Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1909-07-30

thus enough of the grain is produced
Ito 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
Irican country have been brought
here and tried. "Kubanka" wheat
from Russia, a hard variety of spring
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
varieties which will suit each sec
ton Of the northwest A spring
wheat that will mature early is de
sired for certain localities and it Is
being produced. \ plat designated
is 1894 e was planted April %
ana will be ready to harvest by Au-
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
this wheat were planted in March
md would mature by July A. it
would be early enough to escape all
)f the hottest weather and would
be a 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 experi
mental plats. "Chul" is another
variety of wheat which was brought
from Southern Russia. 1t has great
drouth resisting qualities, but falls
easily and has weak straw. 1t mas
been crossed with the bluestem and
produces what is believed to be a fine
variety of wheat.
Some idea of the magnitude Of
the experiments and the extent of
the research can be gained by visit
ing one small field in which there
are 9S 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 culti-
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
produced. In these plats the grain
has been planted by hand each ker-
mel planted by itself in rows six in
ches apart and the kernels four in
hes 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.
Y. Piper of Washington, d. c., form
erly with Washington State College,
who took charge of the work here
under w. j Spillman, formerly pro
.fessor 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 ale acres He is
now working on field peas and has
125 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 10 prevent
them from becoming entangled and
getting mixed. II. 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
is done there The ground cannot
be spared II is all utilized and made
10 produce something II is a revel-
alton to 90 with Professor Severance,
head of the department of agricul-
ture. over the big farm Days could
be profltably spent in this way and
something new be learned every
continued on page 81