300 General Botany 



as " Red Fife " and " Calcutta." In 1904 there were just 

 twelve plants. In 1909 sufficient seed had been grown to dis- 

 tribute four hundred samples to farmers in various parts of 

 Canada. So successful did it prove to be that its cultivation 

 spread rapidly, and in 191 8 North Dakota and Minnesota alone 

 produced nearly 150 million bushels of Marquis wheat. It is 

 now grown in all the states from Ohio to Nebraska and Wash- 

 ington. 



Marquis wheat has short straw, a rather short spike, and short, 

 broad kernels. Its straw is stiff and remains erect under un- 

 favorable weather conditions. It ripens on an average about 

 115 days after sowing, and has repeatedly won the International 

 Prize as the best spring wheat. 



Summary. The discoveries of Mendel were announced in 

 1865, but their importance was not at first appreciated. In 1900 

 his laws of heredity were rediscovered, and this marked a new 

 epoch in the study of heredity and the principles underlying 

 hybridization. Since that time investigation has shown that 

 Mendel's laws apply equally well to plants and animals. The 

 explanation of these laws involves the behavior of the chromo- 

 somes in vegetative cell division and in fertilization. It is now 

 possible to plan breeding experiments and attain the desired 

 result in a fraction of the time formerly required, when breed- 

 ing work was merely a process of crossing, planting, selecting, 

 and trusting to luck for results. It is fair to say that the work 

 of Mendel has revolutionized plant and animal breeding. 



