Page:Farmers' Bulletin, No. 1280.djvu/5

Rh winter temperatures. In most parts of these latter States, however, spring wheats are of the most importance.

There are 12 varieties of hard red winter wheat commercially grown in the United States. These are known under about 40 different names. Only 6 of the 12 varieties can be distinguished by external characters. The others have slightly different adaptations to conditions in the United States, due to having come from different parts of Europe or to having been selected and developed in different parts of this country. During the past 15 to 20 years thousands of selections have been made at different agricultural experiment stations from the introduced bulk shipments of hard red winter wheat, and the best of these have been distributed as pedigreed or improved varieties.

For convenience in discussion the varieties of hard red winter wheat are divided into two sections on the basis of head characters.

Section 1—Heads bearded: Turkey, Kharkof, Iowa No. 404, Nebraska No. 60, Nebraska No. 6, Wisconsin Pedigree No. 2, Montana No. 36, Kanred, Bacska, Blackhull, Minturki.

Section 2.—Heads beardless: Alton.

The wheats of this section comprise 11 very similar varieties having bearded heads, with glabrous (not velvety) white chaff and hard dark-red kernels. These varieties often are referred to as the Crimean group of hard red winter wheat. The plants are of medium height and have slender stems which lodge easily in wet seasons. The leaves are dark green and very narrow. The heads are about 3 to 3½ inches long and rather narrow and tapering. The chaff usually is sufficiently firm to prevent loss from shattering. The kernels of the wheats of the Crimean group can be distinguished from any of the varieties of hard spring wheat by the rounded edges and the small area of the germ, or embryo. The kernels are also longer than those of most of the varieties of hard red spring wheat. These wheats are medium early in maturing. The leading variety of this section, or the Crimean group, is the Turkey.

Turkey (Turkey Red) is known also by the following names: Alberta Red, Crimean, Defiance, Egyptian, Hard Winter, Hundred and One, Improved Turkey, Lost Freight, Malcome, Malakof, Minnesota Red Cross, Minnesota Reliable, Pioneer Turkey, Red Rus- 108619°—22—2