BREAD PLANTS 2$ 



the grain, and grow it for a number of years. In 

 a surprisingly short time he has "fixed" the char- 

 acteristics of a fine new variety. He distributed 

 seed and now the "Fultz wheat" is the leading 

 soft winter whe'at in this country, and is established 

 in many foreign countries. It originated in 1862. 



Another way of originating a variety is to choose 

 only the best seed for planting, and only the best 

 again "out of each planting of the selected seeds. 

 Gradually the plants improve in size and quality 

 and an improved variety is achieved, whose yield 

 is several bushels per acre better than before the 

 selection of seed was started. 



A third way to get a new and better variety 

 is to cross artificially two varieties whose characters 

 it is desirable to join. A sturdy straw, bearing 

 full, large heads may resujt from crossing a variety 

 with one of these traits and another with the other 

 trait. So two varieties, each with bad faults may 

 be combined to make a very good one. 



Cross-fertilization is a delicate, but simple 

 operation, that must be begun while the flowers 

 are in bud, the stamens removed to prevent self- 

 fertilization in the flowers that set seed for the 

 new strain. Pollen is carried by a camel's-hair 

 brush to the ripe stigmas, which are protected 

 before and after this pollenation by tissue paper, 



