(18 THE SOILS AND CROPS OF THE FARM. 



names, Triticum hybernum and .Triticum cestivum. 

 Linnseus applied T. hybernum to winter wheat and 

 T. cestivum to spring wheat. It has been shown, how- 

 ever, by direct experiment, that winter wheat may be 

 changed to spring wheat and spring wheat to winter 

 wheat. M. Mouries sowed winter wheat in the spring 

 and out of one hmidred plants four alone ripened seeds. 

 These were sown and re- sown and in three years 

 plants were reared which ripened all their seeds. 

 Conversely, nearly all the plants raised from spring 

 wheat sown in the autumn perished from the cold, 

 but a few were saved and produced seed. In three 

 years this spring variety was converted into a winter 

 variety. This is a striking example of the climatic 

 adaptability of wheat. It shows that a variety which 

 possesses valuable characteristics, although lacking 

 hardiness, may be worth attempting to grow until it 

 becomes adapted to the climate. 



The variety has very much to do with the success- 

 ful culture of wheat in each individual instance. Ex- 

 cept in the possible extra outlay for seed, it costs no 

 more to raise twenty bushels from a good variety than 

 ten bushels from a poor variety. If, on the other 

 hand, the yield is increased by the use of fertilizers, 

 or by better preparation of seed-bed, the increase is 

 made at some expense, more or less considerable. 



The question. What is the best variety ? has never 

 been answered. There is no best variety for the whole 

 country. Not only do good varieties in one locality 

 prove poor varieties in another, but often a variety 

 which one year gives the largest yield of fifty varieties, 

 sown the next year in the same locality is one of the 

 poorest yielders. 



