80 THE HANDBOOK FOR PRACTICAL FARMERS 



associations, seednien and individuals. A few of the important 

 introductions are as follows: 



Wheat — Mediterranean, Fife, Turkey Red, Kubanka, Daw- 

 son 's Golden Chaff. 



Oats — Swedish Select, Klerson, Sixty-Day, Clydesdale. 



Barley — Manchuria, Hanna, Swan Neck, Hannchen, Smyrna 

 Black. 



Rye — Abruzzes, Ivanov, Giant Winter. 



It is the second method of improvement, however, in which 

 the average producer can and should take part. Improvement 

 by this method may be made by sorting, by mass selection, or by 

 pure line selection. By sorting is meant the selecting out of 

 mixtures in a given lot and thus purifying the variety, or by 

 sorting out the heavj^ from the light, or the large from the small 

 seed. Practically all commercial varieties now grown are mixed 

 badly — in fact it is the excejDtion to see a clean field. For this 

 reason effort should be made to eliminate the undesirable types. 



Light versus heavy seed. — Much has been said in regard to 

 the value of heavy over light or large over small grain for seed 

 purposes, likewise much work has been done by experiment sta- 

 tions, as the following table shows: 



These data show very conclusively that there is very little 

 gain by the use of heavy or large seed, but does not prove that 

 fanning or screening to eliminate weeds, dirt and chaff is not 

 profitable. The only advantage of large and heavy seed is in 

 seasons unfavorable for early growth, at which time more food 

 material is furnished by the larger seed. A\^iere seed is clean 

 and plump it is doubtful if any gain is made by separating out 

 the heavy and large seed for planting. 



Mass and pure line or pedigree selection and hybridization as 

 methods of improvement require more time and labor than most 

 producers care to give. Careful and detailed tests must be made. 



