258 EXPEEIME^^TAL FARMS 



4-5 EDWARD Vil., A. 1905 



A. McMullen of the Guinness Laboratories, Dublin, for some extremely interesting 

 samples of Irish barley. 



1 have the honour to be, sir, 



Your obedient servant, 



CHAELES E. SAUNDEES, 



Experimentalisi. 



CROSSmG OF CEREALS. 



Owing to the fact that so many cross-fertilised seeds were obtained in 1903, it 

 v/as not deemed desirable to devote quite so much attention to this part of the work this 

 year. A smaller number of crosses was therefore attempted, but most of these were 

 of unusual interest. The results were quite satisfactory. The work of cross-fertilising 

 was begun on June 20 and continued until July 6. Eleven different crosses were 

 accomplished in wheat, giving 85 seeds, four in barley giving 28 seeds, and one in 

 oats giving one seed. Some mixed crosses (wheat with barley) were also attempted 

 but the seeds obtained were not plump and may not germinate when planted. 



The cross-fertilised seed produced in 1903 was sown on April 25. In no case 

 were the seeds put in closer than 4 inches apart each way. ' This allowed space for 

 the study of each plant by itself. The oats, barley and peas were sown at greater dis- 

 tances apart. Most of the seed germinated well. The following figures give the num- 

 ber of plants harvested: Peas, 20; wheat and emmer, 416; barley, 18; oats, 4. This 

 makes a total of 458 new varieties of grain. Most of these made very strong growth. 

 many of the plants of wheat attaining a height of nearly five feet. The unusiial severity 

 of rust, however, very miaterially reduced the yield of grain. ^Nevertheless, if the seed 

 germinates well next season, it should give several thousand new varieties; for ex- 

 perience has shown that every seed from an original cross-bred plant produces a new 

 variety of grain. 



SELECTION OF PROIVHSING TTPES OF CEREALS. 



The selection of the most promising types from mixed seed found in commerce 

 and from the newer cross-bred sorts produced at this Farm was continued this year 

 with unusiial care. Altogether nearly 300 selected strains were sov/n, and of these 

 about 200 were harvested, a number of them having been rejected during the growing 

 season on account of their lateness or for some other cause. Among these new strains 

 are several very promising tyx^es, which are sufficiently distinct to be ranked as new 

 varieties. The best of these will be brought into the uniform test plots as soon as 

 possible. 



The cross-bred varieties of wheat described in the report for last year (Preston, 

 Stanley, Huron, Percy and Laurel) were subjected to very careful re-selection, suffi- 

 cient seed being obtained in each case to sow the one-fortieth acre plot. This has 

 now given a small stock of grain, greatly improved in character, co serve as the" foun- 

 dation for improved strains of these varieties. Early Riga, Downy Riga, Riga and 

 Bishop were also re-selected in a similar manner. White Fife, a variety seldom met 

 with in a condition at all approaching purity, was also treated in the same way 



RUST-RESISTIISrG VARIETIES. 



Rust in cereals has attracte,fl more than the iisual amount of attention during tho 

 past season, the damage from this disease having been greater in some sections of the 



