PRODUCTION OF NEW SPECIES 



347 



Immunity to a disease in wheat is recessive. In 1906, from a 

 field of badly infected wheat in Kansas, a lone plant was dis- 

 covered that showed no signs of rust. This single stalk was 

 probably a mutant. It was tested, propagated, and the offspring 

 were carefully selected for immunity as well as for the desirable 

 qualities of the parent 

 wheat. An immune spe- 

 cies that also gave an in- 

 creased average yield of 

 four and one half bushels 

 per acre was finally pro- 

 duced. In 1917, this strain 

 of wheat, called Kanred (a 

 combination of Kansas and 

 its color — red), was dis- 

 tributed for commercial 

 use and has alreadv in- 

 creased the wheat income 

 in Kansas by many million 

 dollars per year. The 

 same procedure was fol- 

 lowed in combating a 

 blight that often affected 

 corn. 



An immense amount of 

 damage is annually done 

 bv corn smut. Some 



I. 



sound ears were found in fields of corn that were badlv infested 

 with corn smut. The sound ears were selected and bred until an 

 immune variety was obtained. 



Production of new species. A white blackberry sounds like 

 a paradox, but we use the term in referring to a new blackberry 

 developed by Luther Burbank. He noticed a wild fruit, bitter, 



Underwood & Underwood 



Corn has been improved through careful breeding. 

 Desirable characters such as number of kernels, food 

 content of kernels, regularity of formation of kernels 

 and size of ear have been combined in the same com 

 plant. A prize red corn of Kansas is shown in the 

 picture. 



