Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1909-07-30
WORK OF EXPERIMENT STATION.
Vast Amount of Work Being Done by
Station Staff of State College.

thus enough of the grain is produced
to give a fair idea of its yielding
qualities and if it proves a good
variety it is offered for seed.
Grains from every part of the
world are secured and tried in these
plats. There is Chinese hulless oats.
secured from the vicinity of the
great wall of China, and which has
no hull. 1t is thought this will be
an ideal variety for oatmeal. Wheats
from every European, Asia and At
frican country have been brought
here and tried. "Kubanka" wheat
wheat, was brought here six years
ago. This wheat has great drouth
resisting qualities and is non-shatter-
ing. 1t is being crossed with certain
varieties of our wheats and it is hop
ed that a fine variety of wheat for
the drier districts will be produced
Efforts are being made to produce
varl cites which will suit each sec
ton of the northwest A spring
wheat that will mature early is de-
lsired for certain localities and it is
being produced. A plat designated
as 1894 e. was planted April %
and will be ready to harvest by An
gust 4. This is much earlier than
the Sonora, the earliest wheat known
in this country, and it is thought will
be an ideal variety for the sections
where the season is shortest If
and would mature by July 4, it
would be early enough to escape all
of the hottest weather and would
be safer wheat than the varieties
which require a longer season.
Three varieties of barley brought
from Scotland by w. J. Jarron last
winter are being tried in the expei
mental plats. "Chul' is another
variety of wheat which was brought
from Southern Russia 1t has great
ldrouth resisting qualities, but falls
been crossed with the bluestem and
produces what is elieyed to be fine
variety of wheat.
Some idea of the magnitude of
the research can be gained by visit
ing one small field in which there
are SO different strains of bluestem
wheat alone. Think of that Who
knew that there were one-tenth that
many varieties, or strains of blue
stem wheat, yet they are there,
going side by side and being cult
waited and watched carefully to get
the best of each strain for seed in
order that the farmers of the north
west may have the best that can be
has been planted by hand. each ker-
mel planted by itself in rows six in
ches apart and the kernels four in
Iohes apart in the rows.
The federal government is work
ing hand in glove" with the ex-
pertinent station, both trying to i'm
prove agricultural conditions. NJ. w
Evans is the government man in
charge of the work here. He is
working under the direction of c.
V. Piper, of Washington, d. c., form
erly with Washington State College,
who took charge of the work here
under w. J. Spillman, formerly pro-
lfessor of agriculture in the college
Mr.. Piper has charge of the work
of forage crop investigation and has
half a dozen plats scattered over the
college farm of 416 acres. He is
now working on field peas and has
25 varieties growing on his plats,
Mr.. Piper says this is the greatest
collection being grown on any of the
experimental plats of his depart
ment in the United States. Each plat
is separated from the others by a
few rows of oats or corn to prevent
them from becoming entangled and
getting mixed. H. J. Lechner, edi-
tor of the Washington Agriculturist.
is assisting Mr.. Evans in his research
and experimental work
The college farm of 416 acres is
all in crop. No summer following
lis done there. The ground cannot
be spared. 1t is all utilized and made
to produce something. II is a revel-
alton to go with Professor Severance,
head of the department of agricul-
ture, over the big farm. Days could
he profitably spent in this way and
something new be learned every
Continued on page 6l