306 IMPROVING BY CROSS-FERTILIZATION. 



To improve wheat, the following plan is worth considering: 

 Select a field where wheat will yield well, and see that every- 

 thing is well done to make it prosper. When about ripe, pass 

 through the best portion of the field and select some of the best 

 spikes of wheat from the best stools. Plant these for the next 

 crop, in the best land, and give them the best of care, continu- 

 ing the process. This is far ahead of the common practice, which 

 is to separate the plumpest kernels from a lot of grain by means 

 of the fanning mill. Some of the selected kernels most likely 

 came from short spikes of small stools. 



Precisely the same method here suggested for improving wheat 

 can be applied to the improvement of orchard grass, Timothy, 

 June grass, meadow fox-tail, any of the fescues or the clovers. 

 Indeed, across the Atlantic something has already been done in 

 this direction, and with excellent results. The time will doubt- 

 less come when farmers will take some care in reference to breed- 

 ing and selection of grass seeds, as they now do in reference to 

 their domestic animals. 



To procure seed corn, plant a piece by itself, give plenty of 

 room for each stalk ; enrich the soil and give excellent cultiva- 

 tion. Kemove all poor stalks before flowering that they may 

 not fertilize any ears. Select the best of these upper ears for 

 seed. Florists follow the same plan by removing all poor or 

 undesirable specimens before flowering. 



Improving by Cross-Fertilization of the Flowers. Af- 

 ter reading the former paragraphs on fertilization, with speci- 

 mens in hand, the reader will have little difficulty in under- 

 standing how to cross some of the larger grasses. In all cases, 

 to insure a cross, the young anthers must be removed before 

 they shed pollen. Spread apart the palet and flowering glume, 

 and carefully remove all the anthers. At the same time, an 

 anther a little older from another variety may be inserted in 

 place of the three removed. The pollen of the anther inserted 



