get a variety
that Will not shatter, that shall have
straw that will stand up, that
shall have thin shell and be
high IN gluten cOntents-in other words,
to get wheat that shall be exactly
adapted to Eastern Westinghouse the
object OF Professor Spillman's expert
ments, and his work in this line has
proceeded so far and so satisfactorily
that there is little doubt of ultimate
success
In taking up this work Professor
SDIl!man made more than 800 crosses of
two varieties of spring wheat grown in
that country upon six varieties of
winter wheat. The spring varieties we're
the little club and the red chaff, which
are hardly distinguishable one from the
other, and the winter varieties we're
Lancaster, Thesis, Tasmania red, Ore
gon club, valley and Jones' winter fife.
From the more than 800 successful
crosses, Professor Spillman has selected
IL new varieties that possess the
characteristics desired and he must now
continue selecting and planting until he
shall get the types established. 1t takes
i've years to establish a type that will
breed true, after the desired variety is
obtained. Careful selection must be
made each year of the grain that
possesses in highest degree the qualities
sought, and the continuation of this
process for five years is sufficient to es-
tablIsh type that will transmit it's
characteristics with reasonable fidelity.
The longer type is established the
harder it is to change it. In making
crosses the variety that has been longest
established transmits more of it's quail
ties than does the younger variety. A
great many varieties may be obtained
from a single cross, and it is bv selec-
tion and cultivation that a variety
possessing the desired qualities is at
length established.
For strength of straw Professor Spill
man has drawn on another plant, the
spelt, which grows at the top of vigor-
Gus stalk, a rough grain suitable for
cattle feed. Ten varieties of spplt are
grown in Eastern Washington Estab-
lished types of wheat and apelt will not
crossbrr ed, but when varieties of wheat
are crossed among themselves and vari-
cites OF spelt crossed among themselves
1T is found that the resulting progeny of
the two plants may be interbred The
large number Of hybrids resulting from
this cross breeding will present almost
every characteristic imaginable. Most
OF the strong straw will probably have
Inferior grain and most of the weak
straw will grobably bear the good
grain. But it is likely that some of the
strong straw will bear excellent grain.
When the by bridizer finds the qualities
he wants, it is his business to select the
most perfect specimens and continue the
propagation to establish the type Pro-
lessor Spillman, having obtained a n.y.
Bird OF wheat and spelt with qualities
specially adapted to Eastern Washing
ton is now continuing the selection and
cultivation to get the types established
so the farmers may have the benefit.
FOne OF this work can be delegated to
others. 1t requires the highest skill of
the specialist and his best Judgment in
selection to get adequate results, and he
must attend to the matter personally.
The result of giving the farmers such
grain as Professor Spillman expects
to put forth will be important. 1t will
not only increase the yield of the fields
perceptibly, but also increase the value
OF the grain. 1t will do away with the
annual losses by lodging on rich land,
and with the losses that follow the SOW
ing of spring wheat in the fall in the at
tempt to grow grain with thin shell.
This sowing is lost when there is much
freezing in the winter. The new va
rieties will all be winter wheat, which is
demanded in that country, though
many of their qualities will be those of
spring wheat. Sowing spring wheat in
the fall will not make it winter wheat.
By experiment, Professor Spillman finds
that spring wheat sown in the fall for 10
consecutive seasons so far attains the
character of winter wheat that, when
sown in the spring, it ripens about two
weeks later than tie same variety that
has had regular spring instead of winter
sowing. But that is too slow a change
when the farmer is waiting for a new
variety. At that rate it would take 100
years to get winter wheat with spring
wheat qualities. By originating a new
variety this can be accomplished, it is
hoped, in five years.
Call at F. J. Stones drug store and
get a free sample of Chamberlain's
Stomach and Liver Tablets. They are