The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1908-10-29
ALASKA WHEAT.
idaho Experiment Station Man Writes
Concerning 1t.

j find it necessary to issue this pres
4 bulletin concerning the so-callec
Alaska" wheat.
I This wheat, when given ample field
/ space or conditions favorable to the
I individual plant, has branching head
4 borne on a rather tough straw at a
I height of between four and five feet.
1 The mesh bears two and three kerr
nels. When grown under close field
conditions the head tends to be much
smaller, branches less, and the mesh
bears from one 10 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, a 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 is
light in color, short and plump with
an unusually open groove, which al
lows the kernel to be easily broken
in threshing A cross-section 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,
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 Poulards 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 inferiority 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
1915 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 I
the Adams Hobe Seed Grain com
pany, of Juliaetta, Idaho, are COM S
puted To show the righteousness Of
computing yields in this way. we de
termined in a couple of cases, the
of grains produced from one S
seed of Little Club grown under ia
vorable conditions in our breeding
plat. One plant produced 1176; the
other 1900 kernels. Now, reasoning p
as this seed company has done, if we
should plant one bushel of this Little
Club to the acre, we would obtain A
l176 or 1900 bushels. This would be
/ rather high yield, even for Idaho.
This year the company had 700 n
lcres in the wheat grown on different
arms in this locality. A thirty-acre
ract near Moscow, which was
hreshed in the middle of August, r,
vent about thirty-two bushels per II
ere. Mr.. Adams stated at that time
hat his best yields had been thirty a
emark, however, with the statement
ase. But considering the large acre %
ge, the fact that several different
lrmers grew the crop, and the effect
f close stand, noted above, we must =
axe this as an indication, at least OF
he yielding power of the wheat. This. S
owever would not be considered an
xtra large yield for this country As
The analysis of the wheat upon
rlicb the rnnn1nU anpaorc
S hopes amounts to practically moth tb,
g ih determining the bread-making thl
lality of the flour. 1t is true, that -. Wv
uestem wheat, which analyses higher ro'
protein than Little Club. makes sur
etter quality of flour, but it is also bel
ue that macaroni wheat, which an &c
Yves higher in protein than Blue
EN-, makes a lower class of flour, FRI,
I'd consequently is Disseminated all
,ainst by the miller. The low-grade
ours turned out from our mills usu- a"'
ly show a higher protein content ID
an the patent Corn has consider Ing
lie protein, but the chemist seems mig
able to find any gluten Chat all es- plel
ntlal part of a good flour) Even der
the chemist had found high gluten plo
intent in "Alaska" wheat, we would mi,
II not be justified in concluding -
at the wheat would make a good oe
atty of flour. The proof of the pee
leat is in the bread it will make. Ing
omised to have milling test made seer
Upon our request the company ha. If t
on. Until this test is made, how wor
er, we must assume that the wheat :"
Il make no better flour under the -,
me of Alaska" than it did when an >,
own as Wheat OF Miracle" ~
n spite of all the beautiful stories take
Itch have been written concerning
origin of this wheat, regardless of I'm
many wonderful things which pile,
,e been imagined about its quality, fall
taking into consideration the i'm nIe,
ssion as to yield, which has so $50
llfully been thrown broadcast .ouN
oughout the American continent by oeii'
5 seed company, who advertise their that
eat for sale at $50 per bushel. we with
re yet to find any point of merit the
it which would warrant the public Rep,
ing more for Alaska" wheat than
4