Selection of Elementary Species 115 



The ripe heads had to be measured and counted 

 and compared with respect to their size and the 

 number of their kernels. Qualities of grain 

 and of meal had to be considered, and the in- 

 fluence of climate and soil could not be over- 

 looked. 



Concerning the real origin of his new types 

 Shirreff seems never to have been very inquisi- 

 tive. He remarks that only the best cultivated 

 varieties have a chance to yield still better 

 types, and that it is useless to select and sow 

 the best heads of minor sorts. He further re- 

 marks that it is not probable that he 

 found a new sport every time; on the con- 

 trary he assumes that his selections had been 

 present in the field before, and during a series 

 of succeeding generations. How many years 

 old they were, was of course impossible to de- 

 termine. But there is no reason to believe that 

 the conditions in the fields of Scotland were 

 different from those observed on the Isle of 

 Jersey by Le Couteur. 



In the year 1862 Shirreff devoted himself to 

 the selection of oats, searching for the best 

 panicles from the whole country, and compar- 

 ing their offspring in his experimental-garden. 

 '' Early Fellow,'' '' Fine Fellow," '' Longfel- 

 low " and '' Early Angus " are very notable 

 varieties introduced into trade in this way. 



