The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1874-09-26

their contents nearly trebled, and the
tillering power of the seed increased
five fold.
The contents of the ear as increased
in three other varieties of wheat was
as follows: From 45 to 1913 grains
from original, to improved ear; from GO
to 1874; from 60 to ia; and from 80
to 90.
The supposition of ancient writer's
that the powers of grains differed in
relation to their positions in the ear
does not seem proved by experiments
in good grains of the same pedigree
neither size nor situation in the ear
supplying any indication of the inferior
grain.
From close observation for many
years, Major Hallett has discovered that
the variations in the cereals which ma
ture presents are not only hereditary
but that they proceed upon fixed princi
piles, and from them he has deduced the
the following Law of Development Of
Cereals:
First-Every fully developed plant,
whether of wheat, oats, or barley, pre-
sents an ear superior in productive
power to any of the rest on that plant.
Second-Every such plant contains
one grain which, upon trial, proves
more productive than any other.
Third.-The best grain in given
plant is found in its best ear
Fourth.-The superior vigor of this
grain is transmssible in different de-
grees to its progeny.
Fifth.-By repeated careful selection
the superiority is accumulated.
Sixth-The improvement, which is
at first rapid, gradually, after long
series of years, is diminished in amount,
and eventually so far arrested that,
practically speaking, limit to improve
ment in the desired quality is reached.
Seventh-By continuing to select,
the improvement is maintained, and
PRACTICALLY fixed type is the result.
Considering the effects which may be
produced by combining thin seeding
with selection, Major II. says the bushel
of ordinary wheat contains 100000
grains and upwards, and taking 2
bushels per acre as the seed sown, we
have, speaking roughly, l 10 millions
of grains per acre put in the ground.
He has counted at harvest the number
of ears upon quarter of acre of wheat,
drilled Nov. 20. with ID bushels per
acre and which yielded Sc bushels to
the acre) and found the number of ears
per acre to be 1920 or not so many
as the grains sown. 1t is clear that
tilering could not have taken place, or
that the greater part Of the seed was
sown useessly.
In ordinary crops the number of ears
produced per acre being taken as one
million and the crop as "a bushels, we
have, at 100000 grains to the bushel,
100000 grains per acre, or an aver
age per ear of only % to "a grains, and
if more than one millions ears be
claimed it must be at the expense of
their contents.
Five pints of wheat per acre planted
in September, II inches by II inches,
gave 1,00l,S ears per acre, or $3.50
ears in excess of those produced on the
other side of the hedge from 6 pecks, or
more than twenty-one times the seed.
Again, 5 pints planted II inches by
u inches, October 18th, gave 959,320
ears per acre; and planted SIMILARLY
October 4th, 966,792 per acre; while
bushel planted October 18th, gave only
S12,160.
Two plants of "a ears each gave 1911
and 1878 grains, or 10 per ear. 90 cars
per foot, at As grains only per ear,
would produce IL quarts per acre.
All the conditions of time and space
being fulfilled, we can obtain from a
single parent grain as many ears as are
ordinarily obtained from twenty grains,
with this most important advantage,
viz: these ears being produced from
plants which have attained Cor nearly
SOY perfect development of their growth,
contain more than double the common
number of grains, and their contents
may be largely increased by the con-
tinued annual selection of the most
vigorous parent grains.
american Farmer.