ON THE SMALL GRAINS 



tils of its flowers sometimes protrude and permit 

 cross fertilization by the aid of the wind or insects. 

 This may to some extent facilitate the hybridizing 

 of the wild wheat with cultivated wheats. 



But on the other hand, it will probably be 

 desirable to eliminate this propensity from the 

 new varieties after they are fixed for commercial 

 use. For, as already pointed out, there are 

 advantages in the self-fertilization of a grain like 

 wheat, to prevent deterioration of the type by 

 undesired crossing. 



But the entire question of the hybridizing of 

 the domesticated wheat with the wild type remains 

 for future investigation. There is perhaps no 

 single field of plant development that offers greater 

 possibilities of usefulness. Fortunately several 

 experimenters are alive to the importance of the 

 subject, and it may be expected that their investi- 

 gation will reveal its full possibilities in the near 

 future. 



As I have already pointed out, this work is pre- 

 eminently one that should go forward under 

 government auspices. My own experiments in this 

 line with the wild wheat are necessarily limited, 

 as I received specimens only last season. 



A work that involves matters of such vast 

 economic significance, having direct connection 

 with the cost of living as applied to every member 



[75] 



