lo April, 191 i.] 



Improvement of Cereals. 



•59 



•coming on tor each season's cropping on the farm. With the one or two 

 varieties the farmer grows it is a simple matter for him to improve the 

 yielding qualities of his crops if he once sees the benefit of it. Xo doubt 

 the training given at the Agricultural Colleges, Agricultural High Schools 

 .and Farmers' Classes will do much towards the coming generation of 

 farmers considering this interesting and profitable work worth while doing. 

 The work should be continuous, as these individual variations are inherent 

 in the varieties, and neglect to continue their selection for se\"eral seasons 

 would result in a marked deterioration. 



By selecting a number of the best ears from a crop and sowing the 

 ■seed in a separate plot, it is possible to make an improvement in the 

 3'ields ; but this is not as satisfactory a method as the first. 



It may happen the fanner sometimes finds a natural sport derived from 

 a self -fertilized plant. In such an instance it may be worth his while 

 developing the new type, which may 

 possibly throw true ; but as a rule 

 any sports found (these are some- 

 uhat rare in wheat) are die to acci- 

 dental cross.-fertilization. 



The Size of the Plots. 



The size of the plots would depend 

 •en the time at the disposal of the 

 farmer. 1 might state that the closer 

 the seed is sown in the rows and 

 the nearer the rows to each other 

 the more even and quicker is the 

 ripening of the grain. The outside 

 roris, naturally, unle.ss followed by 

 •other plots, would have more space 

 for root spread, especially if the 

 rows are close together, hence check 

 rows are needed if comparing results 

 of the first and last rows with the 

 •others. 



If the climatic and other conditions 

 were similar each season, the com- 

 parative yields of the plots of the 

 ditterent seasons' growth would suffice 

 in order to test the imi)ortance of 

 ■selection, grading, and thorough cul- 

 tivation. As the seasons vary it is a i^ROlikic bald branching tvits 

 good plan to sow a few check rows '^^ wheat ears. 



•of the bidk sample of seed, when it will be found that the selected seed 

 in the course of years gives a much better average yield over that of the 

 xinselected, besides which there is a better check kept on disea.ses attacking 

 the crop. 



When dealing with selections of the same \ariety and tliere is not suffi- 

 cient time for jjlanting out in the stud plot system, equal weights of 

 selected grain may be planted in drills of equal length and the returns at 

 harvest compared. By this method the noting of the individual fjualities 

 -fjf the different plants cannot be a.scertained to advantage, vet it is better 

 to do this than to make no effort to improve the yield of grain. 



The farmer may go further than simply improving the yield of a 

 rariety, he may by selection improve those jiractical fjualities as regard.s 



