Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1908-09-08
DISCOvfRfR DEFENDS
ALASKA" WHEAT

ADfanam ADAMS tne dlscOVeTeT OF
the famous Alaskan wheat OF which
so much has been said, writes the
following lengthy letter concerning
the new wheat.
ITO the Public In the last Sum
day issue OF the spokesman-Review
Professor Elliot OF the Washington
Agricultural college appeared with A
report denouncing my wheat as a
fraud. After studying my wheat all
summer he has discovered that there
are eight distinct groups OF wheat
and my wheat belongs in the
seventh group, which is, so he says,
At for nothing--not even for stock
feed. AS TO his classification OF
wheat have nothing TO say. For all
I know there may be another addl-
tionai eight groups, although that is
hardly probable, since, II there were,
Professor Elliot would no doubt have
succeeded In scientifically demon
strating' my wheat to be still fur
ther remote from bread wheat than
he did. But that is neither here nor
there. Professor Elliott makes some
assertions so hagrantly unjust that
wish 20 call attention TO them. 49,.
Says Picture Is Unfair.
cat the outset wish 10 call at
tentlon to the photograph which Is
published In connection with the re-
port purportlng 70 DE 'apecImens o,
the Alaska wheat, In seems hardly
necessary 20 say th}t the photograph
Is extremely unfair. If Is always
possible 10 go into any field OF grow
Ing grain and find freak heads and
also undeveloped heads. In the
photograph are six heads which Pro-
fessor Elliott asserts are representa-
tive heads. One OF these six seems
10 have been a head Of red Russian
another seems 10 be an nndevelopei
secondary shoot and the rest are
heads more or loss 'freakish in de-
velopment.
Professor Elliott states that he has
personally visited the growing felde
He seems from reports. 10 have Wis
tied field near Moscow, Idaho. AMI
he IN convinced that the Alaska wheat
II poor yielder. The following |
statement was made "a writing by
the man who threshed that field OF
my wheat. hi
Statement ny Thrcsher.
81 thrcshed some OF your Alaska |
wheat and also some red Russian
wheat In the adjoining field. Your
wheat yielded about three bushels 10
one OF the red Russian The red
Russian was better stand than the
Alaska. Yours truly.
FRANK BENNETT
Professor Elliott asserts that the |
wheat Ia OF a low milling value. This
broad assertion he qualities a little
later by saying that the millers are
yet TO be heard from
"All In good time I will have an
oincial milling test. and by II my be-
lief that the wheat will make -four
will be fully established. In case the
test proves that am mistaken l will
feed the wheat 10 the hogs that II.
provided they will eat a.
How does Professor Elliott know
that II will not make -four before
such a test is made9 lie has made
no milling test. do not even know
that he has gone 10 the trouble OF
making a chemical analysts. The ce-
realist Of the agricultural depart
ment at Washington Is more disposed
60 be fair In regard 10 tho wheat. He
admits. at least, that the wheat may
make four aud that Il should not be
eondemned because lt happens 20 re-
semble a known variety. before n
has been given fair test II seems
that Professor Elliot was. to say the
least. a little premature with his
sweeping report acondemnlng my
wheat a. worthless.
Head siEe No Objection.
Further on In hls report the pro-
fessor explains that my wheat stools
very sparlngly and will not covsr
groand like the little club or red
Rassian.' aud moreover that the
weight OF the heads Is so great that
a causes the stems 10 droop heavily, |
In fac. the very slse OF the heads u /
amost serious objection 20 the va
riety, as Il can not stand erect ami
In spite Of a fairly sta straw Is sure
10 lodge badly
II might say that there is certain
" no danger OF the heads In Pro
fessor Eiliott'a photograph OF 'specl-