LUTHER BURBANK 



It is obvious that such a variant type of oats 

 gives opportunity for selection and development 

 of new varieties. 



The tendency to vary as to time of ripening 

 has peculiar interest, as suggesting the possibility 

 of adapting oats — and doubtless also the other 

 cereals — to different climates, or even of the 

 production of different varieties in the same 

 locality, which, by ripening at different seasons, 

 would enable the farmer to avoid the excessive 

 rush of work that attends the harvest season. 



Several years ago I worked quite extensively 

 on buckwheat. My work consisted largely of 

 selecting the larger, plumper, and lighter-colored 

 kernels. I worked with both the common buck- 

 wheat and the Japanese species. A certain amount 

 of crossing was done, but in general the plants 

 were found to be so variable that nothing more 

 was necessary than to select among the different 

 forms that appeared spontaneously. 



Considerable, though relatively slow progress 

 was made in the i^roduction of a better quality of 

 grain. The experiments were discontinued before 

 I began the extensive hybridization of the two 

 species that had been contemplated. They could 

 without doubt be crossed to advantage. 



Among textile plants, and plants of use in the 

 textile industries, my most interesting recent 



[300] 



