Messrs Wood and Berry, Selection of seed, etc. 



99 



for several years. From these approved varieties a large number 

 of plants were selected, their seeds collected separately, and ex- 

 amined chemically. Seeds from the superior plants were then 

 sown, and their seeds examined as before. After six years of 

 such selection results were obtained which appear to be of great 

 promise, as is shown in the annexed table. 



Table I. 



Chemical selection has evidently resulted in considerable im- 

 provement in quality, and at the same time the yield has been 

 increased, while the appearance of the grain (grade) is fully 

 maintained. 



The method has been tried in England only in two cases. 

 Collins {Durham College of Science Report, 1900, 1901) describes 

 an application of the method to swedes, but has not yet published 

 results showing the composition of the progeny of his chemically 

 selected mother plants, and Messrs Carter have brought out new 

 varieties of mangels and swedes, which they call "1901," and state 

 to have been produced by growing seed from mother roots of 

 exceptionally high specific gravity. This method of selection was 

 one of the first methods tried for sugar-beet selection, and has 

 long ago been abandoned as unreliable. The percentage of dry 

 matter in Carter's 1901 mangel as shown in the following tables 

 is about the same as, and the percentage of sugar rather lower than, 

 in the Golden Tankards and Globes which it most nearly resembles, 

 so that high specific gravity does not appear to be a safe character 



7—2 



