VARIETIES AND IMPROVEMENTS OF WHEAT.

Otago Witness, Issue 1892, 15 May 1890, Page 6

VARIETIES AND IMPROVEMENTS OF WHEAT.

Of the early attempts rcao'e to introduce new and improved varieties of wheat by crossfertilisation of certain approved sorts, each of whioh however had peculiar objectionable characteristics which it was sought to obliterate, Mr Evershed, in his essay iafche Journal of the Agricultural Society notices the efforts of Mr Raynbird and Mr Maund. A crossbred wheat exhibited by Mr Raynbird obtained the gold

medal of the Highland Society in 1848, and a prize medal at the Great Exhibition of 1851, where Mr Maund also exhibited a collection of cross bred wheata. " The two varieties were perfect contrast, Mr Raynbird impregnated Piper's Thickset with pollen of the Hopatown ; the former being a coarse, red wheat with thick clustered ears and stiff straw, the latter having long ears and straw, and white grains of fine quality. Mr Maund, unfortunately, used as one of the parents cone wheat of a productive but coarse variety, not well Buited to the object in view." The results from the first impregnations in Mr Raynbird's experiments " were a few shrivelled grains which he sowed early in the autumn, increasing the number of plants by division. The produce consisted of many kinds of both ted and white wheat, some of the ears bearing a perfeot resemblance to Piper's Thickset, while others partook of the character of the Hopetown in everything except in the colour of the chaff ; others had half the ear thin and open and the remainder close set, co that the characteristics of each kind were apparent in the same ear." In 1851 Mr Raynbird had by careful selection and band-picking, after Borne successive years of cultivation, succeeded in producing an even sample. But at the time so little importance was attached to the probable advantages likely to accrue from the introduction of improved varieties of wheat that Mr Raynbird and others had no encouragement to continue their experiments and their probable developments. In ISBI or 1882, however, the offer of prizes by the Royal Agricultural Society of England for samples of the beßt new varieties of wheat again diverted attention to the subject, and Mr Bverßhed gives deserved prominence to the experiments instituted by Messrs Garter (the widely-reputed seed merchants) in the crossfertilisation of wheat. The speoified objects to be obtained were "early maturity, productiveness, and high quality of both grain and straw. Another object kept in view was the crossing of rod and white wheat so »b to obtain in one grain the colour of white wheat with the strength and body of tho rod." The Messrs Carter's experiments were commenced in 1883, and, as Mr Evorahed properly remarks, " it is important to notice that ordinary cultivation only was resorted to, as opposed to thin seeding and the production of giant ears." It is here necessary to explain that the cross-fertilisa-tion preccas is of itself simple enough, but to make it serve useful purposes tho products of the cross must be subjected to successive years of cultivation and selection before the desired end can be attained — a distinct variety having permanent and characteristic types. Many, perhaps the majority of wheatgrowers, are under the impression that if they attempted to experiment with different varieties of wheat on the same ridge or field there would be the risk of hybridisation, as [in' other sections of the vegetable kingdom, when the plants ara in flower. A little reflection would show bow illconsidered the subject commonly is. _ Mixed wheats are largely sown, and yet, growing side by side, each sort retains its individuality. The reason for this is extremely simple, and tritely put by M. Henry L. de Vilmorin, quoted by Mr Evershed: "The flower of wheat, as is well known, contains