The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-09-17
SEED WHEATS2.OO
Kansas Millers Import Two
Carloads From Canada.
Prof. Ten Eyck Reports on His
Trip to Alberta.
RAISE SEED FOR US
From the Wheat Which We
Furnish to Them.
Canadian Seed Will Be Given
Thorough Test in Kansas.

A. NJ. Ten Eyck, professor of
| agronomy, at the State Agricultural
college. has returned from visit to
the province of Alberta, Canada,
where he went in accordance with the
order of the board Of regents of the
college in carrying out the provisions
of the seed wheat bill which was
passed by the last legislature and
which authorized the investigation
and importation of seed wheat.
The law enacted at the last session
of the legislature appropriated $4,000
to pay the expense of investigating
seed wheat conditions, and provided
in part as follows:
THAT the board of regents of the
State Agricultural college shall thor
oughly investigate the quality of seed
wheat found in Europe or elsewhere
especially adapted to and desirable
for sowing in Kansas, and if a salts
factory quality is found, they shall
notify the board of county commits
sioners of the several counties in the
state when a satisfactory quality and
quantity of such seed wheat can be
purchased, and give the probable cost
per bushel."
Prof. Ten Eyck has published a bulle
tin of his trip which will be of interest
to the wheat growers of Kansas. In 1t
he says:
1.-The territory known as Alberta is
situated in western Canada, and is an
immense tract seven hundred miles in
length north and south, with an aver
age width of two hundred and eighty
miles. The province is bounded on the
south by the state of Montana, on the
west by British Columbia, and on the
east by the province of AssInabola the
Rocky mountains extend along the en-
tire western border of the province, and
the best winter wheat lands lie along
the base of the mountains, usually within
view of the perpetually snoW-capped
peaks Winter wheat is most success
fully grown in the area bordering the
mountains, one hundred to one hundred
and fifty miles wide and extending
north two hundred and fifty miles from
the southern boundary line. However,
the Hon. Frank Oliver, minister of in
terror. Ottawa, Canada, makes the pub
Iished statement that winter wheat has
been tried and may be grown success |
fully in many districts in western Can
ada from the one hundred tenth meri- |
dian to the foot hills, and from Edmond |
ton (three hundred and fifty miles |
north to the International boundary |
line. ~
In 1902 Mr., E. +. Thompson, Ne
braska farmer who settled at Spring |
Nebraska or Kansas-grown Turkey |
wheat. This was the ordinary |
Turkey wheat bought in the general |
market and was not very pure in type, |
ing to Mr. Thompson and others who
soWed it. However, the grain pro- |
duced the first season was superior iE
quality to the original seed, and the
wheat has continued to improve. The |
grain has become larger and plumper. |
darker in color and harder in texture
than the original sample, until THE AL
berta Red" as it is called, has made
class of its own In the Canada wheat
market and is recognized as one of the
VIII n
ager of the Pacific Elevator company,
Alberta, informed the writer |
that his company handled over fifty !
cars of Alberta Red wheat in 1906, every |
car of which graded No. hard.
There is only one variety of AL |
berta Red. All of the hard red winter |
wheat grown in Alberta today, so far |
as the writer could learn, has come |
ton Although the Alberta Red is
wheat of excellent quality, yet there !
are some objections to it as seed |
wheat for Kansas. Cd 1t is originally !
nothing more than our ordinary Kan
sas wheat of the Turkey type, but not |
so pure as some of the improved va
rieties which we are growing today, |
such as the Turkey No. 4, Kharkof,
and Malakoff. CD Again, the Alberta
Red has become mixed with a |
soft winter wheat
called the Odessa. This mixture with !
soft wheat does not usually affect the
commercial grade of the wheat, but |
it Injuries its value for seed. I found |
no fields of Alberta Red wheat which
did not contain some of this mixture |
of Odessa, the percentage or mixture
varying from one to twenty-five per /
cent. This mixture has occurred from
volunteer wheat by sowing the Alder
ia Red in feds where Odessa wheat
ha dbeen previously grown
BY a careful selection of the field
it is possible to secure Alberta Red
seed wheat which contains only
small amount of the Odessa wheat.
also, if there is a demand
for pure seed wheat for expectation
to this state the farmers of Alberta
will take greater pains to select pure
samples of Alberta Red wheat Tor Iu-
Fairfield superintendent of the ex-
perimental farm for southern AIper-
ia, has already secured from TINS sta.
ton thirty bushels each OF hha[oI
fall in Alberta with the purpose OF
pure seed of our best-pro-
ducing varieties of hard red winter
wheat. not only for distributor IN
that province but for the prooucIIoaa
of a superior grade of pure see9
wheat for expectation to Kansas ana
other states.
"On account of the long distance ana
slow transportation it was found 10 DC
to import any large guam
tity of Alberta wheat for general seed
ing in Kansas this fall. The writer Sc
cured a bushel sample from several OF
the more noted wheat growing districts.
This will be shipped by express as soon
as the wheat il threshed, and the grain
will be planted in the experimental
plots at Manhattan and Fit. Hays, in
order to make a comparison of the Al
berta wheat with our best home grown
varieties. If it seems advisable, AL
berta wheat may be imported in large
quantity for general distribution next
fall
Although the state has not been able
TO import Alberta wheat for general
seeding this fall private enterprise has
made greater progress and two cars of