1905.] 



Improvement of Wheat. 



i57 



rainfall and the amount of sunshine are not determining factors 

 in the production of strength. 



The effect of autumn versus spring sowing has been further 

 investigated, and the results of the two years' work on this 

 subject show that the time occupied from earing to cutting is 

 not a cause nor an index of strength. 



The effect of manuring has been carefully tested, and affords 

 ample confirmation of the facts previously disclosed, that long- 

 continued applications of nitrogenous manures in heavy 

 dressings do actually send up the total percentage of nitrogen 



Nos. 1 and 2. Improved " Red Fife." Third year grown in England, raised from 

 seed originally supplied by Dr. Saunders, Director of the Government Experimental 

 Station, Ottawa. No. 3, " Golden Drop " (very fine sample). Nos. I and 3 were 

 grown side by side on the same farm at Faversham. No. 2 was grown at Cambridge. 



and dry gluten, but the baking value of flours from wheat so 

 treated is greatly deteriorated. 



The Committee do not make any definite pronouncement 

 as to what is the cause of strength, but they regard breed as 

 an extremely important, if not predominant, factor. It has 

 been found that bad land, which in previous tests yielded 

 poor quality wheat when ordinary English wheats were grown, 

 yield first-class results as to strength with other sorts of wheat. 

 Another point is that although most foreign wheats degenerate 

 when grown in England, there are exceptions. Among some 

 hundreds of Russian samples sown, only four have been 

 selected as worth investigating further. Three of these are in 

 their fourth year. Tests have also been made with Hungarian 

 and Canadian varieties. The results obtained from one of the 

 latter — Fife wheat — appear of importance. It was grown at Wye 

 College in 1902, at six centres in 1903, and at three places in 

 1904. A very interesting result was obtained by a farmer 

 who obtained some Fife seed from Wye College and planted 



No. 3. 



No. 1. 



No. 2. 



