CARMAN’S WHEAT-RYE HYBRIDS 
Many Supposed Hybrids in the Rural New Yorker Series Show no Trace of Rye 
Characters—Only One Variety Originated from Real Wheat-Rye Hybrid— 
Descendant of This is Probably Still Grown 
C. E. LeIicuty 
Bureau of Plant Industry, Washington, D. C. 
the Rural New Yorker from 1876 
to 1899, achieved, in addition to 
editorial success, some remark- 
able successes as a plant breeder. His 
work in breeding potatoes is probably 
the most noteworthy, although his work 
with wheat and his accomplishment of 
crossing wheat and rye are of no mean 
proportions. About the time that he 
took up his editorial work (1876 or 1877) 
he turned his attention to attempts to 
improve wheats, first by selection, 
second by changing spring into winter 
wheats, third by crossing, and last by 
hybridizing wheat and rye. 
In the Rural New Yorker of August 
30, 1884, is shown what is probably the 
first illustration (Fig. 14) ever pub- 
lished of a hybrid between wheat and 
rye. The cross, however, had been 
effected by A. S. Wilson, of Edinburgh, 
Scotland, who presented his results 
April 8, 1875, in a communication to the 
Botanical Society of Edinburgh, without 
giving any illustration. The plants 
secured by Wilson were sterile and the 
hybrid therefore was not carried further 
than the first generation, the matter 
then being allowed to drop. Carman 
apparently knew nothing of Wilson’s 
experiment at the time his work was 
done. The hybrid secured by Carman 
furthermore produced a few seeds, with 
which experimentation was continued 
and from the progeny of which a variety 
was produced and disseminated. 
Fy the ke S. CARMAN,}! editor of 
This cross between wheat and rye 
was made in the season of 1883.2 A 
head of Armstrong wheat, a popular 
variety later known as Landreth, and 
today as Martin Amber, was selected 
for the mother, because it is a beardless, 
hardy, prolific variety, as much so as 
any of the 250 kinds tested on the 
Rural grounds, unless it may be the 
Diehl- Mediterranean, a bearded variety 
of hybrid origin. The anthers were 
extracted by the aid of a pointed stick 
as soon as the head was out of the boot, 
while they were perfectly green, and 
the head was covered, bound with 
worsted’ for several days, when pollen 
of rye was applied to the stigmas from 
the point of a knife. This was repeated 
the next day, and the next, the head 
being again covered after each operation. 
Thus, before, while, and after he sup- 
posed the stigmas were receptive, pollen 
from rye was applied. 
In this head ten more or less imperfect 
kernels formed which were planted late 
in September about a foot apart. Nine 
of these germinated, passed through the 
winter, and matured grain the next 
year, some being early, some medium, 
some late. There was no perceptible 
difference in the appearance of the plants 
during their early growth, except that 
some tillered more than others, but 
there were noticeable differences in the 
matured heads produced by the several 
plants. 
From the illustrations and accom- 
1 For a short account of the life of Mr. Carman and some facts concerning his several achieve- 
ments in breeding, see an article by Dr. E. M. East, in THe JOURNAL OF HEREDITY, Vol.vii5 
No. 2, pp. 65-67, February, 1915. 
2 The date, 1882, given in one account is evidently an error. ee 
3 This is according to an account given in the same year, 1883, although in 1886, in reviewing 
the work, it is stated, ‘‘the head was then bound with tissue paper,” which was temporarily 
removed for pollinations. 
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