426 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



It is planned to expand and strenin:then the work in the humid area 

 of the Kast and in the drydand West. Cooperative work in wheat 

 breeding? will lie comnienced on a large scale at the Cornell Agricul- 

 tural Experiment Station. Work in the Southern States will also be 

 begun in a small way. The standardization of varieties, from the 

 double standpoint of the plant and the seed, is a large and important 

 ])roblem, which will be met by laboratory comparison of abundant 

 material from the various stations. 



Oat INVESTIGATIONS. — The most important features of the oat in- 

 vestigations, conducted by Mr. C. W. Warburton, have been the 

 experiments in the improvement of spring oats. Breeding work has 

 also been done with winter oats. Resistance to lodging, disease, and 

 unfavorable conditions have been taken into consideration in all of 

 this work. 



The ])lans for future work contemplate continuation and extension 

 along all lines. It is planned to make a collection of oat varieties in 

 order to classify and standardize those now in cultivation and to 

 obtain material as a basis for further breeding work. The experi- 

 ments will include comparisons of the value of hybrids and straight 

 selections and of the efficiency of continuous selection within pure 

 races. Special attention is to be given to the breeding of oats which 

 may be grown profitably in the South and in the corn belt and to a 

 study of the adaptation of types to climatic and other conditions. 



Barley investigations. — The investigations with barley have been 

 in charge of Mr. H. V. Harlan. Active breeding work has been 

 prosecuted at s^ven points in the North and West. At the Minnesota 

 Experiment Station a number of promising hybrids have been fixed. 

 Early seeding at a greater rate per acre than is customary has been 

 found to have a beneficial effect on quality. 



The work is to be continued, with slight increase at all points and 

 a considerable extension in the Great Basin. At the newly estab- 

 lished cooperative station at Aberdeen, Idaho, a full breeding nur- 

 sery will be operated under irrigation and also on adjacent dry land. 

 It is planned to study the effects of irrigation and of the previous 

 soil treatment upon quality; also to test the effect of methods of crop- 

 ping and of fertilizers upon quality and yield. Greater facilities for 

 supplying requests for seed are much needed. It is planned tp 

 interest a number of dependable farmers in the growing of pedigreed 

 barley. Definite work must soon be undertaken in the Northwestern 

 States and in the South. 



Rice investigations. — The rice investigations, under the direction 

 of Mr. Charles E. Chambliss, add further proof to the earlier con- 

 clusions that irrigation water is extravagantl}'^ used, to the detriment 

 of the crop, and that larger yields may be obtained by exercising 

 more care in the selection of varieties and by giving closer attention 

 to the cultural requirements. The experiments are conducted at 

 Crowley, La., and Beaumont, Tex. The rice studies at Beaumont 

 ?re now conducted in cooperation with the Texas Agricultural Ex- 

 periment Station. The nursery work at Crowley has resulted in the 

 selection of 19 varieties, which are now being increased for distri- 

 bution in Louisiana. Progress has been made on breeding for re- 

 sistance to the disease commonly kn^^wn as " rotten neck." Further 

 tests in California show that certain varieties can be successfully 



