268 PLANT-BREEDING 



grayish-yellow tinges, half a dozen of shades of brown, and 

 more of less completely black types may be distinguished. 

 Some of them have given proof of being suitable for some 

 regions and some uses, while others are preferable under 

 other conditions. 



The spikelets may contain one, two, or three flowers, and 

 these numbers are dispersed on the different branches of 

 the panicle according to the special properties of the sorts 

 under consideration. Spikelets with two flowers are as a 

 rule preferable, since there is a near relation between this 

 number and the size of the kernels. In each spikelet the 

 flower of the undermost palet always gives the biggest kernel. 

 If it is the only one it may be smafl, but as soon as it becomes 

 accompanied by a second or a third flowering scale, its kernel 

 becomes heavier. In this way the many-flowered spikelets 

 do not only give more kernels but also bigger ones, and with 

 them all the advantages we have described of large seeds. 

 The size of the empty scales at the top of the axis of the 

 spikelet, the Httle hairs at the base of the palets, the more 

 or less twisted awns and their curvature give many mor- 

 phological marks, whose correlation with the breeding 

 qualities may be studied. 



Corresponding marks are afforded by wheat, and rye, 

 and barley. Among them the number of the kernels in each 

 spikelet prevails, but the size and density of the whole ear, 

 the characters of the outer scales, and even their hairiness 

 may be advantageously compared. At the Swedish agri- 

 cultural experiment station, for each genus of cereals a system 

 of classification has been traced which gives a survey over 

 all these botanical marks and their relation to industrial 

 qualities. These relations of course have had to be studied 

 experimentally, and large cultures as well as exact measure- 

 ments and determinations of chemical value, baking and 

 brewing qualities and many others have been made. It 



