18 



BREEDING DROUGHT-RESISTANT FORAGE PLANTS. 



power of the progeny. Column 6 of the table gives the seed yield 

 per 100 grams weight of plant, showing the relation between the seed 

 yield and forage production in each progeny row. It will be seen 

 that a large seed yield is usually associated with a large forage yield, 

 as is shown by a comparison of columns I and 5. This result throws 

 some light upon the question whether or not heavy seed production 

 and heavy forage production are opposed, or whether they can be 

 combined in 'the same individual: the results seem to indicate that 

 these two characteristics can be combined. This purpose has. in fact. 

 been constantly kept in mind in the selection of the mother plants. 



Table II is inserted to show the comparative yields of the strains 

 represented in the breeding work. It will be seen that strain E ex- 

 ceeds all others in both seed yield and forage production, as shown 

 by the yield per plant, and that large seed yield and heavy forage 

 production can be combined in the same strain. 



Table II. — Proportion of plants winterkilled and average yield of each strain represented 

 in the alfalfa-breeding nursery at Bellefourche. S. Dak., in 1909. 



S:::.:v- 



Varietv from which derived. 



Winter- 

 killing, 

 190S-9. 



nnnSSf nf Average Average 

 ni X£ r , of drvweisht seed vield 

 harmed- P^ plant, per plant. 



Per cent. 



A Turkestan 182 



B Do 2 132 



C Grimm 2S1 



D Commercial Turkestan 121 



E Grimm 4 601 



F Turkestan 1 354 



Grams. 

 147 

 153 

 141 

 132 

 162 

 150 



Grams. 



WINTERKILLING . 



The winterkilling of the varieties in the breeding nursery during 

 the winter of 190S-9 was practically negligible, while the broadcast 

 plats and cultivated rows of the same varieties did not show any 

 killing at all. The nursery method of planting, where each plant 

 stands alone and unprotected, is the most severe test of hardiness. 

 At the Ashcroft (S. Dak.) Weather Bureau station, where conditions 

 are probably most nearly representative of the Bellefourche Experi- 

 ment Farm, a temperature of — 30° F. was recorded in January. 1909. 



It should be said that the varieties of alfalfa represented in the 

 breeding plats at the Bellefourche Experiment Farm have been sub- 

 jected to severe winterkilling tests for several generations. They 

 represent selections, some of three and some of four generations of 

 individual plants grown in the breeding nursery at Highniore under 

 conditions which eliminated the less hardy individuals. The mini- 

 mum temperatures recorded during the time the work was carried 

 on at the Highniore substation are as follows: 1904. —27° F.: 1905. 

 -36° F.: 1906. -31° F.; 1907, -27° F. There was some winter- 



196 



