Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1908-09-12
DOUBT WHEAT STORY
Officials
Raising o
Discovery Nothing

The Washington correspondent of
the Boston Transcript says:
A certain Abraham Adams of Julia
eta, Idaho, who has lately come to
the fore with miraculous tale of a
new variety of wheat that will yield
up to 222 bushels per acre has been
making life busy and burdensome for
the Department. of Agriculture these
August days. Tt would seem as if a
large share of the wheat-growing
public had sat down to communicate
with Uncle Sam simultaneously about
the new grain. A few days ago a pro-
minent weekly publication contained
an article setting forth the virtues of
the new discovery, and since then the
Department of Agriculture has been
beset with flood of letters, telegra ms
and personal visits from anxious in
quirers.
The worlds average yeild of wheat
per acre is 1877 bushels. Tt is repre-
sented that the wheat grown by Mr..
Adams, called "Alaska," will average
100 bushels to the acre. In view of
the fact that the price of loaf of
bread threatens to go from cents to
6, the economic Importance of wheat
that will yield 100 bushels to the acre
becomes apparent. Any administra-
ton that will bring this about need
have no fear about the cost Of living
issue being raised in the campaign.
Wheat of this kind, produced the
country over, would bring the price
of loaf of bread down to cent and
would make famine in the land an
impossibility. Not merely would hui
man food be greatly cheapened by
the direct effect on the grain and
-four supply, but meat animals could
be raised much more cheaply than
now, because grain for them could be
had at lower figure than at present.
Last year the wheat crop of the
United States exceeded 600, 900, 900
bushels. If the new Alaska wheat is
equal to what the advance notices say
about it, it will not be difficult to in
crease the wheat crop to 5000, 900
bushels. This country could feed the
entire wheat consuming world and
still have a surplus.
It is alleged that Mr.. Adams, while
on trip to Alaska a few years ago,
found a small patch of wheat growing
along the, coast far from any living
human that could have planted it. He
enc whole head, a gigantic
one, inches long and broad in pro-
portion. He took this to his home in
Idaho and grew Z pounds of wheat
from this one head. From this q
pounds he harvested the next year
t545 pounds, Or more than 222 bushels
10 the acre. He has keep on growing
the wheat and it has yielded marvel
ously. He is now prepared to sell the
seed, though at a price of $40 dollars
per bushel MIR. Adams has sent
samples OF the wheat to the Depart
ment OF Agriculture and Acting Sec
retary Hays has directed that Director
French of the Idaho Experiment Sta
ion at Moscow, not far from Juliaetta,
make an investigation. In the mean
lime the grain experts of the Depart
nent of Agriculture are extremely
skeptieal about the wheat. So far as
5he stories Of 222 bushels per acre are
they pronounce them ridi-
,ulous and will have to be conclusive
y shown before they believe that
some enc has not been indulging in an
srtistie variety of nature taking. They
ire not prepared to say, however
hat a strain of wheat has not been
discovered that will yield heavily.
No milling test of the wheat has been
made by the department. but a
chemical examination has been made.
This shows the wheat low in protein,
which indicates that it is not a high
,lass wheat for milling purposes. The
,fficial opinion of the department is