32 



BULLETIN 336, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



of grain, and straw indicate that the proportion of grain to straw in 

 rye is somewhat less than in wheat. The average weight per bushel 

 has been about 1£ pounds below the standard, with little variation 

 between individual varieties. 



LEADING VARIETIES. 



The number of distinct varieties of rye is quite small. A large 

 number of the so-called varieties have no particular distinguishing 

 characters. It has been found at Arlington Farm that the several 

 distinct varieties are becoming harder to recognize from year to year, 

 despite the precautions that are taken to prevent cross-pollination. 



Fig. 4. 



-Heads of E our varieties of winter rye grown at Arlington Farm: 1 , Giant Winter; 2, Virginia 

 Winter; 3, Abruzzes; 4, Henry. 



It is believed that eventually it will become necessary to discontinue 

 all but the one variety that possesses the most desirable characters 

 and then improve this one isolated variety. The different varieties 

 grown at Arlington Farm during the past four years are all of more 

 or less promise. For this reason the origin and a brief mention of 

 each are given in the following paragraphs. 



Giant Winter. — The Giant Winter rye, C. I. No. 30, was obtained 

 from France through the Office of Foreign Seed and Plant Introduc- 

 tion in 1902. The three strains of this variety in Table IX are all 

 from the same original stock. The California strain was obtained 

 from that State in 1910, in order to compare it with the strain which 

 had been grown continuously in the East since the importation of 



