C.E.SAU.XDKriS. — l'I'.ODI'ITIDN IlE VAlilKTÉS 1)K liLK W. IIAUTI' VALKCK UOliLANGKRK. '211'.» 



ON THE PRODUCTION OF VARIETIES OF WHEAT POSSESSING 

 A HIGH DEGREE OF BAKING STRENGTH 



SUMMAHY 



For more than hvonty years, experimoiils hâve lieen ("ontiniied al llio 

 Expérimental farms eslablished by Ihe (iovornmenl in dilTerenl paris of Ihe 

 conntry, wilh the aim ol' protlucing, liy liyljridization and sélection, eai'ly 

 varietiesof wheat witli a iiigh degree of " strenglh ", snilable in particular for 

 the prairies of the North where the summer is very short. The most popular 

 variety of wheat in Canada, Red Fife, givcs very satisfaclory results, and 

 always obtains a good priée. Unfortunately this variety is a liltle late forcer- 

 tain régions of Canada. AU the early wheals which hâve been imported hâve 

 been failures, and hybridizalion lias been resorled to, in order to oblain varieties 

 possessing the desired qiialilies. 



In the crosses made w ith the objeci of prodiicing wheals with the reqnired 

 sirength, sélection lias necessarily lieen carried on by ineans of the mastication 

 lest, in which a few grains from the plant are niasticated, and Ihe bail of gluten 

 thus obtained is exaniined. By this niethod an approximate idea of the baking 

 qualilies of the flour is oljlained. The individiials selecled are further tested, 

 as soon as possible, by baking trials. Spécial nielhods hâve been adopted 

 willi a view to rendering thèse tests more reliable. Records are made of the 

 characters of the bread, (weight, volume, elc.j, and from thèse records a 

 nunilicr expressing the baking value is deduced. In Ihese trials it is not 

 possible to obtain complctely reliable results bul they may lo a large estent be 

 depended on, if an average is taken from several tests. 



The baking value of (lie principal Canadian wheats has been determined by 

 this melliod and also Ihat of a large number of new varieties obtained Ijy 

 hyliridization. Among thèse last, some early varieties possessing good baking 

 ipiaiilies will be valualile wheats for Canada. 



The idea that strength is a simple mendelian character cannot be held, 

 aller studying a long séries of flours produccd from wheats of which the 

 genealogy is known. 



" Strength " dépends on nunierous l'actors and is extremely complex; the 

 inheritance of this character is still far from being completely understood. 



M. Bi.AïtiNGHEM. — .le désirerais demander à M. Sannders si, dans ses essais, 

 il a constate'' une séparation en deux ty|)es, certains très tardifs et devant être 

 semés aux environs de Paris avani l'hiver, et même tôt à laulomnc, et d'autres 

 très précoces. 



J'ai fait quelques épreuves de blés du Canada jugés " strong " par les 

 minotiers. Certains sont tellement tardifs que, semés en novembre, ils n'ont pas 

 mûri en juillet; d'autres sont tellement précoces que, semés le 20 mai de cette 

 année, ils ont mûri le 4 août. Il n'y a donc pas d'intermédiaires et je voudrais 

 savoir si M. Saunders a constaté dans les blés du Canada cette distinction en 

 types à végétation très lente et types très précoces. 



