NOS. 620-621] COLOR IN AVBNA CROSSES 371 



Material and Methods 



The present authors have been working with oat 

 species crosses for several years. A number of dif- 

 ferent combinations have been made and studied, includ- 

 ing several species and many of their derivatives. It is 

 planned here to emphasize certain results obtained with 

 a cross between Arena fatua and Arena satira var. 

 Sixty Day. This Sixty Day variety is identical with the 

 Kherson as used by Surface so far as general varietal 

 characteristics are concerned, yet no doubt there are 

 many strains of both sorts. 



The Arena fatua in appearance was similar to the type 

 used by Surface and has the characters described above. 

 The Sixty Day oat is yellow and seldom do any awns 

 appear. There are no dorsal hairs but an occasional 

 basal hair may be found. 



The plants used in making these crosses were grown 

 in the greenhouse since a greater number of successful 

 pollinations can be made than when the plants are grown 

 in the field. The Arena fatua was used as the female 

 parent and a number of flowers were emasculated and 

 pollinated. Three seeds developed and each produced a 

 plant. The F 1 generation plants were also grown in the 

 greenhouse since they may receive greater care and more 

 seed may be obtained. All later generations were grown 

 in the field, spacing the plants two to three inches in the 

 rows. 



Discussion of Results 

 The F x type was as described by Surface, generally 

 intermediate in type. The color was brown somewhat 

 lighter than the wild type. The large kernel of the 

 spikelet was often awned and was covered with dorsal 



