PLANT BREEDING IN CANADA. 137 



object in crossing these two varieties of wheat was to try to produce a good 

 cropping wheat having a kernel much larger than the ordinary sorts. 



Barley. Very distinct hybrids have been produced between the two- 

 rowed barley (Hordeum distichon) and the six-rowed (Hordeum hexasti- 

 chon.) These are ancient types, which have long been regarded as distinct 

 species. In the two-rowed barley the additional rows 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 six-rowed form as the male these chaffy scales 

 are in some instances all filled; in others only a portion of them are filled, 

 and the kernels are often smaller and thinner than those found in the normal 

 position in the two-rowed head. With subsequent cultivation the relative 

 size of the kernels generally becomes more equalized, and in some instances 

 they become very even in size throughout. Crosses have also been made be- 

 tween the bearded and beardless six-rowed sorts. The two-rowed barleys 

 stool much more freely than the six-rowed sorts ; the heads, also, are longer. 

 The main purpose in view in attempting to produce these hybrids has been 

 to originate varieties of six-rowed barley with longer heads and an increased 

 tendency to stooling, hoping to increase the crop thereby. Both six-rowed 

 and two-rowed types have several times been produced from the same cross 

 in cases where the two-rowed has been used as female, also where the six- 

 rowed has been chosen for that purpose. Some of these new sorts have made 

 promising records. 



Oals. In oats crosses have been made between those with branching 

 heads and those with sided heads ; also between white and black oats, white 

 and yellow, and between thin hulled and thick iiulled sorts, and many inter- 

 mediate forms have been produced, some of which have given excellent crops. 



Wheat with Rye. Many attempts have been made at the Experimental 

 Farm to cross wheat and rye, but without success until 1892, when a cross 

 was effected by Mr. W. T. Macoun, a variety of winter wheat being used as 

 female and a winter rye as male. The resulting kernel was sown in Sep- 

 tember, 18!)".^, and while to all appearance it was a wheat kernel which was 

 sown, the plant which grew from it had the purplish character of rye, and 

 the heads at the time of spearing had stripes of purple on the spikelets, as 

 in rye, and in other respects the heads closely resembled rye. Nineteen 

 heads in all were produced on the plant, but not a kernel could be found 

 in any of them. 



Pease. The most useful and productive sorts of field pease have been 

 crossed and a large number of new sorts originated, about 175 in all ; but 

 by careful selection and the rejection of all those of less promise the num- 

 ber has been greatly reduced. There are, however, 2)2> of these cross-bred 

 sorts still under trial, some of which have yielded remarkably well. 



The number of new varieties of cereals which have been produced and 

 tested is more than 700. A large number of these have been rejected, 

 mainly because they were not sufficiently productive. 



VARIOUS. 



Barberries. Interesting crosses have also been made by Dr. C. E. Saun- 

 ders between Berberis Thunbergii and the common purple barberry, Berberis 



