150 FORAGE PLANTS AND THEIR CULTURE 



were on the whole disappointing, as when taken to new 

 localities these timothies were little, if any, superior to 

 ordinary mixed timothy. In Virginia, they were all 

 found severely subject to timothy rust, a disease which 

 had become prevalent about this time, and which in- 

 troduced a new factor into timothy breeding. The 

 breeding work inaugurated by Hopkins has been con- 

 tinued by the Department of Agriculture, first in Virginia, 

 and now on a special station in Ohio. In 1903, breeding 

 work was undertaken at the Cornell Experiment Station, 

 and about the same time at the Minnesota Experiment 

 Station. Some of the best of the Cornell selections proved 

 decidedly inferior in comparison with the Hopkins timothies 

 in Virginia, and the reverse of this was the case when they 

 were planted side by side at the Cornell Station. On the 

 whole, the evidence indicates that the bred varieties of 

 timothy will have a comparatively narrow adaptation. 

 The best results are to be expected in breeding timothy 

 for each locality. Beginning in 1905, the breeding of 

 timothy has also been undertaken at Svalof, Sweden and 

 other places in Europe. 



There can be little doubt that the breeding of timothy 

 will be advantageous. Such breeding, however, will 

 necessarily have to be continuous, as timothy, like corn, 

 is almost impossible to keep pure. Similar methods to 

 those used in corn breeding can very well be used in 

 connection with timothy breeding. 



138. Methods of breeding. Webber recommends 

 on the basis of the experience at the Cornell Experiment 

 Station the following plan of conducting timothy breeding, 

 beginning with the selected individual plant. These 

 methods differ but little from those which were employed 

 by Hopkins. 



