WHEAT 



141 



seed from the general crop. This method of improve- 

 ment has great possibilities. At some of the experiment 

 stations strains have been developed from single heads 

 that not only outyielded the parent variety, but also were 

 superior to it in the stiffness of the straw and other quali- 

 ties. Wheat improvement by the head-row method is 

 less difficult than that of corn by the ear-row method, 

 since wheat is usually self-fertilized and no precautions 

 are necessary to prevent intercrossing as must be taken in 

 corn improvement. 



Fig. 49. — Harvesting wheat plots at Cornell University. 



128. Wheat judging. — Samples of thrashed grain 

 may be judged from the standpoint of its use as seed or 

 for flour or bread-making qualities. Usually in competi- 

 tive shows wheat is judged from the milling standpoint. 

 Before one can judge wheat quickly and accurately from 

 any standpoint, it is necessary to become familiar with 

 the points that are of importance in determining the value 

 of the sample. This familiarity can be gained from careful 

 study or long experience. The student, necessarily, on 



