HEAD-TO-ROW METHOD 115 



the shortest possible time various plants that possess high 

 yielding power and other desirable characteristics. It is 

 a quick method of grain breeding by selection. 



Land that is uniform in fertility must be used for the 

 selection beds. The grain plants from which the heads are 

 taken must be selected from fields or mother beds where 



Fig. 62. Head-to-row method of plant breeding. One head of wheat is planted in 



each row. 



several thousand plants are grown under uniform conditions. 

 Plants should not be selected from the edge of a field 

 or some favored spot. From ten to a hundred plants 

 especially noticeable for their desirable characteristics are 

 selected from the various grain fields or plots, and the 

 most desirable heads taken from each. These heads are 

 shelled separately, placed in bottles or envelopes, num- 

 bered, and held until time for planting. The best progeny 

 of a single seed from the previous year is thus retained. 



