The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1903-06-30
RUSSIAN
CEREAL
Successfully Grown in
Western Idaho
KNOWN AZ SPELTZ OF EMMER
He Uses a Mysterious Liquid to Hard
en- the Steel Before Work
ing It.

Moscow. Idaho.-A large acreage
of the Palouse and POtlatch country
has been sOwn to the new Russian
cereal known as speltZ or emmer.
Experiments conducted for the past
few years demonstrate that the crop
will produce from 60 to 100 bushels
to the acre. The grain is choice
feeding cereal, and the straw is valu-
able In addition to the forage anu
seed value the pasture in early
spring and late fall is worth much for
stock and sheep feeding. With the
introduction of mixed farming the
growing of speltZ will become one of
the most profitable of all the cereals.
Speltz is a peculiar cereal adapted
to the arid and SEMI arid sections of
the northwest. 1t comes from eastern
Russia where it was introduced
many years ago 1t is also known as
emmer, and is sometimes referred to
as sacred rye grown in Egypt, in
the days of Moses. The seed is COW
cred with hull or chaff that does not
come off by threshing. This forms a
close protection and prevents decay
from moisture or injury from smut
or outside fungus grOwths. 1t is a
great drouth resiSter and a rich pro-
Queer Of feed.
The farmers of the United States
will have approximately 100000
acres planted to speltz this year
They have tested the cereal and are
satisfied it possesses great value as
farm money maker. There is no gen.
eral market for the crop except as a
chop feed for stock and horses about
the large cities. But the worth of
the plant is in home feeding. Far
mers who produce mutton, beef and
pork for the general market want a
fattening food which can be grown
and harvested with as little expense
as possible. Speltz seems to be the
stock farmers feed.
Has Human Food Value
In some countries of Europe where
speltz is grown extensively for feed
ing purposes the grain is used for
making flour for family use. 1t has
the same value as rye -four and is re-
garded as an excellent human food
The grain is really an intermediate
between wheat and barley. 1t is
plump like wheat and has a cover like
barley. The straw is stiff and coarse
and the grain heads are long and
loosely grown. There are few
boards but not so long or stiff as in
real barley. A proper name for the
plant would be barley wheat
The speltz plant was introduced in
Idaho and then in the fields of Wash
ington by NJ. J. Shields, who has be
come famous as the originator of
cOrn-wheat He has used it for feed
Ing sheep and for pasturing his stock
His crop of seed has always been in
demand, so that no great acreage
could be planted. Those who have
tested it pronounce it a superior dry
farm grain. 1t stools out wonderfully
One seed often gives as many as 100
fine stems with we'll filled heads Ii
soWn in the fall and pastured closely
1t branches out more extensively in
the spring and has a perfect mass of
stOcky straw. which is considered
equal to choice timothy for winter
feeding Of cattle and sheep.
Great Dairy Food.
Dakota farmer who has grown
speItz for several years gives the cor
respondent of the Post Intelligencer
his opinion Of the plant. He says
"SpeltZ is one Of the best combined
foods on earth. 1t has many good
points. 1t is good for pasture. as it
lattens sheep AMI stock in the green
state. 1t stools out and spreads over
the land even if sOwn very thin. An