7

10'\"A SEED CO., DES MOINES, IO''-A

Red Cross Winter Wheat
BEARDLESS, HARDY. HEAVY-YIELDINCi
We offer this variety as the best beardless winter wheat for Iowa and the
corn belt generally, and it has proven adaptable for a wide range of latitude. In fact it is the only beardless winter variety that we feel like recommending, as most other varieties are either too soft or too tender t o withstand our northern winters without more or less injury. We have noted the
conditions and yields of this variety in this section for several years past
and it is only after the closest scrutiny and most careful investigation
that we felt justified in advising our friends and customers to sow it. Mr.
John P. Wallace, of Wallace's Farmer, grew a large field of it last season
and states that it produced more grain and plumper berry than Turkish
Red. Our stock is from a field producing more than 30 bushels per acrE'
while Turkish Red in the same neighborhood threshed frotn 20 to 26 bush-
els per acre. If you prefer a beardless wheat we offer this as the very best
sort fot you to grow. Most farmers would prefer a beardless variety if it
will yield as much as the bearded sorts, and we assure you that Red Cross
will give satisfactory returns. There is absolutely no question about win-
ter wheat being a profitable crop, as ten years' experience has convinced
every observant farmer that in value per acre winter wheat is the best
small grain he can raise. There is also no doubt that greatly increased
acreage of winter wheat will be sown this fall, as farmers have learned
how to make it fit into crop rotation. If you want winter wheat that will
stand the winter yield heavily, and which is free from the harsh, stiff
beards that are so unpleasant to handle, sow Red Cross.
This variety is an extra strong. robust grower. It stands up extremely
well and stooled far more the past dry season than any of the other sorts
which we inspected. It ripens fully as early as Turkish Red, and we are of
the opinion that early ripening is the secret of successful winter wheat
growing in Iowa. Years of observation tend to show that the earliest
wheat to ripen is nearly always the best, and it would seem necessary for
us to grow varieties that will mature before the hot. drouthy weather
comes on. The Red Cross is the earliest beardless variety we know. and
on that account alone we believe it will fully sustain our recommendation.
We selected our stock seed for sowing in 1911 by hand selection, discard-
ing every bearded head, and our crop for the season 1912 contained less
than one-tenth of one percent bearded heads. It stood five feet high and
was in full head June 1st and was by an odds the earliest and finest field
of wheat in our neighhorhood. Could our friends have seen this field our
supply of this wheat would have been sold before this catalogue was issued.
This variety originated b~· a hand-made cross of Turkish Red :wheat on
Scotch Fife plants; from which parentage was secured the hardmess and
prolific quality of the Turl<ish Red, with the larger berry and beardless
head of the Scotch Fife. Careful selectian for a number of years has fixed
the type, but owing to its hybrid nature it still contains occasional bearded
nlants. though the proportion is so small that they will not be troublesome.
Our stock is exceptionally free from any bearded strain. There were so few
bearded stalks in the field that close examination was necessary to detect
them. Our friends and patrons know the conservative policy of our house,
and will fiully appreciate the fact that we would not recommend any farm
crop that would not give satisfactory results, and we do recommend thiS
wheat without the least hesitation.
Price per pound 25c. 3 pounds 60c. by mail postpaid. By freight or express not prepaid, '4 bushel 60c, 1 bushel $1. 75, 10 bushels or more @ $1.60
per bushel.