ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT OF PEDIGREED VARIETIES OF GRAIN. 



BY H. S. OSLEB. 



The development of improved varieties of grain has attracted the atten- 

 tion of scientists and the practical farmer since the early part of the nineteenth 

 century. Every one familiar with plant breeding associates with its devel- 

 opment the names of such men as Vilmorin, Le Couteur, Shirreff, Hallet, 

 Nilsson-Ehle and a number of others who were the pioneers in improving crops. 

 Since that time the names of scores of workers have been associated with 

 problems of investigation relating directly to crop improvement. Practically 

 every State Agricultural Experiment Station maintains a special department, 

 devoting most of its time to a study of the laws of inheritance and their appli- 

 cation to the improvement of animals and crops. 



A study of the history of the present important varieties of grain show 

 that they came to use largely in three ways : By Introduction, Selection and 

 Hybridization. 



Considering the comparative newness of our country and realizing that 

 all cereals, with the exception of maize, are indigenous to the eastern hemis- 

 phere, it is natural that already existing varieties afford a large field for 

 investigation. No doubt thousands of introductions never developed superior 

 quality and were discarded ; but out of the large number introduced we have 

 retained and developed a few grains that are now recognized as important 

 economic varieties. This is especially true of our wheat and oats. 



The now existing Mediterranean variety of wheat introduced into Dela- 

 ware in 1819 is still a prominent variety in many districts. This variety is 

 a hardy, red-chaffed, awned, prolific winter wheat, producing a large red 

 kernel of good milling quality. Other important introductions of wheat are 

 the Fife and Turkey Red varieties. The former of these is one of the popular 

 spring wheats of Canada and the Northwest, and was introduced by David Fife 

 into Canada from Glasgow, Scotland. Its origin has been traced from here to 

 Dantzic, Russia. The Kubanka, a variety of spring wheat, is another impor- 

 tant recent introduction. 



Turkey Red, the second variety mentioned, also known as Crimean wheat, 

 is the most important variety in the hard winter wheat district. This variety 

 came from the southern Russian province of Taurida, and was introduced into 

 Kansas by the Mennonites in 1873, but did not come info prominence until 

 1890. Kharkov is a recent introduction of hard winter wheat, and this variety 

 has made it possible to greatly extend the hard winter wheat area. 



21st Mich. Acad. Sci. Kept., 1919 



