BUREAU OF PLANT INDUSTRY. 167 



Control measures are being studied from various angles, both 

 seed selection and soil management being involved. From the 

 standpoint of the seed the most feasible control measures are: (1) 

 Careful field selection of seed ears before killing frost ; (2) proper 

 curing and storage of such seed ears; (3) careful study of the 

 physical characters of these ears and special germination tests, only 

 the best ears being retained for seed purposes; (4) the development 

 and use of resistant strains. 



BARLEY. 



Investigations conducted in cooperation with the Wisconsin Agri- 

 cultural Experiment Station have shown that the stripe disease of 

 barley {Hehninthosponmii gi^amineum) may be perfectly controlled 

 by developing a clean seed plat. Known seed treatments do not 

 give perfect control and therefore have been supplemented by 

 roguing. A small quantity of seed was first carefully treated and 

 sown in a spot isolated from other barley. The developing crop was 

 subsequently carefully watched for the appearance of scattered plants 

 affected by the stripe disease. All such plants were promptly re- 

 moved before spores of the fungus were formed. Careful roguing 

 in this way has proved successful in eliminating barley stripe from 

 one of the best strains of barley in Wisconsin. This clean seed is now 



beinor increased. 



FORAGE CROPS. 



Soy beans. — The soy bean is rapidly approaching^ the point where 

 it may be regarded as a staple crop. Its popularity is rapidly in- 

 creasing in the Corn Belt, and it promises to become a valuable 

 oil plant as well as forage crop. Several factories have been 

 equipped or are being equipped with machinery for the manu- 

 facture of soy-bean oil and meal as well as for various food products, 

 such as soy"^ sauce, flour, and milk powder. Investigations with 

 these beans' have been extended considerably to meet the increasing 

 demands for information relative to the culture, varieties, and 

 utilization of the crop. About 175 introductions of soy beans were 

 received from Manchuria. Japan, and China in 1922. Many of 

 these appear to be of promise for central and northern conditions. 

 Much progress is being made with soy beans in the South, where in 

 past years the crop has not been very popular because of the shat- 

 tering tendencies of the varieties that were grown. The Biloxi 

 variety, however, on account of its nonshattering characteristics 

 has done much to increase the popularity and acreage of the crop 

 in the Gulf Coast States. This variety is also found to be resistant 

 to nematodes and wilt. It has given most excellent results for 

 forage and seed production. 



Velvet beans. — Efforts are being continued to popularize this val- 

 uable forage and soil-improving crop in the South by developing 

 new varieties. Through the crossing of early-maturing strains with 

 the Bush variety some promising hybrids have been developed. 

 Some of these are very prolific and will apparently make it possible 

 to push the velvet-bean belt appreciably northward from its present 

 limits. 



25684— AGR 1923 12 



