80 WHEAT PRODUCTION IN NEW ZEALAND 



inspection but only from a study of its offspring, all 

 these workers grew the offspring in plots in comparative 

 trials with other varieties, and based their conclusions 

 as to the value of a selection on its performances during 

 the few succeeding generations. Hays, of Minnesota, 

 United States of America, and von Lochow, of Petkus, 

 Germany, separately hit upon the plan of growing 100 

 seeds of very numerous single ear selections, and com- 

 paring the offspring of the plots; and to this method 

 of comparing the yield of selections the name of the 

 "centgener power" was given. Mr. Green, of Ruakura, 

 New Zealand, tells me that he also found the idea of 

 single ear selection independently, and, indeed, it could 

 hardly be otherwise since no information on the subject 

 was available to the English speaking world prior to 

 the publication in 1907 of De Vries' Plant Breeding* 

 Other workers apparently hit on the same plan, but did 

 not follow it up to success.! 



During the development of the single ear method 

 other plans for the improvement of wheat were occupy- 

 ing the attention of breeders. A special plan was 

 adopted and elaborated by F. F. Hallett, who commenced 

 work at Brighton, England, in 1857. From the best 

 head he could find he picked the best single grain, and 

 grew that under the most favourable conditions he could 

 secure in a garden. He gave the resulting plant the best 

 of soil, manure, moisture, and space. From the best 

 head produced he again selected the best grain, and so 

 on, growing the plants for many generations under ideal 

 conditions. Great improvements were of course secured, 

 and some stir was raised among those who saw his work. 

 But the improvements were mainly the result of environ- 

 ment, and as soon as the plants were put back under 



*" Plant Breeding/' De Vries. Kegan Paul and Co. 

 tRust in Wheat Conference. Parliament of South Australia. 

 Paper XXIV., 1892, pages 56-7. 



