CROSS-FEETILIZING AT THE EXPERIMENTAL FARMS. 141 



pear to lie ancient types and they are both regarded as distmct species. The six-rowed type 

 has been found, according to De Candolle, " in the earlier Egyptian monuments and in the 

 remains of the lake dwellings of Switzerland." The same author states that " the two-rowed 

 barley has been found wild in western Asia, and that the lake-dwellers of eastern Switzer- 

 land cultivated it before they possessed metals, but the six-rowed was more common among 

 them." 



In the two-rowed barley the additional rows found on the six-rowed form are represented 

 by chaffy scales lying flat on the face of the head. In the hybrids produced by using the two- 

 rowed as female and the six-rowed as male, these chaffy scales, the first season are nearly all 

 filled, but the kernels are much smaller, thinner and lighter than those which occupy the 

 normal position on either side of the head. They have also a peculiar twist in them at each 

 end. While the larger number of plants grown from both these forms of kernels have pro- 

 duced two-rowed heails, many six-rowed sorts have occurred among them some ot which are 

 proving very prolific. One variety which has been named Summit, grown from one of the 

 plump kernels, produced the first year from the single kernel 4,529 kernels and the second 

 year the crop was 28 lbs. The kernels in this variety have thus far been irregular in size 

 which is a disadvantage. One acre has been sown with this barley on the Central Experi- 

 mental Farm this year ; it is also being further tested on the several branch experimental 

 farms. Another promising sort named Surprise, produced 2,274 kernels from the single 

 kernel planted the first year, and 15| lbs. of grain as the result of the second sowing. From 

 the large number of new varieties of barley produced, many of the less promising sorts have 

 been discarded, while other new forms have developed as sports. There are still 79 of these 

 recent productions in barley under test. 



Many attempts have been made to cross wheat and rye without success until 1892 when 

 my assistant in this work Mr. W. T. Macoun, succeeded in effecting a cross, using a variety 

 of winter wheat as female, and winter rye as the male. The resulting kernel was sown in 

 September, 1892, and although it was a wheat kernel which was sown, the plant when young 

 had the purplish appearance of rye and the heads at the time of spearing, had stripes of 

 purple on the spikelets as in rye, and in other respects closely resembled rye. Nineteen 

 heads in all were produced but as there was not a single kernel formed in any one of them it 

 is probable that the flowers were imperfect. 



Pease. — About 175 crosses have been made in this group and some very promising and 

 prolific forms originated particularly among the crosses of 1892. From one of these between 

 a variety known as Multiplier female and the Mummy pea as male the single pea produced 

 a crop of 185 pods containing 840 peas. Another example of the same cross has a record of 

 146 pods containing 730 peas. A third, a cross between the Black-eyed Marrowfat, female, 

 and the Mummy as male, gave a yield of 165 pods, containing 675 peas while many others 

 gave a return of from 500 to 600 fold. A large number of the less promising of these 

 crosses were discarded during the summer of 1893, but eighty-three of them have been pre- 

 served all of -which are being grown again side by side this year, for further comparative 

 test. 



Oats. — Some experiments have also been made with oats, with the object of bringing 

 about increased earliness and productiveness, stifihess of straw, plumpness of grain and thin- 

 ness of hull. All the less promising sorts have been discarded, but 15 varieties have been 

 preserved for further trial. 



