THE BREEDING OF OATS, BARLEY, AND WHEAT. Sor 
White Wonder peas on a poor soil or the Prussian Blue variety on land 
which naturally produces a large amount of straw. The best results 
could not be expected from growing the ‘Turkey Red’ wheat where the 
crop is apt to lodge or the ‘Black Hulless’ barley on rich alluvial soil. 
Decidedly better results can be obtained from growing the ‘ Longfellow’ 
corn in Northern Ontario and the ‘ Leaming’ variety in Southern Ontario 
than if this order were reversed. Much greater yields can nearly always 
be expected from the ‘Siberian’ than from the ‘ Black Tartarian ’ oats, 
from the ‘Dawson’s Golden Chaff’ than from the ‘Surprise’ winter 
wheat, from the ‘ Mandscheuri’ than from the Common Six-rowed barley, 
from the ‘ Early Britain’ than from the ‘Golden Vine’ pea, from the 
‘White Wonder’ than from the common small white field bean, &e. 
In regard to the yield per acre, there is a very great difference in different 
varieties. For instance, we have grown a number of yarieties of oats 
and barley under uniform conditions in each of sixteen years, and, for 
the sake of illustration, I wish to say that the results of these experi- 
ments show an average yield of grain per acre of 88 bushels from the 
‘Siberian’ and of 72 bushels from the ‘Black Tartarian,’ a difference 
of 16 bushels per acre per annum in favour of one variety over another. 
Again, in the case of barley, the ‘Mandscheuri’ gaye an average of 
70 bushels and the ‘Mensury’ an average of 59 bushels per acre during 
the same period of sixteen years. Here we have a difference of 11 bushels 
per acre per annum between two strains of the six-rowed barley. When 
we see such marked differences between varieties we are led to the 
conclusion that variety has an important place in the work of plant- 
breeding as well as in the practice of the farm. Professor Hugo de Vries, 
of Holland, after visiting the noted Luther Burbank in 1904, wrote an 
account of his trip, and among other things he stated that ‘as a general 
rule, it holds true that the results of crossing depend primarily on the 
selection of the varieties used for that purpose. These indicate the list 
of possibilities from which the choice and the combinations have later 
to be made. Outside of this list very little good is obtained, and then 
only by accident. This occurs very seldom in Burbank’s cultures.” 
SELECTION OF SEEDS. 
Within the past twelve years we have done a large amount of very 
careful work in order to determine the influence of different selections 
of seed upon the resulting crop. Fresh seed has been taken each year 
from the general crop of grain grown on the farm. The results, there- 
fore, represent simply one year’s influence from seed selection; but in 
order to obtain reliable data the experiments have been repeated from 
Season to season in order to secure a good average of conditions of soil, 
temperature, and rainfall. For the large seed none but well-developed 
grains were selected; for the medium-sized sample the grains selected 
were of a uniform character, plump, and of medium size; and for the 
small none but sound, plump, and apparently good seeds of small size 
were used. In the selection of large plump grain } lb. of each class 
was carefully weighed and counted. A corresponding number was then 
taken of the medium-sized and of the small plump grains. The different 
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