168 



SCIENTIFIC AGRICULTURE. 



January, 1922. 



A New Hardy Variety of Winter Wheat 



R. SUMMERBY, Professor of Cereal Husbandry, Macdonald College, P. Q. 



Althoug-h wheat is not a crop of great- 

 est importance in Quebec, a sufficient area 

 is grown to warrant consideration being 

 given to its improvement. One phase of 

 this work which has received attention in 

 the Agronomy department of Macdonald 

 College is that of testing the suitability of 

 autumn sown varieties as regards hardi- 

 ness and yield, and the further improve- 

 ment of those that are best adapted. 



A test of a dozen varieties shows that 

 winter wheat has killed out badly three 

 years out of eleven under trial, that when 

 it does not winterkill, a much higher yield 

 is obtained than with spring wheat, that 

 in spite of winterkilling its average yield 

 approximates that of spring wheat, and 

 that much difference exists as regards the 

 hardiness of the varieties tested. 



The following data relative to the four 

 best varieties gives the average per cent, 

 stand for eleven years, the average yield 

 for the eight successful crop years, and the 



average yield for eleven years. In the latter 

 case tlie yields for the three years when 

 winterkilling was severe have been con- 

 sidered as nil. 



% 

 Stand 

 11 vrs 



Yield 

 per 

 acre 



8 vrs. 



Yield 



per 



acre 



11 yrs. 



of test 



Dawson's Golden Chaff. 



Ave. all strains. 

 Turkey Red (G) 

 Kharkov (0) 

 Red Velvet Chaff (0) 



52.2 47.92 34.85 

 53.1 41.86 30.44 

 66.7 44.03 32.02 



62.3 43.35 31.52 

 Dawson's Golden Chaff is the highest 



yielder when winterkilling is not high. 

 Kharkov, however, is hardier as indicated 

 by the high average per cent, stand. A 

 more detailed analysis of t/ie stand by in- 

 dividual years further emphasizes this 

 point. The percentage winterkilling in 

 the seven years that it was noted are here 

 included. 

 Percentage Winterkilled. 



Av. 



1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1920 7 vrs. 



Dawson's Golden Chaff 

 (Ave. all strains) . . . 



Turkey Red (G) 



Kharkov (0) 



Red Velvet Chaff (G) . . 

 In this respect Kharkov stands equal or 



superior to all others in five years out of 

 seven, and the average winterkilling is 

 noticeably less than with the hardiest of 

 tjhe other varieties. 



With a view to improvement as regards 

 hardiness and yield, several thousand 

 plants of several varieties were selected in 

 1912 and the best appearing ones carried 

 forward to allow of natural selection for 

 hardiness, and for the study of llieir field 

 characters. The strains of Kharkov were 

 so much superior to the others that the 



Kharkov 2212 



Kharkov (Leth) 



(Av. of all checks) 

 Kharkov (0) 



1917 

 92 



94 

 93 



1918 



78 



24.6 

 60 



the former have been in the field test since 

 1917 and ^ave thus completed a five vear 

 period. Kharkov 2212 is apparently 

 superior to others as regards hardiness and 

 yield. Data regarding hardiness as in- 

 dicated by percent, stand and winter- 

 killing, together with yield, are given 

 below for Kharkov 2212, the parent var- 

 iety Kharkov (0), and another strain of 

 Kharkov which was grown as a check every 

 fifth plot. 



Ave. Percent 

 1919 1921 4 vrs. Winterkilled 

 85 75 82.5 ■ 30 



So 

 87 5 



74 



75 



69.4 



78.9 



93.5 

 65 



