The Holly chieftain., 1908-08-07
CELEBRATED DEFIANCE WHEAT
BROUGHT BACK TO oRiCi-
NAL STANDARD.
IT HAD DE1ERIoRA1[D
SEED APPROVED BY COLORADO
GRAIN AND SEED eRoWES.s'
ASSOCIATION.

Prof. A, Z. BlOunt, agrlcultul-5t ana
| plant breeder of the Colorado i-a9eri-
ment station from 1879 to 49,. OBJ
tanned from f. c. Pringle, in la.1. a
| small sample of Defiance wheat which
| Mr.. Pringle claimed to have origin. lied.
| From this foundation stock, Professor
Blount obtained a large number OF av-
erage heads, the largest OF which'were
not quite three inches in length, con-
tanning an average of twentyone ker-
nels each.
BY following his rule, of selecting
| the best to cross on the best to get a
better offspring. Professor Blount,
| in 1885, had heads five to six inches
long, each containing an average OF
! forty-three kernels. From ninety-four
grains in 1886 he produced Sl5 pounds
OF superior quality wheat, from which
| foundation stock he increased for dis
| tribution to the wheat districts of
Colorado, under the irrigation ditch.
This became the dominant spring
wheat of Colorado early In the COS,
millers finding flour made from this
wheat had a ready sale as superior bis
cult flour all through the South. By
1908, through lack of seed selection,
careless methods of threshing, seed
| ing and irrigating, as well as following
grain with grain, this Defiance wheat,
in many sections of the state, had be,
| come seriously mixed.
Mr.. A. H. Danielson, assistant agri-
culturist at Colorado Agricultural col
lege, in 1908, found bottle of the
foundation stock of Defiance left by
Professor Blount, when he left the
| Colorado station in 1891. This wheat
was known to be at least twelve years
old, but was seeded, hoping to obtain
| from this seed, plants to renew and
regenerate this spring wheat which
had given such excellent satisfaction
to miller farmer and baker.
Three plants grew, one sending up
fourteen spikes. This superior plant
was saved and the other two destroyed.
From this foundation plant of the 1903
harvest, the best quality heads and
most desirable kernels were saved and
each year planted. BY 1907 enough
wheat was gathered to seed scant
| ten-acre field This field yielded a
harvest of $50 bushels of good quality
| wheat for distribution. BY use of a
| seed grader we separated out the best
| quality, most desirable wheat kernels
| for seed purposes and found we had
300 bushels of the regenerated Blount's
| Defiance wheat for distribution to
| Colorado farmers. We sent this wheat
out in small lots varying from twenty
five to one hundred pounds per farmer
in the spring of 1908.
This wheat has been approved by
F. Knorr, secretary of the Colorado
Grain and Seed Growers Association
and been given registration number
as per following letter:
Il hereby affirm that a sample of
the Regenerated Blounts Defiance
wheat has been submitted to my in
spection, as prepared for distribution
to the wheat growers of Colorado.
am thoroughly familiar with the care
full manner in which this grain has
been developed and hereby assign
this grain No. 1 on the registration
books of the Colorado association.
All farmers receiving this wheat and
complying with the requirements OF
this association can maintain registra.
tion of this Wheat No. / Blount's Re
generated Defiance, by each year
sending some of that years harvest.
Those purchasing this grain can have
registered extension of ledigree on ap.
proval of pound sample OF the wheat,
together with record of transfer from
party making last registration, on
payment of fees"