The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-07-02

had not yet investigated it, the people
generally for while have lost sight
of the fact that this department is
really giving more attention to the in
PRODUCTION of the hard winter wheats
than to the durum. All districts of
Russia where these excellent winter
wheats are grown were visited and
more than half dozen different
strains were introduced into this coun-
try. 1t was not until two or three
years after this time that the agricul-
tural experiment station at Manhat-
tan, through Professor Ten Eyck. be-
gan to give special attention to these
hard winter wheats. In the meantime
the department of agriculture had
exploited them throughout all Kansas,
and had determined without doubt
that two or three of these new strains
yielded right along five bushels to the
acre more than the ordinary Turkey
VIII eat then grown, the best among
these being one now known as Khar-
kOf. For nearly ten years seed of
these best varieties have been propa-
gated in that and other states. 1t Is
probable therefore that at the present
time there is in Kansas an addition of
fully ten million bushels of wheat
each year to what would be the Ordi-
nary production on the same acreage
because of the use of these new varie-
ties, which were obtained under the
direction of the secretary of agricul-
ture. Some individual farmers are
now growing thousands of bushels of
this new Kharkof strain of the Tur-
key wheat At the same time all of
these different strains of the Turkey
are practically the same in milling
value.
s. Even the work of the .millers in
importing large quantities of new seed
of Turkey wheat from the Crimea, a
matter so much advertised and urged by
through the help Of the secretary of
agriculture The well known miIlers'
importation of several years ago was of
a particular quality of wheat and from
a locality recommended by the writer,
w o had the previous year studied
these wheats in all parts of the Crimea,
and the remainder of the province of
Taurida. The business was done by
the writer through Mr.. B. Warkentin,
of Newton, Kansas. who represented the
millers in that transaction. and he will
no doubt vouch for the truth of this
statement
Told Burkett Where to Go.
g. Recently an act of the Kansas leg
islature provides considerable sum of
money for the introduction OF more new
seed of the hard winter wheat from
Russia and Director Burkett has been
authorized to go to Roumania, Turkey,
and southern Russia to obtain this new
seed wheat. The writer has had corre-
spondence with him concerning this
matter and has told him exactly where
this seed could be obtained, which,
however, could just about readily be
obtained by writing from this country,
as the localities and parties from whom
wheat can be obtained are we'll known.
In the meantime 1t is probable that all
this work could be avoided by taking
advantage of the seed of these good new
strains of Turkey wheat introduced
within the last five years by the de-
partment of agriculture, now grown in
sufficient amounts to seed almost
whole state There is no doubt that
seed deteriorates in some cases after be-
ing taken to another locality, but it is
doubtful whether the same good results
could not be obtained in Kansas by get
ting seed from certain portions of west
and northwest Kansas, as to go to the
expense of importing new seed direct
from Russia.
10. 1t is certainly apparent to any
one acquainted with the facts that the
charge of ignorance concerning the his
tory of Turkey wheat in Kansas, and
the humor of the same made by certain
parties, is really applicable to them
selves rather than to the secretary of
agriculture.
NJ. A. CARLETON, Cerealist.