three stamens and one pistil, which latter ends in two feathery branches. The impregnation, as a rule, takes place in the closed flower, before the stamens are pushed out. Indeed, when the flower slightly opens to let the stamens come out and hang on the side of the ear, the work of fertilisation is already accomplished. The consequence^ of this is that the wheat Beed is almost invariably the offspring of only one flower, self fecundated, and that there is scarcely any reason why a wheat seed should not reproduce faithfully all the characteristics of the parent plant which it directly inherits as well on the male as on the female side." M. de Vilmorin therefore says : "There is no reaeon why the hand of man should not accomplish what Nature of itself generally leaves undone — I mean the crossfertilisation of wheat flowers. Few are the plants that can be more easily managed in this respect. Any moderately skilful hand can open the wheat flower, extract the three stamens while still in a green state, and closethe flower again by encircling it with some tie, so as to prevent the possibility of foreign pollen finding its way down to the pistil. If on the next day pollen from another wheat flower be brought in contact with the pistil— a ripe stamen— the oroBS-fertilisation is ensured so effectually that not one operation out of 10 proves unsucoessful." Thus it will readily be perceived that the cross-breeding of cereals judiciously followed up by after selection of the products, promises the only effectual means of developing new varieties having enhanced vigour and other desirable characteristics. But as the offspring of cross-fertilised wheat, for instance, show a variety of forms, and while " it is a simple and easy thing to start variations, the really difficult and somewhat tedious part of the task consists in discriminating which forms are worth preserving, and principally in fixing them by longcontinued aeleotion so as to turn new seedlings into permanent races," Out of hundreds of crossbred seedlings raised at Verrierea byM. de Vilmorin, only three new varieties possessed standard merit/and the most excellent of these was introduced to the public as Dattel. It is a red chaff white head, and tho result of a cross between the Ohidham — a white wheat — and the red-eared Prince Albert. The original grower says of it : — " The new form showed itself at once to b3 a perfectly fixed variety, Tt rapidly gained favour, and is now one of tho white wheats most generally grown in the central districts of France. The straw is white, strong, erect, and fully Gin taller than that of the Ohidham, which was one of the objects in view for effecting the cross," Another new variety raised at Verrieres is now known as Lamed. It is earlier in ripening than Dattel, but M. de Vilmorin says : "It is not so well fixed as the latter, for in spite of all the care in ' roguing ' and selecting, a few plants with white chaff turn up at every generation. This is accounted for by the fact that one.of fche progenitors is a white-eared wheat." In Mr Evershed's essay, written in the spring of last year, a brief summary isgiven of the most interesting results to date of the Messrs Carter's experiments. The particulars are interesting, ac showing the varieties of 3omo of the wheats use J hs parents and the peculiarities of the offspring. A white sort called Fellmeasure, with smooth chaff and square ears, was crossed with selected red square head a.-) the ma'e pirent. Tho offering has louper str^w thsin cithnr t-aren', i.nd loutier cor< than the male, which has, however, dearly iaflu-nced tho cropobred fffspiiufc In tho (jLa)ja of the ear and colour of tho grain. This same successful cross turns out to bri satisfactory iv regard to quality, as we l ! as being one of the oarlieot wheats next to tho TaLwera group.

