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THE MAKING AND IMPROVEMENT OF WHEATS 
CHANGES DUE TO ENVIRONMENT. 
Every farmer should have his own test plots, even if only two or 
three in number, and test the yield of his selected seed against that of 
his main crop. The variations in soil, the aspect of his farm, and the 
climatic conditions, have their influence in determining the prolificacy 
of the strains within a variety, on the quality and amount of gluten, 
on the strength of the flour made from the grain, and even on the colour 
of the flour, which is also a commercial asset. The milling test of a 
variety grown in one district varies from that grown in another, even 
when the seed is taken from the same bag. This, in itself, indicates 
the advisability, in districts where the lower-quality wheat is produced, 
that patient selection is needed to determine strains or varieties which, 
though they may not have such a high milling excellence as the grair 
produced in the more favoured district, have the defects reduced to a 
minimum. 
The presence of a little extra salt or other toxic substance in a soil, 
even in the same district, may be sufficient cause to make one variety 
or one strain succeed better than another, and this can only be arrived 
at by tests. 
Prolificacy in wheat is due to a number of complex conditions, and 
is therefore not a Mendelian character. In the northern districts of the 
State, without taking into consideration the inherent qualities of the 
variety, it is practically measured by the evenness and proper thickness 
of the crop, which are dependent on the thoroughness of the cultivation 
and manuring, the proper seeding, the even development and ripening 
of the primary stems, and a minimum growth of secondary ones; also on 
the strength of the straw, and the absence of diseases, whether due to 
the climatic conditions being unfavorable, or to the inherent resistance 
of the variety to disease in regard to rust, and to the care in pickling 
_as regards ball smut. 
However perfect and prolific the ear may be, the qualities of the 
straw must be good, otherwise loss is made when harvesting the crop 
or should the weather be unfavorable. 
The Factors influencing the Prolificacy of a Variety are, then— 
(a) Its inherent qualities in respect to the prolificacy of the ears. 
(b) Climatic conditions suiting it. 
(c) Favorable soil conditions as regards plant-food, texture, and 
moisture. 
(d) The inherent qualities as applied to the practical harvesting 
of the highest percentage of grain. 
The Inherent Qualities Associated with Prolificacy are:— 
(1) A well developed root system. 
(2) Tillering properties suitable to the climate and soil. 
(3) The number of rows of spikelets per ear, and the qualities 
of the rachis and glumes in holding the grain. 
(4) The number of fertile florets per spikelet, with which is 
associated the pollen-bearing capacity of the anthers. 
(5) The density and plumpness of the grain. 
(6) The resistance of the variety to diseases. 
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