142 Bulletin 251. 



Numbering the selections and keeping records. 



In practical work, it is necessary to limit note-taking and records to 

 the minimum as it is easy to spend so much time in making records, 

 that no time remains for the more necessary work. It is, however, neces- 

 sary to follow the individuals in each generation sufficiently so that one can 

 trace back the parentage and compare the results of different years in 

 order to determine which strain or family has proven the best. A simple 

 way to do this is the following : 



Suppose we are making selections of Leaming corn and that the 

 breeder has carefully examined a good field of Leaming and selected 

 fifty superior plants. When these plants are harvested they can be 

 numbered in sequence i, 2, 3, etc., up to fifty. The seed of each plant 

 should be preserved separately and the number assigned to each plant 

 placed on the packet containing the seed. In a special record book ob- 

 tained for this purpose, records can be made on the individuals selected 

 under the numbers assigned to them, and under the general head- 

 ing of 7907 Selections, or any particular year in which the selections 

 are made. The next year in practically all breeding the seed from 

 each plant requires to be planted separately by the plant-to-row 

 method, to test the transmitting power of the individual. These rows 

 from the various individuals should be labeled in accordance with the 

 numbers assigned to the selections, i, 2, 3, etc., to 50. When the selec- 

 tions of the second generation are made from these rows, label those 

 from row I as follows: i-i, 1-2, 1-3, etc., those from row 2, label, 2-1, 

 2-2. 2-3. etc., those from row 50, label, 50-1, 50-2, etc. Make notes on 

 the selections under these numbers and under the heading of IQ08 Selec- 

 tions. It is important also to carefully examine each row and determine 

 how the characters for which the plant was selected have been transmit- 

 ted. Ordinarily, the record of yield of the progeny is the most import- 

 ant factor to record. 



In the third year, the selections made from row i-i of the second 

 year selections would be labeled i-i-i, 1-1-2, 1-1-3, etc.; those from 

 row 2-1 would be labeled, 2-1-T, 2-1-2. 2-1-3, etc. In later generations, 

 the same system can 1)C followed, separating the different years by a dash. 

 It will be seen that after tlie first year the system consists of num- 

 bering the selections made from any nnv i, 2, 3, and upward, and 

 placing before it the number of the row with a dash separating them. 

 By examining this system it will be seen that these numbers show at a 

 glance the number of the generations through which the selection was 

 continued, and also connects each generation with the preceding genera- 

 tions, so diat the record of any selection can be traced back through the 

 • entire time the selection has been c^ntitmcd. 



