CHAPTER VI. 



WHEAT BREEDING. 



Wheat breeding is one line which has been taken 

 up in earnest and a discussion based on present develop- 

 ments along this line will here serve useful purposes. It 

 will show that there is wide scope for skilful art and for 

 scientific research in developing the technical part of 

 breeding. Here also may be illustrated the fact that 

 through plant and animal breeding much wealth can be 

 added to the country. Wheat is one of the best species 

 with which to conduct statistical experiments on the 

 theory of breeding and in studies concerning heredity. 

 It has numerous characteristics which are capable of 

 measurement; e. g., weight of grain from a single 

 plant, average weight of kernels, quality of grain, 

 height of plants and days required to mature; and its 

 seeds may be preserved for several years that original 

 stocks may be compared with improved forms. And in 

 hybridizing its distinctive characteristics, as bearded 

 or awnless, hairy or smooth chaff, color of chaff, anc] 

 color of berry, serve to identify strains of blood. The 

 fact that new varieties of wheat which yield even 10 

 per cent, additional value per acre may be rapidly mul- 

 tiplied so as to make that increase apply to farms, coun- 

 ties and states, makes the problem of practical wheat 

 breeding one not only of scientific interest, but of vast 

 commercial importance. 



A discussion of wheat breeding as carried on at 

 the Minnesota Experiment Station will serve to illus- 

 trate how efforts are being made to meet some prob- 

 lems. Here (a) the varieties proving best .upon test 

 are secured for foundation stocks; (b) large numbers 

 of individuals are compared; (c) superior plants are 

 selected; (d) the breeding powers of many of these 



