Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1900-08-08
farl,1 aua firesiae.
IMPROVING WHEAT BY SELECTION.


you for the very fattering editorial
made upon an extract of my essay
"Cross Breeding and Hybridization of
Wheats," in the issue of The Rural
Press of May 9Th. If I may be allow
ed, I will add a word suggested by a
remark you make in closing your
editorial, viz: "While our richer grain
growers are importing new varieties
from all parts of the world" etc.
1t is the prevailing opinion among
farmers that imported" wheats will
do better than any of the native or
acclimated standards, which opinion
is true in most cases, when the i'm
ported is compared to their own. But
when the farmer selects his seed wheat
with as much care as he does his seed
corn and gives it any reasonable amount
of attention, he will find all importa-
tions far in the background. In three
years ninety-nine one hundredths of
the farmers will permit their seed to
retrograde at least an eighth, and even
a fourth, whereas, if half as much
care as neglect should be bestowed
upon its improvement by selection
alone, no one would ever import to
procure better seed.
Importations should never be made
except for two purposes-for expert
mental work and a supply where no
seed is to be had in the country. 1t
takes two years to make wheat No.
l and pure by selection, and 8 to 10
to make successful hybrid. The
mere operation of crossing one wheat
upon another to produce new varie.
ty can be learned in a very short time
but the knowledge required to select
varieties with proper elements, that
they, when combined, may produce an
offspring better than either parent,
both for the field and the mill, is some
thing very few attain. 1t is not neces-
sary for the farmer to obtain this
knowledge; he can and should, how
ever, understand the rules and laws OF
improvement by selection.
For 10 years, and more, have found
wheats made upon the soil where they
are to be raised, far better in every res
pect than any others, native or i'm.
ported. 1 am now improving all our
California varieties, and find, after two
years, they improve so materially that
our own farmers cannot recognize
them in sheaf or shelled. I take the
liberty of sending you a few samples
numbered-for your farmers to "guess
on" They are sent just as they came
into my room from the thresher; they
have not been recleaned nor graded in
the least-only improved by selection
for two years.
I have sown and they are growing
nicely now-this spring-181 different
varieties, the seed of which obtained
from every country in the world and
from many islands. Many received
are winter heads, which have con-
verted into spring wheats. Of all the
samples received, not one was as good
or began to be as good as the very
poorest I now have. The wheats that
are nearest those I have improved
came from Oregon.
took with me 33 varieties to Wash
ington last January. They were anal
yzed by the chemist and found to be
"the best he had ever received or test
ed" I would very much like to have
your Professor Hilgard see the anal
ysis and wheat, too.
I have not written this letter for
publication. You may, however, ex-
tract some portions of it. We have
just had three inches of rainfall-an
unprecedented occurrence.-A. E..
Blount, California State Agricultural
College.