VARIETY TESTING 
The most important single step in a program 
of grain breeding is in securing accurate and 
dependable yield records. 
It is self evident that a primary and funda- 
mental objective of all plant breeding is to 
increase yield and improve quality. Therefore, 
the plant breeder must recognize the supreme 
importance of laying out and carrying on his 
tests in such a manner and for a sufficient 
number of years to insure reliable comparative 
yield results of the varieties he is testing. 
The first and most important step in variety 
testing is in the selection of a piece of land 
which is level, well drained and as uniform as 
possible. 
PREPARATION OF SOIL 
In order to avoid the danger of volunteer 
plants, our grain variety test is planted follow- 
ing a clean cultivated crop such as cotton. Before 
planting, the land is first disced, broken, disced 
again, harrowed, smoothed with cultipacker and 
harrowed again. This is done in order to provide 
an ideal seed bed so that uniform stands can 
be secured. 
PLANTING 
After the plot has been prepared, the beds are 
laid off perpendicular to rows of previous crop 
and numbered. Ample roox is allowed for walk- 
ways. Each variety is planted in four-row plots 
with at least six sets or replications of each 
and the seed weighed out for each row. The two 
outside rows are used for guard rows and the 
two inside rows for yield record. Our possible 
new strains which show unusual promise and 
their principle competing varieties are included 
twice in each set giving double the number of 
replications. Every fifth plot is a check of our 
standard or leading variety which serves as a 
constant measure against which to appraise the 
value of possible new strains and as a check on 
soil uniformity. 
The seed are planted by hand and covered 
and rolled by hand operated implements. 
During the growing season weeds are kept 
down by cultivating and hoeing when necessary. 
PREPARATION AND APPLICATION 
OF FERTILIZER 
It is highly important that a fertilizer mixture 
be used that can be distributed evenly and uni- 
formly, and accordingly, our grain test plot 
fertilizer is thoroughly mixed and carefully 
screened so as to be in perfect mechanical con- 
dition. One application of fertilizer is applied 
to grain test plots during the late winter by hand 
operated distributor, which is adjusted for uni- 
form distribution and is operated by a trained 
man. 
The harvesting of test plots is fully outlined 
in photographs shown on these pages. 
Page Fight 
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Measuring off two center rows in four- 
row plots in our main wheat variety 
test to be harvested for yield record. 
Center rows are harvested and stacked 
rot a VeX= Wm) eXe Mo) mh 0) Co) 
so Co f-Mo 0 ¢-ME-T-Ten 0a) Oram tC-Xe Moy o MOD ¥ OCS) Co (Mm Co) 
prevent any loss of grain which would 
result in inaccurate yield figures. 

