PLANTS FOR EXPERIMENT 183 



were planted and carefully cultivated, and the 

 best seedlings were selected for propagation, with 

 the result that in the course of a few years a 

 variety was secured in which the size of the seed 

 head was markedly increased, and in which the 

 individual grains are very much plumper than 

 the original one. 



The grain seemed so promising that I tested it 

 by grinding it. It was found to produce an ex- 

 cellent flour with a slight yellow tinge. 



When prepared and baked in the ordinary 

 way, it made a very good bread. 



I was quite sure that a grain of good commer- 

 cial value could be produced by further selective 

 breeding from the seed of this brome. But I had 

 only a small quantity of seed, and as other mat- 

 ters took my attention I neglected to plant it for 

 two or three seasons; and when it finally was 

 planted it failed to germinate. So the experi- 

 ment came to an end in unsatisfactory fashion, 

 yet not without offering interesting suggestions 

 as to the possibilities of development of this and 

 other plants of the tribe. 



Unfortunately I was not quite sure as to the 

 exact species of brome that furnished the material 

 for this experiment. Moreover, I have not found 

 another plant that showed the same exceptional 

 qualities of seed with which a new line of inves- 



