REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 67 



The value of the varieties of oats introduced by this Department 

 was further shown this year. The Swedish Select is now one of the 

 leadino; varieties in the Northern States, the production in Wisconsin 

 alone beino; estimated by authorities in that State at 45 or 50 million 

 bushels. The Sixty-Day, another of the Department's introductions, 

 is fast becomino; the most popular oat in the corn belt. 



Barley investigations. — Of the barley varieties introduced by 

 the Department, the Gatami, from Manchuria, promises, after several 

 years' trial, to be of much importance. It ripens from one week to 

 ten daj's earlier than other six-rowed varieties now o;rown in the 

 Northwest and also yields better than many of these varieties. 



A method of selectino; seed barley has been devised by taking; 

 advantage of the var3dng specific gravity of different cereals and other 

 seeds and of seeds of the same cereal in different conditions, and a 

 circular on the subject has been published. 



The attempt to produce a true awnless variety of winter barley 

 was finally successful, it having resulted from a cross of Tennessee 

 Winter barley, a six-rowed variety, and Black Arabian, a two-rowed 

 black barle3\ This new barley is quite distinct from the old so-called 

 beardless barley, being a true awnless variety, and it appears to be 

 very prolific. 



Another result from the same cross is the fixation of a new hooded 

 barley which ripens one week earlier than other hooded varieties. 



Cereal-disease work. — The great damage that continues to be 

 done to cereal crops by rusts has been the incentive to give these 

 diseases much further attention, and during the year a bulletin has 

 been published giving considerable new information, particularly with 

 regard to the manner of living over from year to year, the important 

 relation of the weather to rust epidemics, and methods of securing 

 varieties of grain resistant to rusts. Breeding grains for rust resist- 

 ance has been continued. 



Preliminary experiments have been made with cresol for the pre- 

 vention of smuts, the results of which indicate that this substance 

 may become an important fungicide for use with stinking smut of 

 wheat and smut of oats. There is promise, also, that the modified 

 hot- water treatment for loose smut may be further simplified, thus 

 making it easier of application. 



Preventive measures for sorghum smuts have been improved upon, 

 and results of investigations have been published. 



Investigations in the Southern States. — During the past year 

 there has been a striking increase of interest in grain cultivation in 

 the South, no doubt partly due to the increased attention being paid 

 to diversification of crops and partly to the increased price of wheat 

 and other cereals. It is hoped that special attention may be given 

 during the coming year to such questions and that much more help 

 may be given to farmers than has formerly been possible. 



