24 Station Bulletin 372 



Another small lot of smooth brome was harvested on September 12. 

 This lot proved to have a much lower percentage of germination, 25 per cent 

 as compared with 90 per cent for that harvested on August 6. Whether late 

 harvested brome seed would always behave in this manner or whether it was 

 caused by heavy August rainfall, is undetermined. 



P. T. Blood, L. J. Higgins 



The Improvement of Ladino Clover, Red Clover, 

 And Timothy by Selection and Breeding 



Ladino Clover 



Nine parent plants have been chosen as a result of several years' cross- 

 ing and testing. The selection was made on the basis of combining ability 

 as well as ability to compete with heavy grass seedings. These plants are be- 

 ing propagated clonally in the greenhouse, and additional crosses are to be 

 made. During the season, clones of Ladino from several co-operating sta- 

 tions as well as seedlings from our own breeding program were grown. The 

 superior ones have been brought into the greenhouse for propagation and 

 breeding. 



Red Clover 



Descendants of 12 original families of red clover which showed a peren- 

 nial tendency are still being eliminated because of disease susceptibility or 

 other undesirable characteristics. The more desirable ones are being inter- 

 crossed in the greenhouse for further propagation and testing. Farm tests 

 of the seed harvest in 1945 are under way. Although no seed of the original 

 strain was harvested in 1946, there is still seed on hand from the 1945 crop 

 which will be used for testing by farmers or other co-operating agencies. 



Timothy 



After two unsuccessful attempts to test the original parents of two 

 timothy strains, due to causes beyond control, a third attempt may be suc- 

 cessful. The purpose of this testing is to eliminate other inferior parents 

 of the two strains of timothy which are now under test. Additional material 

 from Ohio and other sources is being tested for comparison with local tim- 

 othy families. 



F. S. Prince, L. J. Higgins, P. T. Blood 



Variety Trials of Oats and Barley 



Oats 



Twenty-seven varieties and strains of oats were planted May 3. 1946, 

 at the Bunker Farm plots. The seed oats were furnished by the United States 

 Department of Agriculture, co-operator in setting up uniform oat nursery 

 trials in the New England States and New York. The standard "checks" 

 were Erban, Vanguard, and Victory. Erban and Vanguard were only resist- 

 ant to the stem rust disease and Victory was non-resistant to disease. 



During the week of August 4, the oats were cut by hand according to 

 order of ripening. Each row was weighed immediately to get the forage 



