REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR AND ACTING AGRICULTURIST. 67 



proportion of pulp and of very fair quality. All attempts to cross this with different 

 vaiieties of cherry liave failed, but in 1896 a single cross was effected with a variety of 

 cultivated plum known as Col. Wilder, an improved form of Prunus americana. The 

 seed from this cross was planted in the autumn of 1896 and germinated in the spring of 

 this year. The young tree has made a strong and vigorous growth, and at the present 

 time is nearly 2 feet high, with leaves much wider than those of the Sand Cherry, and 

 closely resembling those of the plum. Figure 8 represents the leaf of the Sand Cherry 

 and 9 the leaf of the plum, while 10 shows that of the hybrid. Fruit of this interesting 

 cross will be watched for with interest. 



The wild plum, Prunus americana, which is found native in the river valleys in 

 Manitoba, has been crossed during the present season with several of the improved 

 forms of the cultivated plum, from which som„ good re'^ults are expected. 



Spring Wheat. 



In most parts of Canada the summer season is comparatively short, and hence it is 

 very important to secure as far as is practicable, early ripening varieties of grain. In 

 1888 some crosses were ei?ected with spring wheat, using a Russian variety known as 

 the Ladoga, as female, and both the Red and White Fife varieties as male. The Ladoga 

 was obtained from Northern Russia and ripens about a week earlier than the Fife 

 wheats ; it is, however, lacking in vigour and does not average as heavy a yield as the 

 Red or White Fife and the grain is not so fine in quality. The object in attempting 

 this cross was to obtain, if possible, a wheat equal in quality, vigour and productiveness 

 to the l^'d Fife, and at the same time, earlier in ripening, and thus to combine the good 

 qualities of both parents. JMost of these crosses are intermediate in earliness and ripen 

 at least three or four days earlier than the Red Fife. Some promising sorts have sprung 

 from this source, which are rapidly growing in favour, notably Preston and Stanley from 

 Ladoga and Red Fife, and Alpha and Percy from Ladoga and White Fife. 



Another source whence early ripening grain has been obtained, is India, where, in 

 1889, through the kindness of Lord Dufferin, then Viceroy, a number of different sorts 

 were collected and forwarded to Canada for test on the experimental farms. These were 

 obtained at different altitudes in the Himalaya Mountains, of from 420 to 11,000 feet. 

 All the Indian varieties tested have been early in ripening, and two of the earliest and 

 most promising of the wheats — Hard Red Calcutta and Gehun — ripen as early as the 

 Ladoga, but, in common with all the varieties tested from India, they have lacked vigour 

 and productiveness. These have also been crossed with Red Fife and the crosses have 

 derived earliness of ripening from the Indian blood, with increased vigour and product- 

 iveness from that of the Red Fife. 



Where a bearded wheat has been used as the female and a beardless type as male, 

 a large proportion of the progeny has at first been bearded. With the second sowing, 

 both the bearded and beardless sorts sport, the beardless varieties frequently producing 

 bearded heads, while the bearded ones more rarely produce those which are beardless. 

 The bearded varieties will vary in the length and stiffness of the beards, and many of 

 them vary in the colour of the chaff, some in the same cross having white chaff, others 

 red ; the chaff also varies as to its smooth or downy character. Any of these varieties 

 may be maHe permanent by persistent selection. 



In a cross between Red Fife, male, and an Indian variety of wheat named Spiti 

 Valley, female, both of which were beardless, several bearded sorts were produced in the 

 second generation. 



Some winter wheats have been crossed with spring wheats, using the spring varieties 

 as female. These have all ripened when sown as spring wheats, but, although the plants 

 have had vigorous foliage, they have been slow in heading and later in ripening than 

 most of the spring wheats, and as they have not proved specially productive, most of 

 them have been discarded. 

 8a— 5^ 



