GEAIISr-SOEGHUM EXPEEIMEISTTS IN THE PANHANDLE OF TEXAS. 59 



Six heads were saved from this head row of selection No. 30. The 

 seed from these heads was sown in 1908 in six head rows, numbered 

 30-1 to 30-6, inclusive. Later in the year Cereal Investigations No. 

 340 was given to the selection No. 30. Two of these six rows, Nos. 

 1 and 2, proved uniformly dwarf and early, and heads selected in row 

 1 have been the progenitors of the Dawn (dwarf) kafir hereafter con- 

 sidered. Rows 3 to 6 were all early, but heterozygous for height. 

 Row 4 contained both tall and dwarf plants, but was most uniform 

 in other respects. Heads were selected from the tall plants. Rows 

 3, 5, and 6 were discarded. 



In 1909 five head rows were grown (C. I. No. 340-4-1 to 5). These 

 all bred fairly true to the tall early type, though containing some 

 dwarf stalks. Heads were selected from both tall stalks and dwarf 

 stalks. Their records in the plats begin with this year. 



In 1910, seed from heads taken from tall plants was sown in 10 

 head rows (C. I. No. 340-4Bt-l to 10). The resulting plants were 

 nearly all tall, though a few dwarfs appeared again. The average 

 height was 5.3 feet. The tall and early selection being now fairly 

 well fixed, it was given the distinct number C. I. No. 472, and later 

 named Sunrise on account of its earliness. Ten head rows (C. I. No. 

 340-4Bd-l to 10) also were sown with seed from the dwarf plants in 

 No. 340-4 of 1909. The plants in these rows were all homozygous for 

 dwarf stature and differed not at all from those grown from the seed 

 of No. 340-1 or Dawn (dwarf) kafir. 



Like all the other kafirs, this selection did not produce heads in 

 1913. In the other seven years the average duration of the vegetative 

 period has been 88 days, of the fruiting period 36 days, and of the whole 

 growing period 124 days. Blackhull kafir did not mature in 1916, and 

 the record of Sunrise is not complete in 1909, so that comparison can 

 be made only for the five years, 1910 to 1912, 1914, and 1915. In these 

 five years the average duration of the three periods in Sunrise kafir 

 was 85.6 days, 38.6 days, and 124.2 days, respectively. In Black- 

 hull kafir the average duration of these periods in all selections was 

 88.8 days, 42.2 days, and 131.0 days, respectively. This shows an 

 average shortening of the growing period by 7.5 days in favor of the 

 Sunrise kafir, which is an item of much importance in districts where 

 the season is fairly short and summer drought is of frequent occur- 

 rence. 



The complete experimental data are found in Table XXI, a study 

 of which shows that fairly good germination and good stands were 

 obtained in all eight years. The closest spacing was one plant to 

 each 4.7 inches, the widest was one plant to each 17 inches, and the 

 average was one plant to each 9.2 inches in the 8-year period. In 

 the very dry spring of 1910, when poor germination was recorded 

 from nearly all varieties, the plant space in Sunrise kafir was 17 inches. 



