FIELD CROPS 493 



may be indicated by the market grades No. 2, No. 3, etc., or by 

 percentages. 



Hybridization. Few hybrid varieties of oats have yet been pro- 

 duced, practically all of the work of improvement having been ac- 

 complished by selection. Hybridization of the small grains is com- 

 paratively difficult, and the problem of selection so complicated that 

 the farmer is hardly justified in attempting to hybridize. For the 

 present at least, while there is so much to be accomplished by selec- 

 tion, his efforts can well be confined to that field, leaving the hybrid 

 problem to the professional breeder. 



SWEDISH SELECT OAT. 



In the region between the Great Lakes and the Rocky Moun- 

 tains one of the best-known varieties of oat at present is the Swedish 

 Select. The annual production of this variety in the area men- 

 tioned is already at least 50,000,000 bushels, and in certain locali- 

 ties it has for some time entirely replaced all other kinds. It is the 

 most popular oat in Wisconsin and adjacent districts, and the acre- 

 age sown each year has increased rapidly. Yet up to 1899 this oat 

 was quite unknown in North America. 



The Swedish Select oat was introduced into the United States 

 in the spring of 1899 in time for planting that season. It was ob- 

 tained, along with other cereals, while making an exploration of the 

 cold and semiarid regions of Russia and western Siberia in 1898-99 

 in search of cereals adapted to corresponding conditions in this 

 country. At the same time two other oat varieties were obtained, 

 one of which, the Tobolsk, is of much value, but the Swedish Select 

 is proving to be by far the best of the three in nearly every respect. 

 It originated in Sweden as a pedigree variety developed by selection 

 many years ago and was afterwards grown in Finland and in St. 

 Petersburg Province, Russia. Under the severe weather conditions 

 of these localities it became well acclimated for a cold and dry 

 climate. 



The Swedish Select variety is a large-grained white oat, with a 

 spreading top or panicle. The distinguishing marks are a blunt, 

 plump kernel, with, usually, dark, slightly twisted awns and a heavy 

 weight per bushel. It is a very prolific variety, which quality, to- 

 gether with the size and weight of the kernel, is no doubt the result 

 of previous selection. The usual weight per bushel is 34 to 36 

 pounds, while in Montana a weight of 44 to 46 pounds is not rare. 

 In order, therefore, to appreciate its real superiority over other va- 

 rieties in yield per acre, comparison must be made on the basis of 

 bushels by weight instead of measured bushels. It also grows to a 

 considerable height and produces much straw, its chief fault being a 

 tendency toward overproduction of straw when grown on rich or low 

 land. The roots are large and vigorous, giving the plants hardiness 

 in cold or dry seasons. This quality was probably developed during 

 the period of acclimation in northern Russia. 



Results of Trials in This Country. Only 20 bushels of seed 

 of the Swedish Select oat were obtained in the original introduction. 

 One other importation of 160 bushels was made in 1901. However, 



