VERNALIZATION EXPERIMENTS "WITH FORAGE CROPS / 



In tables 3 to 5 are given the results of tests with varieties of foxtail 

 millet grown in a greenhouse, and in table 6, tests with this crop 

 grown in the open. 



As shown in table 3, the vernalized seed sown March 15 started 

 into growth ahead of the check, and the plants were slightly larger 

 throughout the period of development. The two lots, however, 

 headed at the same time. That sown April 5 was a little slower than 

 the check in starting and gave a very thin stand. At time of thinning, 

 when the plants were about 4 inches high, the vernalized plants were 

 stockier than in the check, owing to the thicker stand of the latter. 

 Later, the vernalized plants were larger than those of the check but 

 were delayed in coming into head. In the May 10 planting, the check 

 was as early as the vernalized lots, and the variation in total growth is 

 not significant. 



Table 3. — German foxtail millet sown in greenhouse 





Vernalization 



Culms headed on 

 s. date indicated 



Length of culms ' 





Treatment 



Days 



Ratio 

 of wa- 

 ter to 

 seed 



Tem- 

 pera- 

 ture 



May 

 13 



Mav 



15 



May 

 17 



June 

 13 



Long- 

 est 



Total 



A ver- 



age 



Remarks 



Check 



Num- 

 ber 



Per- 

 cent 



C. 



Num- 

 ber' 

 1 



1 



Num- 

 ber 

 3 

 3 



Nn ru- 

 ber 

 5 



7 



Num- 

 ber 

 13 

 13 



Inches 

 34 

 38 



39 

 40 

 51 



60 

 66 

 60 

 53 



Inches 

 375 

 419 



229 

 246 

 297 



387 

 361 

 413 

 348 



Inches 

 28.8 

 32.2 



32.8 

 35.1 

 42.4 



48.4 

 51.6 

 59.0 

 49.7 



Maturing June 13. 

 Maturing June 13; 

 quickest in start- 



Vernalized 2 -.. 



5 



22 



20-30 





June 13 



June 23 



July 1 



ing. 



Check 



6 

 4 

 



7 

 7 

 5 



7 

 7 

 7 





Vernalized 3 ... 

 Do.* 



5 

 5 



22 

 22 



32 

 32 







July 



15 



July 

 17 



July Aug. 

 20 2 





Check . 



1 

 

 2 

 1 



l 



3 1 5 8 



Latest starting. 



Started first. 

 Intermediate start- 

 ing. 



Vernalized 6 — . 



Do.6 



Do.s 



5 

 5 



22 

 22 

 26 



20-23 

 20-23 

 20-23 





1 

 3 



1 





2 

 5 

 2 



4 



7 

 6 



1 All plants were mature when harvested. 



2 Vernalized in alternating light and darkness and then dried 6 weeks and sown Mar. 15, 1933 Total=13 

 plants. 



3 Seed sterilized and vernalized in total darkness and then dried and sown Apr. 5, 1933. 



1 Seed not sterilized but vernalized in total darkness and then dried; slowest starting; latent maturing 

 so wn Apr. 5, 1933. Total = 7 plants. 



5 The check by error had 8 instead of 7 plants. 



s Vernalized in alternating light and darkness and then dried and sown May 10, 1933. Total=7 plants. 



