Field Experiments. 



131 



The seed was of vaiyiiig ages, so that in some cases so few grains germinated 

 that the results were useless for comparison ; but my friend Professor Patrick 

 Wright, of the West of Scotland Agricultural College, has sent me fresh speci- 

 mens which will l)e caiefuUy tested in tlie forthcoming season. 



Table \'111. — Relative .Susceptibility to Bunt of the Different 

 Species and Sub-species of Triticum. 



Species or Sub-species. 



Percentage of Bunt. 



25 ' 14 



56 



6 Triticum vulgare . 



(Ordinary Wheat) 



7 ..",... I 25 16 TiUrtlaJrvis'. 64 ' 11 plants = 68. 75 



8 Triticum turgidum ^ 25 17 .. 68 ; — 



9 .. .. I 25 U TiUctia Icvis . . — 



10 Triticum spelta 



11 



12 Triticum polonicum 

 13 



25 5 .. 20 



11 : 4 Tilhtia lexis 36.3 



20 7 .. 35 



20 5 Tilletia Jeris 25 



14 Triticum monococcum 18 14 .. 77.7 



15 .. .. ' 18 8 Tilhiin Jeris 44.4 



16 Triticum durum . . 



17 .. .. .. 



18 Triticum dicoccum 

 19 



60 Triticun^ compactum 



61 i 



25 2 . . 8 



25 1 TiUetia Jeris 4 



25 9 .. 36 



10 5 TiJJffia Jeris 50 



25 24 .. 96 — 



25 ; 25 TiJJitia Jeris WOO 24 plants = 96 



3 plants 



60 



Note. — The seed of T. compactum was quite fresh, as it ws 

 Gardens the previous season. 



grown at Burnley Horticultural 



No definite conclusions can be drawn as to relative susceptibility, since 

 the proportion of plants which grcAV were sometimes so few as to constitute 

 a negligible quantity. In the case of T. eowpactum, there is no doubt of its 

 being very liable, and the solitary jilaut which escaped infection grew to a 

 height of 4 ft. 6 in., which was the average of the clean plot, while the general 

 average of the bunted plants was 3 ft. 6 in. The smut had evidently affected 

 the growth injuriously to tlie extent of 1 foot, and the seed from the one 

 plant which escaped infection will lie sown again. 



Selections from Crosses tested for Susceptibility. 



In the results of experiments at Dookie Agricultural College by Mr. Pye, 

 recorded at p. 52, it is shown that selections from his numerous crosses were, 

 in many cases, free from bunt after infection, especially those in which Medeah, 

 one of the Durums, was used as one of the parents. Mr. Pye kindly supplied 

 me with a number of the more promising selections for trial under the con- 

 ditions prevailing at Burnley Horticultural (hardens to test how far the smut- 

 resistance was hereditary and retained tliis quality under different conditions 

 of soil and climate, heat and moisture. The rainfall at the two Kxperiment 

 Stations throughout the year is given here for comparison. 



