46 FOR BETTER CROPS 



A new variety of flax, named Primost,or "Minnesota No. 25," 

 has been supplied to the farmers under co-operative plant breed- 

 ing work of the United States Department of Agriculture and 

 the Minnesota experiment station, which yielded 15 bushels to 

 the acre, as compared with 11.9 bushels of common flax grown 

 under the same conditions. This gain of 3.1 bushels per acre or 

 of 26 per cent is worth several dollars an acre. The breeding of 

 this new variety did not cost more than one thousand dollars. 



Other new varieties of each species of the small grains, which 

 are now incubating on various experiment farms, will rapidly 

 come forward, and all farmers should be ready to buy as each new 

 and thoroughly tested and authenticated variety is brought 

 forward by these public institutions. 



Scientific Method of Breeding Cereals— Methods of 

 breeding the several kinds of cereal crops are being worked out 

 in the most scientific and practicable manner and resulting 

 therefrom, many new varieties, which add 10 to 25 per cent and 

 even more to the yield of these crops, are coming forward for 

 general distribution to farmers. 



The best varieties of a given grain are obtained by an experi- 

 ment station and are tested in field plots as to their yields and 

 the quality of grain. Those which are manufactured are also 

 tested in the mill, and wheat and rye are tested in the labora- 

 tory as to their bread making qualities. 



When field and laboratory tests show that a given variety 

 has superiority in its power to produce values per acre, it is 

 planted in the field preparatory to its serving as a basis for 

 breeding. Often the best variety to serve as a basis for breed- 

 ing is one already commonly grown. The plant breeder now 

 selects from as many heads, say 5000 seeds, and plants them in a 

 short row. When the wheat is ripe, the plant breeder selects 

 from these rows those stalks which show superiority, usually 

 throwing away all but ten per cent of the whole. Grain to be 

 planted the next year is harvested from each of those stalks 

 reserved during the head-to-row test. 



The next year three or more drill rows one rod long, or hill 

 rows one rod long, or possibly rectangular plots are planted; or 

 perchance, all three of these plot tests are used. A comparison 

 of the plots is made on the basis of both yield and quality of 

 the grain. All of the least desirable stocks are discarded. 

 Seeds are saved and similar plot tests are made the next year. 

 Usually from this large number of mother plants a small number 

 of exceedingly large yielding varieties are thus discovered. 



The five, ten, or more, most promising varieties are now taken 

 to field tests, where they are grown in a field way, usually for 

 three years, two or three duplicate plots being grown each year. 

 Any variety which is outstanding in its promised value per 



