170 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



BARLEY. 



Barleij hrccdmg. — The brec(liii<x of awnloss l)nrleys has received 

 a new impetus from the discovery that the shatterin*; of previously 

 developed awnless strains is due to a deposit in the racnis of the 

 surj>his mineral matter normall}' deposited in the awns. It has been 

 found tliat certain awned selections normally deposit much less of 

 such mineral matter than do others. By using these as parents in 

 crosses to produce awnless forms, there are good prospects of de- 

 veloping a nonshattering awnless barley. Such a form is greatly 

 desired by growers and feeders, to whom the awns are very trouble- 

 some. 



In the mean time breeding is being continued with several smooth- 

 awned selections in which the awns have none of the sharp, rough 

 teeth and therefore are not particularly' objectionable. Several 

 strains having smooth awns have been developed, and their value as 

 producers under different sets of conditions is being determined. 



The results of two inheritance studies in barley are in press. Re- 

 search on the occurrence of the fixed intermediate, IIordeMin inter- 

 medium^ in crosses indicates that the agricultural varieties of this 

 species have resulted from natural hybrids. That such a number of 

 accidental hybrids have found their way into field culture adds 

 further weight to the value of hybridization in the production of 

 new varieties. Studies of the inheritance of density in the spike 

 add information as to the use of this character in the separation and 

 identification of varieties. 



Physiological studies of harley kernel development. — Three phases 

 of the ph^^siological study of the development of the barley kernel 

 have been completed and the results submitted for pul)lication. 

 These are: (1) Development of the kernel under normal conditions, 

 (2) comparative development in normal aAvned spikes and in spikes 

 from which the awns are clipped as they emerge, and (3) develop- 

 ment under different applications of irrigation water. 



Two other phases of this research, covering studies on the course 

 of water and of ash in the kernels, are being completed during the 

 present season. 



RICE INTRODUCTION AND EXTENSION. 



A collection of Porto Rican and Dominican rice varieties which 

 has been made in the last two years is being studied under tropical 

 conditions at Mayaguez, P. R., and Jaina, Dominican Republic. 

 They also are being studied at Crowley, La., to determine whether 

 they may be used in rice production without irrigation in the South 

 Atlantic States. 



A few of the rice varieties that have been developed at the Crow- 

 ley rice station have been distributed. The most important of these 

 are Acadia and Fortuna. They produced high yields in 1919 under 

 field conditions, an average yield of 5,155 pounds of rough rice hav- 

 ing been obtained from Acadia on 48 acres and an average of 2,775 

 pounds of rough rice from Fortuna on 35 acres of very old land. In 

 California several early-maturing selections of good quality and 

 high productiveness have been developed at the Biggs rice field sta- 

 tion. Two of these — the Butte and the Colusa — were grown last 

 season in California on 55,000 acres, out of a total of 142,000 acres 



