36 BULLETIN 39, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



averaged 4.3 bushels to the acre more than Manchuria (Minn. No. 6) 

 in an 8-year test, and 0.8 bushel more than Manchuria (Minn. No. 

 105) in a 6-year test. At Highmore another variety of the Hanna 

 group, the Bohemian (C. I. No. 27), has equaled the Hannchen in 

 yield, but has been inferior in uniformity and quality. At Brook- 

 ings the Hannchen has not yielded as well as the best 6-rowed va- 

 rieties. Table XV shows that the 1910 crop of Hannchen barley at 

 Highmore weighed 49 pounds to the measured bushel and that 1,000 

 grains weighed 25.5 grams. The protein content was 18.T per cent. 



Hannchen is a variety of 2-rowed barley to which the barley grow- 

 ers of central South Dakota can well afford to give more attention. 



Kitzing.— The Kitzing barley (S. Dak. No. 189, C. I. No. 189) is 

 very similar to the Hannchen in appearance. It is uniform and 

 of good quality. At Brookings it has been the best yielding 2-rowed 

 variety. It was first grown at Highmore in 1910, but has thus far 

 shown no superiority to the Hannchen. The latter variety is prob- 

 ably to be preferred for the central district of the State. It is not 

 advisable to grow the Kitzing barley in the eastern district, because 

 of the danger of mixture with the 6-rowed varieties on the farm or 

 at the elevator, thus lowering the value of both. 



IMPROVEMENT OF THE GRAIN CROPS. 



The improvement of the small-grain crops of South Dakota will 

 be discussed in detail in a later publication, giving the results of 

 the breeding work which is in progress at the Brookings and High- 

 more stations. A brief statement is included here to show what is 

 necessary to make the crop-breeding work of the station and the 

 United States Department of Agriculture of the fullest possible 

 benefit to the grower. To obtain the best results, the grower must 

 get seed of the best varieties and then keep this seed up to a high 

 standard of purity and quality. Any variety of grain may de- 

 teriorate through the presence of inferior seed or through accidental 

 mixture with other varieties if care is not taken to remove them 

 from the seed each year. 



One of the best plans for keeping seed pure is to use what is known 

 as the seed-plat method. To put this method into effect it is neces- 

 sary to select enough of the best-appearing heads from the field to 

 furnish seed for a seed plat of perhaps 1 acre the following year. 

 These heads should be dried thoroughly to avoid molding and then 

 thrashed in the most convenient manner. The seed thus obtained 

 should be thoroughly fanned and used to plant the seed-improvement 

 plat. The crop from this plat will be available for seed for the main 

 field for the ensuing year. Enough heads should be selected from 

 the seed plat each year to sow the seed plat the following year. By 

 thus growing a special seed plat each year the standard of excellence 



