Il8 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Jan., 



such as originated by chance in fields grown from imported 

 seed, and which, owing to their differences from the parent 

 variety, were preserved and perpetuated. Mr. L. H. Haynes, 

 of Fargo, North Dakota, the originator of Haynes Blue Stem 

 has done much careful work in breeding wheat and has, more- 

 over, made it pay the greater profits he has derived from this 

 farm. The most important experiments of this kind in the 

 United States are those of Prof. W. M. Hays, of the Min- 

 nesota Experiment Station, which are still being continued. 

 From the year 1888 up to the present year, over five hundred 

 different varieties have been tested from all over the world, 

 and from these one variety, Minnesota No. 169 wheat, stands 

 pre-eminent. This wheat, says Professor Hays, was originated 

 from a single plant in the following manner : " Several of the 

 best plants were chosen from a large number of plants of Blue 

 Stem, each growing separately, a foot apart each way. All 

 plants were rejected which did not yield five hundred or more 

 grains of wheat weighing ten or more grams. The seeds 

 from each chosen plant were planted for several years until 

 sufficient seed was obtained to plant a field plot. Then for 

 several years each of these new strains were grown side by 

 side and compared with the parent variety. A few of the new 

 strains proved superior to the parent variety, but the one 

 designated as Minnesota No. 169 was so highly superior that 

 all others were discarded." On large areas this wheat has 

 shown itself capable of yielding at least two bushels per acre 

 more grain than its parent variety, which is the best kind com- 

 monly grown in ^linnesota. 



TOBACCO. 



In our own state the plant breeding which has been going 

 on the longest is that of Dr. Jenkins on tobacco, which work 

 in late years has been facilitated by the co-operation of the 

 United States Department of Agriculture. The advantage of 

 selected seed has been clearly shown, and the ease of unifying 

 particular types by inbreeding demonstrated. Work is now 

 going on under Mr. Shamel to increase the yield and quality 

 of the standard varieties, and several promising hybrids are in 

 their third year of comparative tests. 



