82 WHEAT PRODUCTION IN NEW ZEALAND 
consistently on Mendelian lines, but it must be confessed 
that so far the intricacies of the problem have prevented 
the attainment of very notable results. 
A summary of the wheat selection work within the 
last century is, therefore, as follows :— 
1. Single ear selection. Le Couteur (1815). Svalof 
(1893).* 
a. Centgener power. Hay and von Lochow. 
2. Influence of Environment. Hallett (1857). 
3. Mass Selection. Rimpau and others (whole of 
19th Century). 
4, Cross Breeding. Ferrar (1896). 
a. Mendelian Crossing. Biffen (1903—). 
2. The Choice of a System for New Zealand. 
In 1909 the writer was instructed by Mr. R. E. 
Alexander, Director of Canterbury Agricultural College, 
to undertake experimental work in the improvement of 
wheat for growing in Canterbury. The scanty literature 
on the subject was examined in order to see what method 
would be likely to lead to results satisfactory both as 
to magnitude and early maturity. Some whisperings of 
the work done at Svalof had by this time reached New 
Zealand, and such information as we had of their methods 
backed by the common knowledge of inheritance in plants 
seemed to indicate single ear selection as the best plan 
of action to adopt. Later information as to the Swedish 
methods and results has fully confirmed this view. As 
mentioned above, the Swedish Seed Association was 
founded in 1886. It was a private venture, but its 
development is closely bound up with the economic and 
social progress of the country. It now owns thousands of 
acres of land and palatial laboratories manned by a staff 
*1893 was the year in which single ear selection started. 
Previous to that mass selection had been used. About 1904 cross- 
breeding was added to single ear selection. 
