34 WHEAT 



method of breeding, similar to the "ear-row" 

 method of breeding corn. A large number of the 

 choicer heads of a high yielding, well-adapted 

 variety are selected from the field. Many of these 

 heads which are inferior in points of structure, 

 yield and quality, may be discarded, but the grain 

 from the better heads is saved and planted in 

 individual rows in the breeding plot. The growth 

 of the plants, hardiness, yield and quality of the 

 grain produced by each head is thus determined 

 and the seed from the best yielding "head-rows" 

 may be used to plant "increase rows" on the next 

 year "increase plots" and so on until enough seed 

 is secured to plant a large field with the new or 

 pedigreed strain. 



This may be accomplished in a relatively short 

 period of time. In the experience of the writer, 

 the seed from a single head of wheat containing 

 thirty kernels planted in the breeding row has 

 produced a pound of good seed for planting the 

 second season. If this pound of wheat be planted, 

 and its product planted the next year and so on, 

 multiplying at the rate of thirty-fold each year, 

 it will produce thirty pounds of wheat the first 

 year, fifteen bushels the second year, and 450 

 bushels the third year, or enough grain to plant 

 400 to 500 acres. Thus a single head of wheat 

 planted in 1913, and its product planted each suc- 

 ceeding year, may produce enough seed in 1916 

 to plant several hundred acres of the pedigreed 

 strain. 



