WHEAT 67 



ducted on some central farm. After the best variety is determined, the 

 farmers of that community will find it advantageous if all grow the same 

 variety of wheat. The advantages of such a plan will be: (1) larger 

 yields for all; (2) better and more uniform quality, resulting in higher 

 prices; (3) the production of pure seed, true to name; and (4) the pro- 

 viding of a better opportunity to improve the variety. When farmers 

 of a community are all interested in one variety of wheat, they will naturally 

 be interested in its improvement. 



The so-called "mass selection" will be found both practical and profit- 



A PROFITABLE YIELD OF WHEAT.* 



able in improving a variety of wheat. The procedure is as follows: A 

 field of good wheat is examined at harvest time and enough of the choicest 

 heads are selected to make a bushel or more of seed. This is threshed by 

 hand and carefully stored until seeding time. This selected seed should 

 be sown in a marked portion of the general wheat field. At harvest time 

 choice heads are again hand selected from this special plat. The remain- 

 ing wheat is harvested for seed to be multiplied for the general field wheat. 

 By continuing this process of selection each year there will be a tendency 

 to improve the variety continually, or at least to eliminate all danger of 

 the wheat running out. 



1 Courtesy of Penn State Farmer, State College, Pa. 



