290 



STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



EEPORT ON PtiANT BREEDING WORK. 



The plant breeding work has increased to a considerable extent under 

 the direction of Plant Breeder, F. A. Spi-agg. The acquisition of more 

 land has made possible the planning of definite rotations inchiding clover 

 for the various small grain and cultivated crop breeding plats. In a r(!cent 

 statement, Plant Breeder Spragg gives the following facts in regard to 

 the plant breeding work: 



Crop improvement projects with the following crops are at ])resent in 

 process: alfalfa, barley, beans, broom corn, clover, corn, flax, hemp, oats, 

 peas, rye, sorghum, sunflowers, sweet clover, timothy, vetch and wheat. 



The work with these crops involves the following processes: variety 

 testing; beds, centgeners, and plant notes;' plant-row testing; milHng and 

 baking; increase; crossing and hybridization; segregation of hylnids; 

 selfing; and inheritance studies. 



ALFALFA VARIETAL SERIES. 



The present series was planted in May 1918. It contains thirtj^-one 

 plats including two edges, eight check plats and twenty-one othei' varieties. 

 Seven of these varieties were produced in the alfalfa breeding work at 

 Rocky Ford, Colorado. The remaining fifteen strains come from the 

 breeding work at M. A. C. One of these is used for checks and edges. 



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Roson Rye Iniprovcmriil. lin icasiii.i; selofted strains of Uos(>n Uyo which aro planted in 

 wlicat sf'ries with lirads iinitcclcil fioni crdss iiullination by eheeseclotli eoverins- 



The alfalfa series furnishes a comparative yield test and increase of 

 the better strains for distribution. This series should run for two years. 

 The seed from previous nurseries has been distributed to county agricul- 

 tural agents for increase in their various counties in order that a seed in- 

 dustry may be started. Alfalfa production in Michigan will be on a much 

 more sound basis when the production of seed in Michigan is placed on a. 

 practical basis. 



