150 AGRICULTURE 



such power to resist drought that they extend the wheat-growing 

 area hundreds of miles in the semi-arid states of the West and 

 Southwest. Varieties have been bred which thrive on thin soils 

 and in warm climates where wheat growing has hitherto been 

 unprofitable. Many improved varieties are obtained by cross 

 fertilizing by means of hand pollination, a process which has already 

 been explained. The Minnesota Experiment Station- has bred a 

 variety that produces five bushels an acre more than any other 

 variety grown in that section; this put millions of dollars into the 

 pockets of farmers in the Northwest. 



Wheat Breeding. If you examine the wheat blossom, you will 

 understand why cross fertilizing is rarely accomplished by nature. 

 The head is made up of many separate flowers. Each flower 

 has three stamens and one pistil, inclosed in a cover, or chaff, so 



that the seed is self fertilized. A 

 wheat breeder carefully removes 

 the pollen from one flower and 

 places it upon the pistil of another. 

 Thus from two good plants, by 

 repeated efforts, he may secure 

 one better than either of its par- 

 ents. 



. Seed Selection. The wheat 

 crop can be greatly improved 

 by careful selection of seed. A 

 ^ busy farmer is seldom able to 

 GOOD AND BAD SEED WHEAT select seed from individual plants, 



The grains at the left are plump and healthy ; which IS the Way that many im- 



proved varieties 'are obtained. A 



seed strip, however, can be set aside in the best portion of the field. 

 After this wheat is threshed, it should be graded through sieves 



i 



