Appendix E 467 



Scheme for Wheat Breeding Plots 



First Year. Choose 100 fine heads for starting your improve- 

 ment work. 



Second Year. Plant seed from these select plants in short 

 rows by the plant- to-row method. Space the rows 1 foot apart. 

 Select a few rows, say twenty, to furnish seed for a breeding plot 

 in the third year. 



Third Year. Plant seed from each of these select rows in a 

 breeding plot. Do not mix the seed from different rows. Plant 

 as many 17 foot rows in each plot as the amount of seed saved 

 will permit. This is at the rate of 1^ bushels per acre. The 

 rows should be 1 foot apart. 



Fourth Year. Find average yield of progeny rows that came 

 from the selected rows of the third year. Select several of the 

 best strains which may yield about 24 bu. per acre. With this 

 seed plant increase plots from each kind of seed. Save seed from 

 2 or 3 of the best yielding plots for more extensive trials in the 

 5th year. The rest of the seed can be used for planting a field. 

 Make new selections of heads in the fields and repeat the whole 

 program as before. There may be many more valuable types 

 in the fields that can thus be isolated. 



Fifth Year. Test out your select strains and choose one or 

 two of the best for increase plots and for planting your field. 

 Plant the field this year with seed from last year's increase plot 

 and from the test rows. 



Scheme for Oat or Barley Breeding Plots 



The principles of selection and methods of breeding these 

 cereals are the same as for wheat. 



