238 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE 



alfalfa can be worked out among farmers these new strains should be 

 increased and distributed. 



BARLEY BREEDING. 



The barley investigation at the present time has been greatly re- 

 duced. It is represented by a series of small lots that are being in- 

 creased to plant a varietal series as soon as the three years of oat-testing 

 is complete, and the land is available. Most of the strains in this barley 

 series come from a cross between Mich-2-Row, and Michigan Black 

 Barbless barleys. This cross was made in 1916, and the strains that 

 are being saved are white, smooth awned types. The hope is that a good 

 yielder may be found from among them. 



BEAN BREEDING. 



About six acres are devoted to the bean varietal series. This new 

 series was first planted in the season of 1921, but because of the adverse 

 conditions at harvest, we feel the results of that season are not reliable. 

 Thus we will consider the bean series in the second year with one more 

 year to go if we are to obtain a three-year average. 



These are all white pea beans coming from selections that were made 

 during the time that the beau varietal series of 1917 to 1920 was being 

 run. In addition to this series we have Ibeen continuing our selection 

 work from other sources, and from crosses from the various varieties of 

 field beans. 



A year ago we were asked to take on garden beans because that line of 

 breeding was not being carried at the Michigan Agricultural College. 

 This work is being expanded in the present year with the co-operation 

 of Mr. George 'Starr who has recently come to the institution to take 

 up the breeding of garden crops. When the testing of the present 

 varietal series is complete we hope to have a large number of new 

 strains coming from promising individual plants, that are suflSciently 

 increased to plant individual plats in a new varietal series. This new 

 varietal series no doubt will be partly field sorts and partly garden 

 varieties. 



CORN BREEDING. 



Corn breeding work has expanded considerably since the last writing. 



In 1921 a large number of selfed ears were obtained which were tested 

 in boxes to eliminate such ears as showed undesirable seedling char- 

 acters. The ears that stood the box test were further tested in an ear- 

 row series in the summer of 1922. A strain of Golden Glow, being used 

 as a check, was planted in each third row of that series. Perhaps half 

 of the corn in the ear-row test came from the Duncan variety, and we 

 were very greatly surprised to discover the number of types and the 

 great range of characteristics to be found in one variety when the in- 

 dividual strains are represented by selfed ears. 



Many of these strains were unusually early and small. A few were 

 especially late and large. A few of the rows had unusually uniform 

 ears when harvested, but a great many of them had undesirable types. 



During the season anyone who examined the series critically could 



