148 maine agricultural experiment station. i914. 



Varieties Tested. 



The number of commercial varieties of oats appears to be 

 unlimited. In a great many cases the chief difference between 

 these so-called varieties is in the name. On the other hand, 

 there are a number of distinct varieties separated from each 

 other by marked morphological or physiological characters. 

 The remaining so-called varieties are simply strains selected 

 out of one of the fundamental varieties. Many of these strains 

 are characterized by stiff er straw or greater yield than that of 

 the mother variety. Inasmuch as these strains tend to breed 

 true to these characters it is perhaps justifiable to designate 

 them as separate varieties. 



X 



Plot 

 Number 



piS^„ 



PLANT 



SEED USED 



Disposal or Seeo Produced 

















^^ 













0. 



























;5 























10 



1- 













a 

 1 

 5 























0. 

 X 



u 

 J 

 < 













































3 













e 







< 



u 



z 

































z 

























J^ig. 36. Facsimile of Plot Index sheet used in the plant breeding zvork. 



Table i gives the name and the source of the seed of all the 

 varieties which have been tested at any time in the past four 

 years. In some cases several strains of the same variety were 

 obtained from different sources. In general only one such strain 

 of a variety has been continued after the first year. Several 

 ■varieties appeared to be so poorly adapted to our conditions that 

 they have been dropped after one or two years' trial. 