Another cio^s between Royal Prize Rsd and another loaß-earcd variety exhibits a curious frc^k, since the long, square, thickset ears are distinct from those of either parent. In another cross between the sam 6 red wheat aud a long eared white wheat as male, the influence of the latter has been most potent in the colour of the grain, while curiously enough the offspring ripens a fortnight 6arlier than either parent.

A cross between a woollyebaffed white wheat And a smooth-chaffed clut-li6aded red

for male proved exceedingly vigorous and productive, one plant having yielded 60 ears, and a field crop having produced at the rate of 54 bushels per acre. The colour of the grain shows the influence of each parent alike. In another case square-headed white (female) and long-eared white (male) have produced a wheat which proves to be the last to thrust its ear from the sheath of the stem, while, next to Talavera, it is. one of the earliest to mature. Except that the ear is olosely packed, it favours most the male parent, having an ear and grain of the same colour, and the same length of straw. A cross was effected between Talavera and Royal Prize Red for the purpose of obtaining the early habit and superb quality of the former combined with the vigorous constitution of the latter. The result proved a decided sucoess, tho offspring of the cross, or rather the latest selection from it, possessing the desired qualities. The selection from a cross between & bearded April wheat and an American bearded variety proves earlier than either parent, with grain quite equal to that of the well-known Russian Kubanka, This of course is a spring wheat, and the habit derived from its parents must be kept up by constant sowing in spring, In a note attached Mr Evershed observes : " Perhaps I may venture to commend this sort to certain districts in the Far West, where only the quick wheat can escape the spring and autumn frosts, and mature within the very short limits of the allotted season. The cross has been grown side by side with some Russian wheats grown in Canada on official recommendation, and sent to Messrs Carter by Professor Saunders, and has greatly excelled them in the amount of produce, as in other respects. One of the most singular results of these experiments in crossing wheats is found in a sort to which Menprs Carter have given the characteristic namo of Birdproof. The female paront wr» Fill-muaanre, the male an American beav'od whoat. ; and the cross exhibits Bharp-pr'iited jiwuh on some of the glumes at the ap«x of tho ear, a defence which birds have shown themselves Bhy of approaching. Mr Evorshed slates that during the progress of the experiments it was observed that length of straw iB generally influenced by the male parent, and form and size of oar by tho female. He adds: "Messrs Carter's new wheats, ac cording to the roportß forwarded to me by several growers, appear to poineas in a high degree the vigour of constitution which is often observed in orosses eithor among plants or animals. One of the growers writes to me that the cross grows very vigorously, 'in fact it runs right away from the ordinary wheat.' This account agrees with my own observation of Vilmorin's red chaff white wheat (Dattel), a crose which I saw growing last summer, tho straw being long and stiff, and the grain, as I have since heard, proving to be of bold and of good colowr and quality, yielding above the average." As regards the other and more familiar attempt at the improvement of wheats — selection without cross-fertilisation — Mr Evershed says : " The same physiological law of modification applies to plants as to animals, and I am pleased to say that an improver, both of wheat and sheep, who has greatly modified the latter without cross-breeding, is at the present time applying the same method to the improve ment of wheat. The gentleman I refer to — Mr Alfred de Mornay, of Col d'Arbres, Wailingford (England), famous for the early maturity of nis Hampßhires — has been good enough to send me the following report." This report is published in extenso, but the substance of it is that Mr De Mornay deprecates abnormal enlargement of the ears and grain by thin seeding and Bpecial cultivation, for he holds that products so obtained are constitutionally weak. He continues : " The plan I have gone upon has been as follows :— Having determined the chief characteristics desirable for development, I procured in the first instance those which nearly approached in oharaoter the conditions I had laid down. After repeated trials I ascertained what kinds were the most suitable to the soil. Then by yearly selection from the produce of these, and supplying the elements essential to a healthy growth, I have, I think, in an appreciable degree induced a habit to transmit their acquired character in succession through progressive developments." The following table shows the results and observations made by Mr de Mornay on two varieties of wheat grown by him during nine successive years, and he believes the faot will be apparent that " there has been a decided, though intermittent, improvement effected in both yield and quality." Table Showing me Yield per Aork ov Two Yam sties of Wheat, Prom 1880 to 1888 inclusive.

Yr. I [Antipodes. idold'Arbres] Remarks. 1880 Per acre. qr. bshl. 3 21 Per acre. qr. bshl. First year of introduction. Straw short ; email ear ; grain plump. An earlier introduction. Straw and ear medium ; grain plump and white. No change from last year perceptible. Grain not so plump ; no change in straw. Straw longer ; no change in grain. Straw not altered ; grain improved in colour. Both straw and grain improved. Straw longer and stronger ; grain improved in colour. Straw very strong and grain good. Straw strong and bright ; grain improved in colour and size. Straw and grain very good. Straw bright and grain good. Straw strong and bright, and grain very good. First prize Abjngdon Show. Straw very bright and grain excellent. First prize Royal Counties Show. Straw shorter but very bright. Stitiw like silver bub short ; grain exceptionally fine. Straw longer but not so bright as jear before ; grain good. Straw longer ; not so bright as year before, but strong ; grain good. Firet prize 1 Abingdon Show. 1880 4 0 3 2 1881 1881 3 T2 1882 3 5-1 1882 3 6 1883 4 0 1883 4 35 1884 3 7 1881 4 4 3 63 1885 1885 4 l'l 1886 4 0-4 1886 5 2 4 5-7 1887 1887 5 16 1868 4 7-5 1888 5 2'l