THE MAKING AND IMPROVEMENT OF WHEATS. 
prolific, and possess to a high degree the proper harvesting qualities. 
This latter is quite within the ‘scope of work of the interested wheat- 
grower, but he should test each selected plant in its own plot, and not 
mix the strains when sowing the seed. At harvest, he compares the 
yields and accumulates -the seed of the strain best suiting his ‘environ- 
ment. This work should be carried on year by year. It is done at the’ 
College with all the standard varieties, hence the reason, when the seed 
bought by farmers is tested against their own unselected seed, it almost’ 
invariably gives the higher yield. Every farmer should induce ‘his sons 
to'take up the work of ‘seed selection if he has not the inclination or time 
to carry it out himself. It means increased wealth, not only to himself,: 
but also to the nation, as his name for good, pure, and healthy seed 
would soon be widely known in his and the surrounding districts, with 
the result that his efforts become of far-reaching dro PORE: 
Tue tiered eran Meruop or Buying Wuear. 
The time will surely come when such a- basis as- the “Fair Average 
Quality ” will be too wide, and the purest, cleanest, and healthiest plump 
wheat alone will command the highest price. - This is as it should be, 
and would be the greatest incentive to the growing of clean crops of 
pure grain. - Farmers would then select and keep selecting, just as the 
studmaster has for his motto “ Breed up, and still breed up.” ‘There 
is nothing to prevent the wheat-grower doing likewise with ‘his seed. 
Select and still select, until a variety is produced which will make the 
original stock pale with insignificance. It becomes a “has been,” like 
so many of the old standard varieties whose names are almost forgotten. 
There is no magic in the transformation. It is simply intelligence 
brought to bear in a practical way. ‘To do this, a scientific education 
is not necessary, but scientific thoughts are, and. bring to bear applied 
intelligence. 
Tue Imporrance or 4 Screntiric Spirrr amonG WHEAT-GROWERS. 
The scientific farmer will likely arrive earlier, since he may know 
why the variety is not altogether a success. or instance, knowing the 
climate and rainfall, it will at once occur to him in’the dry wheat belt 
that a moderate tillering plant of early maturity will give a better return 
than a strain which tillers much, and thus he would-strive to select 
strains which will not waste their energies in throwing up stems which 
they cannot properly mature. He sows just sufficient seed per acre not 
to give too much space to induce tillering, but just sufficient for each 
individual plant to thoroughly mature a few stems that the soil and 
rainfall allow. 
(To be gone 
a 
Zs aS 
379 
