Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1908-09-17
ALASKA WHEAT.
Idaho Experiment Station Man Writes
Concerning 1t.
BY X. e Hysop. Agronomst University Of Idaho
Agricultural Experiment Station, Moscow.

bulletin concerning the so-called
Alaska wheat.
This wheat, when given ample field
space or conditions favorable to the
individual plant, has branching head
| borne on a rather tough straw at a
height OF between four and five feet.
The mesh bears two and three ker-
nels. When grown under close field
conditions the head tends to be much
smaller, branches less, and the mesh
bears from one to two kernels, very
seldom three. If heads grown under
these conditions alone were examined
the impression would be obtained that
this wheat never bears but two kerr
nels to the mesh, mistake which
some writer's appear to have made.
The boards, while not numerous,
are dark in color and considerably
stronger than we find on our common
wheats, but not SO long or stiff as
those found on the durums or maca-
roni wheats. The normal kernel ls
light in color, short and plump, with
an unusually open groove, which al
lows the kernel to be easily broken
in threshing. A cross-sectlon shows
the interior to be white and powdery,
with comparatively little horny starch.
| The shrunken kernels naturally are
harder.
Taking everything into considera'
ton, | am led to conclude that this
is the Egyptian or Miracle wheat, a
Poulard, and that it belongs to that
variety of the Egyptian known as
Eldorado, which is very closely re-
lated to the seven-headed variety.
The Pouards are peculiarly adapted
to dry regions, but never have been
| grown to any extent in America
Their yields have never proved to be
of such a nature as to warrant their
extensive growth, even for stock food.
And the nferiority Of the flour pro-
duced from them has prevented their
use to any extent for the production
of bread.
The high yields claimed for the
wheat in this section Of the country,
in some cases 277 bushels per acre,
are fabulous. One OF the promoters
states that from one head of the
wheat he obtained seven pounds;
from these seven pounds he produced
1545 pounds, or yield in round num-
bers of 22O fold. 1t is from these
figures that the yields noted in the
various papers, and in the circular OF
the Adams -Hobe Seed Grain COM
panv. of Juliaetta, Idaho, are com
puted To show the righteousness OF
computing yields in this way, we de-
termined in a couple Of cases, the
number OF grains produced from one
seed of Little Club grown under ia
yorable conditions in our breeding
plat. One plant produced 1116; the
other 1900 kernels. Now, reasoning
as this seed company has done, If we
should plant one bushel OF this Little
Club to the acre, we would obtalr
1176 or 1900 bushels This would be
a rather high yield, even for Idaho.
This year the company had zoe
acres in the wheat grown on different
farms in this locality. A thirty-acre
tract near Moscow, which was
threshed in the middle Of August
went about thirty-two bushels per
acre. Mr. Adams stated at that time
that his best yields had been thirty
five bushels. He supplemented this
remark. however, with the statemen,
that his stands were poor in every
case. But considering the large acre
age, the fact that several different
farmers grew the crop, and the ettec'
of close stand, noted above, we must
take this as an indication, at least, O
the yielding power Of the wheat. This
however. would not be considered ar
extra large Weld for this country.
The analysis of the wheat upor
which the company appears to base
its hopes amounts to practically moth
ing in determining the bread-maklne
quality of the flour 1t is true. tha
: bluestem wheat, which analyzes highe'
in protein than Little Club. makes ;
better quality of flour, but it is alSt
true that macaroni wheat which an
alyzes higher in protein than Blue
stem, makes a lower class Of flour
and consequently is Discriminate
against by the miller. The low grad
flours turned out from our mills usu
ally show a higher protein conten
: than the patent Corn has consider
, able protein, but the chemist seem
unable to find any gluten Chat all es
sential part of a good flour). Eve;
if the chemist had found high glute'
content in "Alaska' wheat, we WouIt
still not be justified in concluding
that the wheat would make a goo
quality of flour. The proof Of tn,
} wheat is in the bread it will make
, promised to have a milling test mad
Upon our request the company ha
soon. Until this test is made, how
ever, we must assume that the whea
will make no better flour under tn
name of ALASKA" than it did whel
known as wheat of Miracle"
In spite of all the beautiful storie
which have been written concerning
the origin of this wheat, regardless o
the many wonderful things whicI
have been imagined about its quality
and taking into consideration the I'M
preston as to yield, which has s.
skilfully been thrown broadcaS
: throughout the American continent b.
} this seed company, who advertise thel
t wheat for sale at $50 per bushel, W
r have yet to find any point OF meri
in it which would warrant the publ
paying more for "Alaska' wheat thai
the prevailing market price OF on
, common varieties.
Southern Beaten Buscuit.
.FN ~