Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1916-06-26
WARNING AGAINST FANCY
WIIEATS.
{ Hartford Courant.)

(Hartford CourantD
Attention Of farmers Is called more
or less continuously to wheats that are
truly wonderful, if all that is said of
them is true Claims are made that
la multiplicity of branches on each
head with a corresponding abundance
In the Yield. Assertions have been
made that Yields have been as high ms
100 bushels an acre, and at times
more than 200 bushels an acre have
been claimed. II might be expected
that the farmers would not he caught
by such evidently fanciful claims but
the number who respond to the adver-
tisements of the promoters and send
In their orders for seed wheat that is
said to have such miraculous qualities
must be large, since the fraud has
been going on for many years q hum
dred or more, and since the agricul-
tural department at Washington CON
siders II worth while to issue COM
prehensive statement and warning.
Alaska wheat and "Stoner' OF
Miracle wheat are two of the Varie-
ties described and exposed in the
statement The sO-called Alaska
wheat is regarded by the department
as being the same as the Jerusalem
wheat, for which great claims were
made as long ago as 1907, It IL true
that this variety has a number OF
branches to the head, but the argu-
ment that the more branches the big
ger the yield does not hold good The
Alaska and Jerusalem wheats belong
To the Poulard subspecies. They are
grown 10 some extent In the Medlter-
ranean regions Of Europe, but not to
Iany commercial extent I'm this coun-
try Tests of the Alaska wheat made
lay the department have never result
cd in extraordinary yields, and in
many Instances not even fair yields
have been obtained.
The claims made by the promoters
of Stoner OF Miracle " cheat the hulle-
tin says, are fully as exaggerated
though less romantic. II belongs to
the soft red winter wheats, common
~ grown in the east Its accidental
discovery Is said to have occurred IN
1904. It has been claimed that IT viii
outNield any other variety anywhere,
that il sends up more stems from one
seed than any other variety and that
twenty pounds Of seed per acre pro-
duce the maximum yield, while other
varieties require l20 pounds. F,xten-
sivo experiments have been made with
this wheat by the AGRICULTURAL depart
ment and the tests show that the
Stoner wheat is not SO good as some
Of the wheats now grown in the east
ern half of the United States, but
somewhat better than others. ON the
whole, II is of only average value and
the eNtravagant claims made for 1t are
not in any way justified In the dis
cnssion OF the Jerusalem or Alaska
wheat, the bulletin says.
"A faVorite story with promoters is
IN the effect that when the coffin of
an Egyptian mummy 5000 or 1000
years old was opened some wheat
was found IN It The seed was plant
ed. but only a single kernel grew,
This however. was wonderful Yield
er and very different from any other
wheat known. This story is respon-
sihle for such names MS Mummy,
wheat 5000 years old Egyptian
and Miracle II is, of course. an alb
surdity, for even under the most fa-
Vorahle conditions seeds of wheat do
not keep their vitality more than a
few wears.
This is the wheat that has been
brought forward more recently as the
product. not of Egypt but of Alaska.
The warning of the department is that
farmers should not allow themselves
to be induced To pay fancy prices for
seed wheat for which marvellous quail
tiles are claimed. Farmers who con-
template buying seed wheat at I'M
usual prices are advised first to COM
municate with their state agricultural
experiment stations or with the agri-
cultural department al Washington.