The Production of New and Improved Varieties of Timothy 355 



2. Inbred seed is grown carefully in sterilized soil and the seedlings 

 transplanted in rows in field plats as above described, in order to test the 

 transmission of the characters for which the plants were selected. 



3. As soon as sufficient seed can be 

 obtained, plats are sown broadcast in the ^ 

 usual way in order to test the yield under 

 ordinary field conditions. 



4. As soon as a variety is 

 known or believed to be valuable, 

 isolated plats are planted from 

 inbred seed in order to obtain 

 seed for planting larger areas that 

 will finally give sufficient quanti- 

 ties of seed for distribution. 



A large number of types have 

 now been tested more or less thor- 

 oughly by these methods and very sug- 

 gestive results have been obtained. 



testing selected types A3 CLONAL 



varieties 



In order to determine whether the different 

 types selected in the field for certain 

 characters represent inherent qualities or 

 merely environmental difference, and also to 

 study better the variations and types com- 

 paratively, they are tested by the first method 

 indicated above. 



In 1907 over two hundred different 

 types were propagated in rows by 

 taking the bulbs and growing them as 

 clonal* varieties. The examination of 

 these rows when they were two, three, 

 and four years old showed wonderful 

 differences in type and clearly demon- 

 strated that the differences first 

 observed in the individual seedlings 

 were by no means accidental. Dwarf plants remained dwarf in such 

 rows, and giants remained giants. Heavy yielders and light yielders 

 maintained these qualities in considerable degree (Plate VI). In the 



Fig. 91. — Slip from timothy such as is 

 used in clonal propagation 



* A clon, or clonal variety, is one propagated vegetatively by cuttings, bulbs, or grafts, such as the 

 varieties of strawberries, apples, and the like. 



