Spring wheat, representing about 25 percent of the wheat crop of the United States, is produced principally in the Northern Plains and Prairie States, herein referred to as the North Central States. The varieties grown in the North Central States belong to four market classes, viz, hard red spring wheat, durum wheat, red durum wheat, and white wheat. Hard red spring wheat and durum wheat are by far the most important, being grown on about 95 percent of the acreage. Hard red spring wheat is used almost exclusively for bread and is universally considered a premium wheat for this purpose. Durum wheat is used for macaroni and other edible pastes. Thatcher, a hard red spring wheat, is the principal variety grown in the area. It is resistant to stem rust and drought, is early, has short stiff straw, and gives high yields of grain of excellent quality for bread. It is susceptible to leaf rust and scab, and the straw is sometimes shorter than desired. Other objections are the dull appearance of the kernel and a tendency in some areas and seasons to low test weights. Thatcher is especially adapted to western Minnesota and the eastern Dakotas, where stem rust is frequent and severe. Recently it has been shown to be drought resistant and, as a consequence, has found considerable favor farther west where rust-resistant varieties are less necessary. From a start of about 2,000 acres in Minnesota in 1934, it has rapidly increased following the severe stem-rust epidemics of 1935, 1937, and 1938, to an estimated total of 5% million acres in the United States in 1939 and about 9 million acres in Canada. Marquis, a hard red spring wheat, widely known for its quality, was the most widely grown spring wheat from 1919 to 1934. Under rust-free conditions, it is still a high-yielding and fairly early maturing wheat and excels the previously grown varieties in quality. Ceres, also a hard red spring wheat, distributed in North Dakota in 1926, is moderately resistant to stem rust, consistently outyields Marquis, and is fully equal to Marquis in quality. In the bad rust years of 1935, 1937, and 1938, it was severely damaged and since has been gradually replaced by Thatcher in sections where stem rust has been a serious problem. Recently distributed rust-resistant varieties of hard red spring wheat that appear most promising are Pilot, Rival, and Renown. Pilot appears best adapted for the western and Rival for the eastern sections of the North Central States. The Mindum and Kubanka varieties of durum yield well, produce high-quality macaroni, and are the recommended varieties. Varieties of white wheat are not recommended except for growing under irrigation and for feed. This bulletin is a revision of and supersedes Farmers' Bulletins 1621, Varieties of Hard Red Spring Wheat, and 1706, Varieties of Durum Wheat.

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