210 RURAL MICHIGAN 



tended among the farmers of the State until in 

 1918 it was estimated by the Crop Improvement As- 

 sociation that Si per cent of the rye in Michigan 

 was of the pure-bred variety. The Michigan Crop 

 Improvement Association now (Jan. 4, 1921) has 

 five hundred members, twenty of whom reside in the 

 Upper Peninsuhi. 



During the period from 1910 to 1920, the plant- 

 breeder, F. A. Spragg, of the Michigan Agricultural 

 College, is credited with contributing to Michigan 

 agriculture such new plant varieties as Worthy oats, 

 Alexander oats, Eosen rye, Red Rock wheat, American 

 Banner wheat, Michigan Two-row barley, Michigan 

 Black Barbless barley, and Robust beans. ^ The new 

 white sweet clover was also introduced into the State 

 in this period. Corn variety tests were undertaken 

 to establish local standardization of the grain. It is 

 also claimed that wheat variety tests conducted 

 throughout the State in recent years have established 

 the outstanding excellence of Red Rock and Egyptian 

 of the red wheats, and the American Banner of the 

 white wheat. Variety tests for oats have shown, it is 

 asserted, the Worthy, Wolverine, College Suc- 

 cess and College Wonder to be "outstanding." In 

 southern Michigan, Cox enumerates the Johnson, 

 the Strube in the Saginaw A^alley, and the White 

 Bonanza, New Victory and Swedish Select as excel- 

 lent types over a wide territory. Among the six-row 

 barleys, Wisconsin Pedigree is placed in the lead, 

 while of the two-row types, the Michigan Two-row 



• J. F. Cox in TJie Michigan Farmer, Feb. 5, 1921. 



