112 



IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF WHEAT. 



It will be seen from Table 36 that the heads of slightly more than 

 medium size produced the largest yields of grain; that the weight of 

 the average kernel did not increase with the size of the head, nor did 

 it decrease except on the very largest heads; that the plants with 

 somewhat more than average-sized heads were the tallest, and that 

 the plants with medium-sized heads or slightly less tillered most 

 largely. 



Table 37 shows that with an increased yield per plant there is a 

 constant increase in the height and tillering of the plant. 



Table 38 indicates that the yield per head and yield per plant do 

 not increase together, but that the largest yielding plants are those of 

 medium yield per head. The same would seem to be true of the 

 height and tillering of the plant. The weight of the average kernel 

 increases quite uniformly with the yield per head. 



In considering these results it must be borne in mind that these 

 plants were grown 6 inches apart each way, and were therefore not 

 under the conditions that would obtain in a thickly drilled or broad- 

 casted field, where lack of ability to tiller would be compensated for 

 by the larger number of plants. However, the variety of wheat 

 yielding best in Nebraska is one having only a medium-sized or 

 even small head, as compared with most wheats, but it is a strong- 

 tillering variety. 



TABLE 35. Relation of size of head to yield, height, and tillering of plant, 

 SIZE OF HEAD, BELOW 16 KERNELS. 



SIZE OF HEAD, 16 TO 20 KERNELS. 



