75 



Hybrid = ; [(Medeah X Gypsum) X Hornblende] X [Hornblende X 

 Ward's White] | X Improved Fife. (See fig-. 4.) 



Medeah is a North African durum wheat. The others are common 

 bread wheats. This new hybrid has been tested by the writer in the 

 field experiments of this department, and was found to be a vigorous 

 sort. 



Among Continental breeders probably the most important work with 

 cereals has been done by W. Rimpau, of Schlanstedt, German3\ 

 Though not characterized l>y the use of composite methods, Rimpau's 

 work shows a number of important examples of the results obtained 

 by crossing with parents from different wheat groups. Some of the 

 most interesting of the crosses showing various forms similar to the 

 parents and intergrading as to form, color, etc., are the following: 

 Rivett's Bearded Spelt (poulard) X Red German Bearded. Rivett's 

 Bearded X Square-head (club group), and Mainstay X Square-head.^ 



Black 



Spelt 



ffardcastle 

 White 



TiTiite 

 ChidcLcLm^ 



Hunqarian 



Hungctrian 



^HedL Mainstcm Wrvite 



'Hybrids, 



fijbrid < 



'NubridS 



Huhridj 7 



Fig. 3. — Diagrnin shuwing pudigree of one of the (iartons' hybrid wiipats. 



As already shown in the earlier part of this bulletin, wheat is, of 

 all the principal cultivated crops, probably the most intluenced by its 

 environment. Connect with this the fact also of its close self-fertiliza- 

 tion, and it is readily explained why there are so many different varie- 

 ties, each best adapted to its particular district. The same variety 

 taken to localities chai-acterized by widely different conditions will 

 gradually change to suit the new conditions, thus giving origin to dif- 

 ferent strains. At the same time new hybrids, when well Hxed. are 

 not likely to be broken up b}' subsequent natural crosses, as in the case 



'For an interesting account of ponio of Riinpau's work, written l)y himself, see 

 "Kreuzungsprodukte landwirthschaftlicher Knlturpflanzen." Lanthvirthsehaftliclie 

 Jahrbiicher, Ltl. XX, S. o;>5-o71 (lUus.), 1891. 



