SYMPOSIUM OX COXSERVATIOX 69 



the relationship cannot now be recognized with certainty. If 

 JEgilops orata, a wild grass of southern Europe, is the original 

 ancestral form of wheat, as is supposed by some botanists, we 

 have very many native grasses in various parts of the United 

 States which, in an unimproved state, have much larger grains 

 and would seem to be equally worthy of cultivation and improve- 

 ment. If Teosinte (Euclcuna luxurians) a wild, native grass of 

 Mexico is the original wild ancestor of corn, as is believed by 

 many scientists because of the fact that it is a native of the region 

 where corn was first cultivated, is known to be subject to the 

 same diseases, such as smut, and above all from the fact that 

 it hybridizes readily with corn, we have an unpromising grass, 

 so far as its grain its concerned, which has developed into our 

 greatest of all grain crops. 



Are we justified in assuming that all of the valuable plants 

 and animals have already been introduced into cultivation? As 

 a matter of fact, are we not justified in questioning whether the 

 most valuable have been introduced? On sober second thought, 

 does it not seem wonderful that wheat, a native of the ^Mediter- 

 ranean region, should remain the best grain crop for a region 

 including the greater part of British iVmerica and the United 

 States, of Russia, and /Argentina, and all the broad area where 

 wheat is cultivated? Would it not seem probable that the im- 

 provement of the most promising native grain-grasses in these 

 widely dififerent regions would yield new types of grain crops 

 better adapted to the regions and superior to wheat or oats? 

 The great value of wheat and oats lies not in the superiority of 

 the wild types from which they sprung but to the long years of 

 cultivation and selection to which they have been subjected. A 

 large number of wild grasses, occurring in almost every region, 

 have comparatively large grains and if they were capable of 

 improvement, as they doubtless are. they might possibly excel 

 any grains which we now have. The Indian rice or water oat 

 (Zisania aquatica) is an illustration of a large grained wild grass 

 w^hich is probably known to many. Doubtless this could be 

 greatly improved for cultivation in low lands as rice is now 

 cultivated. 



The wild wheat grass (Agropynim occidentale) of the great 

 plains region is a very promising type for improvement, as 

 pointed out by Dr. Bessey.^ In this wild grass we have a head 



' Bessey, C. E. Crop Improvement by Utilizing Wild Species. Ataerican Breeders" 

 Association, \o\. II, p. 113. 



