AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMBNT STATION. 



135 



EXPERIMENTS IN IMPROVEMENT OF PLANTS BY SEED 

 SELECTION. 



The idea prevails to a considerable extent that great improvement 

 may be made in the productiveness of agricultural plants by the 

 careful selection of the largest, plumpest seeds for planting. With 

 a view of learning to what extent if any, such improvements could 

 be brought about the following experiment was undertaken. Four 

 varieties of oats were taken from which were selected the largest, 

 heaviest kernels to the amount of two quarts in each case. These 

 were sown on plots of land 1 2 feet b3' 90 feet while like amounts of the 

 same varieties of oats which were taken from the common stock 

 were sown on similar adjoining plots. Both sets of plots received 

 the same treatment as to cultivation and manure. 



In the following table the results are given : 



Oats — Variety. 



Yield of grain when 

 largest and heaviest 

 kernels selected for 

 seed. 



Yield of grain from 

 seed from the com- 

 mon stock. 



Weight of meas- 

 ured bushel from 

 selected seed. 



Weight for meas- 

 ured bushel from 

 common seed. 



Clydesdale 



lbs. oz. 

 38 

 42 8 

 42 4 

 44 12 



lbs. OE. 

 19 0* 



43 e 



30 12 

 43 12 



lbs. 



34 



36 



35 



32 



lbs. 

 34 



Ntw Race Horse. 



White Victoria 



36.5 

 37 





36 





*The Clydesdale plot sown to the common seed was invested with witch grass and the yield 

 much depresied. 



During the growing season many who visited the plots believed 

 those which were planted with the selected seed, to have stronger 

 and more vigorous plants. An examination of the results show no 

 increase in the weight of a measured bushel of th« oats from the 

 selected seed over those grown from the common stock, and it is 

 very doubtful if any actual gain has been made in the yield per 

 plot. 



