PLANT BREEDING 



126= 



character, which renders it highly valuable for sowing because in order to 

 sow a given surface a smaller quantity of small than of large grains will 

 be needed. 



The direction of variability of the varieties testefl under the local con- 

 ditions of Siberia is clearh' brought into evidence b}^ the table annexed, in 

 which a comparison is made between the two characters : grain production 

 and size of the seeds (the data for the Svalof varieties are taken from the pu- 

 blications of the Svalof Compan}-). 



This table shows that imder the conditions ruling in 1914, which was 

 a favourable year, all the vSvalof varieties with the exception of " lyigovo 

 II " gave a better unit production in Siberia than in their country of origin, 

 i. e. Southern Sweden. As regards the absolute weight of the grains, it 

 diminished in the varieties " Golden rain " and " Probstei ", while it in- 

 creased in " Victor}^ " and " I/igovo II " ; but if account is taken of the 

 fact that the Svalof seeds were put on the market after very^ careful sorting 

 out for size, while for the seeds grown in Siberia the sorting was reduced to 

 getting rid of the stunted and light seeds by the Clayton and Reber apparatus, 

 this difference becomes quite unimportant. The comparison between the 

 numbers of grains contained in 21.33 g^- ol the original product and in that 

 obtained in Siberia renders the reduction in size of the Siberian-grown grains 

 more stronglj- evident ; this is explained by the fact that the Siberian grown 

 grains were not sorted out with regard to weight and that the Svalof seeds 

 employed for sowing were, in respect of absolute weight, slightly above the 

 averages published by the Svalof vStation. 



Variahility of the Varieties of Oats when grown in Siberia 



Original producUvity 



Productivity in Siberia 



Varieties of Oats 



Produc- 

 tivity 

 per acre 



incwt. 



Absolute 



weight 



of 



I 000 grains 



of oats 



Number 

 of grains 



of oats 

 in 21.33 gr. 



(iRykhlika froniSohiechiuel — 



« Golden rain « 26.87 



Itncliinsa oats — 



(' Probstei » 26.64 



" Viclorj' » 27.95 



« l,igovo ') i 26.4 



"Rykhlik", grown on the 



farm itself 



19-35 



28.6 



32-4 

 32.0 



3.5.1 

 34-9 



550 

 623 

 768 

 533 

 513 

 503 



630 



Produc- 

 tivity 

 per acre 



incwt. 



27.23 



28.07 

 29.86 



24-47 



25-31 



Absolute 



weight 



of 



I 000 grains 



of oats I 



gr- I 



27-5 



32-3 



32.8 



37-5 

 329 



Number 



of grains 



of oats 



in 21.33 gr. 



616 



753 

 784 

 641 

 626 

 554 



620 



967 - Work in Tobacco Selection at the Experimental Station of Djember, Residence 

 of Besoeki, Java, from 1912 to 1915. — .Sprecher Andreas, in Mi-ileUeelin^envafi hct 

 Besockisch Proejstation, Ncs. 6-9-12-18. 191.} and 1915. 



I. — Plant Imi'Rovement Work. — This was undertaken in 3 direc- 

 tions, namely : 



