Journal of Agriculture. 



[lo May, 1909^ 



otherwise it is scarcely notice- 

 able. Even the branchlets re- 

 branch occasionally, this being, 

 more apparent in crossbred 

 seedlings from it. There are 

 a number of other varieties that 

 have this branching habit, most 

 of them being produced here 

 In selection and cross-fertiliza- 

 tion. Some of these are bald, 

 and they, perhaps, have advan- 

 tages ovej the bearded Mummy 

 wheat, which, in a few in- 

 stances, is one of the parents. 

 Some varieties show the de- 

 velopment of branchlets almost 

 from the base to the apex of 

 the ear, though the branchlets 

 are not as long as those of a 

 well-grown ear of Mummy 

 wheat. An effort will be made 

 to develop them. Perhaps no 

 real practical pujpcse would be 

 served, except to the wheat- 

 breeder who wishes to intensify 

 the yielding properties of an- 

 other variety ; for there is a 

 limit to the size to which the 

 ear should be de\'eloped. and 

 this is more or less dej^endent 

 on the physical attributes of the 

 straw, the climatic conditions, 

 and the methods to ite adopted 

 in harvesting the grain. The 

 Mummv wheat is of no practi- 

 cal value ; but it is possible to 

 develop from it better-quality 

 Aarieties that mav serve a use- 

 ful purpose. 



Branching Wheats. 

 Among the varieties produced 

 bv cross-fertilization are some 

 in which the rachilla is pro- 

 longed, and arranged on it, 

 alternately and rather wide 

 apart, the florets. This arrange- 

 ment, Avhen onlv a few rachillse- 

 are developed, gives the ear a 

 fretful appearance (see Plate 5, 

 Fig. 2) ; and, when the de- 

 velopment is general, forms a 

 broad, flat ear (Fig. 4). A 

 few of these varieties have a 

 strain of a selected Bearded 

 Hunter's White in them. 



