1920.] Plant Breeding at Aberystwyth. 745 



extreme limits of oat cultivation, and the other at lower eleva- 

 tions under general conditions of high rainfall. 



At the higher altitudes Avena strigosa, known as " Ceirch 

 Llwyd " or " Teify " Oat, is extensively grown, and the 

 grain and straw obtained is chaffed together for horse feed; 

 the usual practice is only to thresh enough grain for seed 

 purposes. The local black oat, " Ceirch du Bach," is also 

 grown under similar conditions in Cardiganshire and parts of 

 Pembrokeshire, its place being taken in Kadnorshire by the 

 Eadnorshire Sprig or Welsh Sprig Oat. Potato, Tartar, with 

 the local black oats and some of the newer varieties, especially 

 Abundance, are grown at the lower elevations. Early maturity 

 and an ability to stand are essentials in an oat grown under the 

 conditions prevailing, while a straw of good feeding value is 

 also necessary, since the great majority of the oats grown, at 

 all events in West and Central Wales, are for consumption on 

 the farm. Preliminary work is being undertaken in three, 

 directions: first, a critical study and analysis of the local or 

 " land " oats; secondly, a systematic study of oat varieties in 

 general; and thirdly, yield trials with the varieties in com- 

 moner use in comparison with the local oats. It has 

 been found, for instance, that samples of Ceirch du 

 Bach, in addition to containing the grain of other varieties 

 (chiefly the Teify Oat and Potato) also give rise to several 

 forms which are to be regarded as difterent types of this- 

 " land " oat. It is probable that five forms will be isolated' 

 from the current "J^lots. The most interesting is perhaps a 

 grey grained type similar in other respects to the commonest 

 black type, and which appears to breed true to greyness. 



It cannot yet be said whether the grey and other forms that 

 have been identified wiW prove to be of economic significance; 

 these are, of course, being isolated with a view to the 

 possibility of ultimately working up pure lines from those 

 forms which preliminary mass selection proves to be of the 

 greatest value. 



The most important aspect of this season's work has been/ 

 the critical study of varieties. This has been undertaken 

 with two ends in view: (1) to prepare a key to the identifica- 

 tion of oat varieties, and (2) to contrast and study the earli- 

 ness or the reverse and other agricultural properties of the 

 varieties, with the ultimate object of making judicious 

 selections of parents for hybridization. 



It has been the endeavour at the Station to grow as many 



