A PRELIMINARY NOTE ON DWARFS APPEARING IN 

 GLUYAS EARLY (WHEAT) HYBRIDS. 



By Prof. j. H. Xkf.ttilinc;, M.Sc. 



( iritJi six Ic.vl fij/urcs.) 



My reason for this heading is due to two facts: (i) Owing 

 to the limited time at my disposal, I was unahle to treat the matter 

 a.s fully as I wished, and (2) as the investigation in this matter is 

 not yet completed, it may be unwise to treat it as finally settled. 



In December, 1912, i^y plant selections were made on the 

 farm of Mr. H. Theunissen, Jun., Langeberg, from the hetero- 

 geneous progeny passing under the name of Union wheat. 

 According to R. W. Thornton,* the hybrid must have been made, 

 probably by Dr. Nobbs, about 1906 or 1907. between Gluyas Early 

 and Darling. 



In 1913, 12 kernels of each of these selections were ])lanted, 

 each being marked U.i, U.2 etc., to U.149. 



In the case of U.37. U.40, and U.45, there appeared respec- 

 tively four, one, and three dwarfs, i.e., otit of 36 plants, eight 

 were dwarfs. These plants were late, and hardl}- matured any 

 seed. 



In the case of U.37, ^i kernels were obtained, which were 

 planted in 1914, all of these giving rise to dwarfs similar to the 

 parents. Seed could hardly be said to have been produced, and 

 no further account was kept of dwarfs in these selections, as 

 better material v^as on hand. In brief, it may be stated that both 

 parents are normal, and in the ordinary run of events never 

 produce dwarfs when produced from normal seed. This fact was 

 noted both from selected strains and from large fields grown. 



In 191 3 hybrids were produced between Rieti and Gluyas 

 Early. As no selections of these varieties were on hand at that 

 time, the Rieti mother parent was marked 36a, and the paternal 

 Gluyas Early parent 41 A, hence the hybrid was marked 36a X 

 41A. 



For the characters under discussion a sunnnary may be set 

 down as in Table I. 



Table T. 



Weight 

 Height of Length of of Grain per 



No. Name. Plant in cm. Ears in cm. Plant in gm. 



<a) 36 Rieti i53 i5 10.07 



(b) 41-2 Gluyas Early ... 143 8.5 1500 



(c) 37b Florence 136 8.5 13.3 



Mean for 36a X 4tA progeny— 



(d) Total 149- 170 11.524 15-943 



(e) Dwarf (in progeny).. 148.095 TI.012 16. 191 



(/) Normal". i49-78i . 11-859 i5-78i 



Mean for S7b X 41" — 



(g) Total 135-463 9-878 13.854 



(h) Dwarf (in progeny).. 137-182 10.045 13.0 



(0 Normal 133.474 9.6S4 14843 



* C.G.H. Agi\ Journ. (1910), T5-18. 



