IMPROVEMENT OF WHEAT BY SELECTION 95 
ones failed. Even after a success was assured the annual 
selections were continued to see if a strain superior to 
what was originally called Hunter’s Al would be 
obtained. Thus from 1910 till the present time about 65 
pure strains of Hunter’s have been under trial each year, 
but none of these has so far proved better than Al. Ten 
other strains are still under trial. 
In Velvet the same work has been done as in Hunter’s. 
Some 400 selections have been made, but none has proved 
of sufficient merit to warrant its distribution. Several 
times over strains of high yield have been secured, but 
these had to be rejected owing to thickness of husk 
or to poor quality of flour, or liability to ‘‘shake’’ in 
the wind. On the other hand, strains of good quality 
have been isolated, but their yield was not constantly 
above that of the commercial sample. 
In Pearl, also, 400 selections have been made, and one 
of these has successfully passed its fourth year of trial. 
It is of high quality and has averaged 4 bushels per acre 
more than the commercial seed. This year (1917) it 
will be tried by a few selected farmers as well as in the 
plots at the College. 
In White Straw Tuscan again out of about 500 
selections two give considerable promise, and are in their 
fourth year of trial. Of these also some seed will be 
given to a few farmers for trial before a pronouncement 
is made, 
Solid Straw Tuscan is a variety that shows great 
evenness of growth and few variations, and the earlier 
selections proved worthless. One of the 50 selections 
made in 1918, however, when it was harvested in 1914 
gave evidence of good quality combined with high pro- 
ductivity. Successive trials have caused it to keep its 
position in the breeding plots, and it is now entering on 
its final year before an opinion is finally expressed as to 
its superiority. 
