spring and winter wheats, bearded or awned and beardless or Vlew 

 awnless varieties, white and red wheats, hard and soft sorts, 

 early and late varieties, etc. The soft wheats also are called 

 starchy wheats and the hard wheats glutinous wheats. The 

 common wheats include all varieties excepting those used 15 

 in the preparation of macaroni, spaghetti, and other pastes. 



Varieties of wheat differ greatly in productiveness, hardiness, 

 drought resistance, resistance to lodging, quality of grain, and 

 in other characters. There are always best varieties for cer- 

 tain soils and regions but no varieties that succeed best under 

 all conditions. It costs no more to grow a good variety than 

 a .poor one, and it is therefore to the farmer's interest to ob- 

 tain the best sort for his locality. All varieties grown in the 

 vicinity should be observed and the best one selected. Varie- 

 tal strains in their own locality are likely to give better results 

 than strains of the same variety brought from a distance be- 

 cause there is little or no change in environment. 



IMPROVEMENT OF VARIETIES. 



Wheat varieties are improved mainly by selection and cross- 

 ing. Improvement by selection comprises the selection of seed 

 and the selection of individual plants. Varieties may be im- 

 proved by selection or by crossing and selection together. 

 Most varieties now grown are the result of simple selection, 

 and this kind of work is often very profitable and replete with 

 satisfaction. Dawson Golden Chaff, for instance, had its 

 origin in a single stool of White Clawson wheat which had been 

 the only one to survive winter in a bare and exposed position. 

 This variety has given excellent results in New York, Michigan, 

 and Canada, and is a standard sort in many localities. This 

 instance is one of the many showing the importance of select- 

 ing individual plants. 



The crossing of varieties is effected by means of artificial 16 

 cross-fertilization. The stamens must be removed from the 17 

 the blossom before the pollen sacks are mature enough to break 

 and to pollinate the pistil. After this is done the pistil must 

 be protected from the pollen of other flowers borne either in 

 the same or in other heads. Usually all the flowers not de- 

 sired for crossing are removed and the entire head is then 

 wrapped in tissue paper and the pollen of the variety chosen 18 

 as the male parent applied to the stigmas when these are in 

 proper condition. As soon as the application of pollen is made 19 

 the heads are carefully covered to keep other pollen from en- 

 tering and possibly fertilizing the blossom. The resulting seed 20 

 is planted and the crops for several years are subjected to 

 rigid selection to fix the variety. 21 



