The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-08-21
ON "ALASKA" WHEAT
FRAUD ALLEGED BY DEPARTMENT
 or AGRICULTURE.
Claims oR Excellent quality ana Pro- duetfveneaa DeBoumeea As Extrav- a9ant by National Sell
 Au6horffies.

As a warning against what are des- Ignated as "extrhvagant' claims for Alaska" wheat wflich has been Ad- vertised extensively in Alabama and other States Hon. J. A Wilkinson Commissioner of Agriculture and In- dustries. yesterday made public cor reaspondence on Athe subject betwesn his department and the Bureau os Plant Industry. Washington, D. c.
 The charge Is openly made by B. T. Galloway, Chief of the Washington Bu- reau. that the so-called Alaska" wheat is nothing more than an old variety under new name" Besides his individual answer to the Alabama comnaissloner's Inquiry. Chief Gallo way enclosed copy of a general prsss notice which exposes the alleged fraud being practlced on Southern and other farmers.
 Commissioner Wilkinson had receiv- ed numerous queries as to the quality of the Alaska" wheat and its adapts ability to Alabama soil.
 To those interested, the following exchange of correspondence Is regard ed as instructive:
 Department Of Agriculture and Indus
 tries. Montgomery. Alabama. Au.
 gust IA, 1908.
 "Dr. B. T. Galloway, Bureau of Plant
 Industry, Washington. D. c.
 Dear Sir:--We note some agitation in regard to Alaska Wheat, and some claim that 1t will grow in Alabama. l am sorry that this Department has no information as to It's adaptableness to the soils of this State Perhaps scnne of your crop demonstrators have made some reports to you on this whAat-lf so, would be glad for you to furnish me with the information, also for you to inform me where the seed can be obtained
 Thanking you la advance for your kindness. I am. Yours very truly.
 "J. A. Wilkinson,
 ''C0n. Agr. and Industries" United States Department of Agri-
 culture, Bureau of Plant Industry,
 Washington, DC. August is 1908. Hon. J. A. Wilkinson, Commissioner of
 Agriculture, Montgomery, Ala.
 Dear sir'--Replying to your favor of the 18th Instant, inqniring as to the so-ealled Alaska" wheat. beg to state that our experts have made an investigation of this wheat and find ii Is nothing more than an old variety under a new name. It has been grown In this eounthy more or less for the last fifty years and has no particu- 'tr value for the South or any other section. I am enclosing herewith a copy of press notice we have just sent out, which Is self-explanatory.
 Very truly yours,
 "B. T. Galloway,
 Chief of Bureau"
 Press Notice
 A variety of wheat under the name of "Alaska" is being widely advertised as capable of yielding ct the rate of 200 bushels to the acre under ordinary soil conditions" and even better ''under extra conditions" It is stated that this variety was found growing wild on the Eastern Shore of Alaska, snl claims of the most oxtravagant nature are made for 1t Tn consequence of this notoriety the Department is receiving many re- quests for seed.
 This type of wheat has been known for years. both in this country and in Europe. It has been tried at several Experiment Stations In the Western United States during the past fifteen years, but nowhere has the yields been high enough to merit attention. The wheat has been grown to a very lim- ited extent on certain heavy undrained soils in France for many years. In such locations 1t is said to yield rather better than the ordinary wheat. but it is one of the poorest wheats known for making flour, 1t is never grown where the ordinary variety of wheat will thrive