Breeding Experiments at the Minnesota Station, 87 



winters and yielded nearly double the crop secured 

 from our standard hard spring wheats, or 35 to 47 

 bushels per acre, which we count as encouraging for 

 as far north as St. Paul. Winter wheat is moving 

 northward and experiments to make it hardier are giv- 

 ing promise of being effective. Still larger numbers 

 were planted in 1903 and are now going into the winter 

 (Oct. 23) in fine form. We have found it necessary to 

 plant winter wheat very early here in the North, pre- 

 ferably in August, that it may grow large and better 

 endure the winter. 



Of spring wheat 50,000 plants, 4x4 inches apart, 

 were devoted to straight selection, selection of hybrids 

 and starting new hybrids, and 35,000 to theoretical ex- 

 periments in 1902 and again in 1903. Among the latter 

 are experiments to increase rust resistance, selecting 

 for strong chaff which will prevent shelling, time re- 

 quired to reduce hybrids to a uniform type, comparison 

 of improvement by selection alone with improvement 

 by hybridizing followed by selection, breeding wheat 

 on good versus 'poor soil and so on. It is worthy of 

 note in this connection that new wheats originated at 

 this station are winning for themselves prominent places 

 with the farmers of Minnesota. Minn. No. 163, of fife 

 parentage, yielded at the University farm during the 

 first five years of its trial 2.8 bushels more than its 

 parent variety. It was distributed to over 100 farmers 

 in 1899. Thirty-eight reports from these farmers com- 

 pared it in a just manner with their own wheats and 

 gave an average of 16.7 bushels for their wheats and 

 18.1 bushels for Minn. No. 163, an increase of 1.4 

 bushels or S per cent. In 1902 and 1003 it is estimated 

 that I-OG/JCO acres of this variety were planted and 

 that it c.dfied a dollar in value to each acre. 



Minn. No. 169 wheat, a newly bred strain of blue- 

 stem, was first distributed in 1902, nearly 400 farmers 

 each purchasing of the station four bushels. Eighty- 

 nine farmers made reports of tests where the new and 

 their common wheats were tested under similar condi- 



