212 



SCIENTIFIC AGRICULTURE. 



May, 1921. 



iness has been reported by Dr. Nilsson-Ehle of Svalof. ** 

 In this case a crossing was made in 1908 between Sun 

 and Extra Squarehead No. 2 wheat. In the second gen- 

 eration of hybrids (1910), 192 plants were selected and 

 all seed of each sown in separate cultures in 1911. The 

 resulting 192 plots were sown adjoining each otlier, 

 while seed from the parents was also sown for compari- 

 son. Out of the 192 plots, 42 were threshed separately, 

 and tlie seed obtained from eacli was sown on two larger 

 plots. The winter of 1911-12 was quite severe at Sva- 

 l&f, the greatest damage being done in January during 

 a long period when the temperature persisted around 15 

 degrees below zero. An examination of these plots dur- 

 ing the end of March showed that different plots showed 

 different degrees of resistance against frost, although 

 the plots were quite evenl.^- covered with snow. Some 

 plots were badly injured, the leaves being yellow and 

 sear, while others seemed quite undamaged. Plots Nos. 

 2, 5, 6, 11, 23 and 24 showed greater damage than that 

 suffered by either parent, while plots Nos. 12, 13, 20, 

 33 and 38 proved hardier than either of the parents. 

 This crossing seems to show therefore that not only may 

 hardier forms arise by artificial or by natural crossing 

 but that forms which are actually less hardy than either 

 of the parents may also arise. In nature, forms arising 

 in this way would either survive or die according to 

 the degree of hardiness by which the.v were characterized. 



Where cross-fertilization has not been effei^ted, no 

 permanent changes in the direction of acclimitization 

 have been shown to take place in pure strauis although 

 these appear able to temporarili/ adapt themselves to cer- 

 tain conditions to a considerable extent. 



To recapitulate, we may conclude from the above in- 

 vestigations that the question of hardiness in plants 

 must be considered both from the standpoint of the in- 

 fluence of breediri'i as well as that of feeding. In other 

 words strains which have shown themselves to be natur- 

 ally hardy should be chosen for those districts which 

 are likely to suffer from severe conditions and these 

 strains should then be 'fed' and handled so as to enable 

 them to prepare themselves to withstand the damaging 

 effects of winter and early spring to the best possible 

 advantage. 



Why Old Established Sorts May Be Hardier. 



The superior ability of the old so-called "native" 

 autpmn wheat sorts of Sweden to withstand the winter 

 has long been recognized. In fact these sorts have con- 

 stituted the basis in winter wheat breeding work at 

 Svalof where a high degree of hardiness must be retain- 

 ed in all new productions. As to why these sorts should 

 actually be hardier has long been a matter of con- 

 jecture. Within recent years rather extensive analyses 

 have been made of growing plants both of 'native' sorts 

 and of more recent productions to ascertain whether or 

 not there is any co-relation between sugar content of the 

 plant and its ability to withstand cold. The results are 

 not absolutel.v conclusive but are decidedly significant. 

 They show clearly that those sorts carrying the highest 

 percentage of sugar are decidedly the hardiest. The 

 above inve.stigations were carried on during the winter 

 of 1917-18 by A. Akermann, Hj. Johannson and B. Pla- 

 ton of Sweden and are published in "Sveregis Utsades 



forenings Tidski-ift 1918 pp. 216, 224. An interesting 

 summary of these investigations by Dr. M. 0. Malte, 

 Dominion Agrostologist, Ottawa, wdl be found in the 

 Agricultural Gazette for April 1919, pp. 329-331. We 

 entirely agree with Dr. Malte in concluding that "the 

 mere fact that cold resistance has been proven to be 

 measurable by jihysiologico-chemical methods, opens up 

 a new field of jjarticular interest to Canada." 



**"Zur Kentnis der Erblichkeitsverhaltnisse der 

 Eiglnschaft Winterfestigkfit beim weizen." "Zeitsehrift 

 fur Pflanzenzuchtung. " Paul Parev, Berlin, Bd. I, 

 1912, pp. 3-12. 



MARKETING THE 1921 WOOL CLIP. 



All the necessary arrangements have recently been 

 completed for tihe collection, grading and selling of 

 a large portion of Canada's 1921 wool clip under the 

 co-operative plan. In Ontario, the wool is being 

 collected at the Winter Fair Buildings, Guelph, under 

 the auspices of the Ontario Sheep Breeders' Asso- 

 ciation. Shipments of any size can be made to that 

 point, by local freight, and addressed to the 0. S. B. 

 A. where they will be graded by expert graders sup- 

 plied by the Live Stock Branch, Ottawa. All of these 

 graders are thoroughly experienced wool men, highly 

 qualified to pass the best possible judgment on eae/i 

 and every fleece. After all shipments are graded, the 

 wool is sold by the Canadian Cooperative Wool Grow- 

 ers, Limited, Toronto. This latter Organization is a 

 Company organized and controlled by sheepmen res- 

 ident in all part.s of the Dominion and which last 

 season made .successful sales of some 5,000,000 pounds 

 of wool, on a graded basis. Of this amount approx- 

 imately 650,000 pounds came out of the Province of 

 Ontario, and consisted of .some 4,000 shipments from 

 all sections of the Province. 



T|iis comparatively new method of taking care of 

 the wool produced in Canada is one that is not only 

 gaining in favor each season with t^ie .sh('C]nncn' but it 

 is serving at the same time to place Canadian wool 

 on an entirely different plane with the Canadian 

 manufacturer. Gradually hut surely a demand is 

 being built up with Canadian mills for certain grades 

 which have now been standardized in this country, 

 and which the Canadian Co-operative is ready to 

 stand behind a,s uniform and satisfactory. Approx- 

 imately 2,500,000 pounds of the 5,000,000 handled 

 last season went to the Canadian trade. This is more 

 than in any other season and it is anticipated that 

 a fairly ready sale will eventually be found in Canada 

 for every pound of wool that we produce. In short 

 every effort is being made to co-operate with the 

 Canadian Manufacturer as well as with the Canadian 

 producer. 



As for tIhe producer, in selling co-operatively he 

 receives full market value for his clip less actual 

 operating cost. Good care and proper feeding are 

 rewarded with higher grading. Lack of care and 

 poor preparation of the wool for market means that 

 many shipments grade as seedy, burry, cotted, sisal, 

 etc. Thus co-operative marketing is educative. Fur- 

 thermore, producers have an interest in following 

 their clip to its ultimate goal — the mill — and they 

 have an investment in their own marketing agency. 

 Tjiose who have not tried this system of marketing 

 in the past should give it a trial this season. They 

 should also lend a hand in furthering Canadian sales 

 by asking for Canadian goods made by Canadian mills 

 from Canadian wool. 



