The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-11-04

Kansas City Journal.


Do you know how new varieties of wheat
are bred? In the Halstead Independent L.
Fftz. in charge of the government expert
ment station at Halstead, writes interest
ingly of how this work is done The station
at Halstead is experimenting with the
small grains and nothing else. This year
no less than 76S varieties of wheat, 126 vari-
cites of barley and thirteen varieties of
rye were handled. OF these 12O were wheat
hybrids developed by the Agricultural Col
lege at Manhattan. A number of durum or
macaroni wheats were sown with the nope
that they would survive the winter, so
as to be on hand for crossing with h, ordinary
bread wheats but they persisted in the cold
weather. We quote from Mr.. Fitz as fol-
lows:
"Cross-breeding of wheat and the origi-
mating of new varieties seems to be source
of mystery to many people. and several
have asked: How is it grated? the ques-
toner evidently supposing we use the same
method as employed on hybrid fruit.
that wheat does not cross-fertilize like
corn, the pollen dust blowing from plant
to plant. but close-fertilizes, that is, each
separate flower born within the glumes, or
chaff as il is commonly called is fortified
by it's own pollen before the glumes open.
ana there is very little chance, therefore.
of Decentralization. Hence different va
rieties of wheat may be grown side by side
for years without becoming mixed TO any
appreciable extent"
IA new variety is procured by operating
on the flower and the process is called
cross pOllenating. AS soon as the wheat
has headed, and before the anthirs bearing
the pollen become ripe enough to shatter
out any pollen dust a head from a good.
vigorous, well-stooled plant is selected for
the female parent and emasculated-i. e.,
the leaves and upper spikelets are clipped,
leaving about the best central ones. The
little organs called anthrs. which bear the
pollen are situated just within and at the
base of the glumes. These are removed
with a small pair of forceps care being
taken not to iniure the remaining portion
of the flower. Then. in short time, day
or two depending on several conditions
ripe pollen from another, selected for the
male parent. is carefully placed upon the
stigma within the glumes. If the work is
able from 80 to 80 per cent. are usually
successful The stalk is now marked with
a tag and left to ripen with the remainder
of the plant
NAV be obtained by crossing. we may take
the Fultz or Zimmerman, which are early
ripening soft wheats, but very susceptible
to puccinia rubigoy era, or orange leaf rust.
and cross them with Crimean or Kh1rkov.
which are hardy drought resistant winter
wheats. and Withstand to a large degree
the attacks of the orange leaf rust. The
resulting cross. will probably retain the
earliness of the FultZ or Zimmerman and
yet partake of the hardy character of the
Crimean or kharkov.
THE chief objects of our experiments
are 10 secure not only larger yields, but
also greater resistance to rusts and
drought.
I'm the comparative yield tests Ghinka
winter took the lead. closely followed by
Kharkov. another Russian variety Padui
was third and the millers' importation of
Crimean Cor Turkey fourth.