The San Francisco call., 1904-08-15

as possible From the seed thus produced an
other samping Is made as before. and those
ears are selected fer seed which prove highest
Increase.
Without going into detail as to the methods
employed in selecting the seed and trying out
the several varieties. be Il said that this line
or work would demand the time Of a special
person Who has had experience in such special
cerealistic work. For such work It would
either be necessary for the university 70 do a
large amount OF preliminary experimenting to
overcome the difficulties which arise in such
technical work at once to bring from Min
nesota or elsewhere person who has already
thereby gaining much time
TWO LINES OF WORK.
1t viii be noted that there are two lines Of
work set forth here which are in themselves
distinct and yet very closely connected. When
this matter was first suggested IL was only
eonteu plated 10 undertake the plan first out
lined, VIZ: that OF selection, as in the case OF
corn, On the basis OF composition. and breeding
IN the desired characteristics in the matter
OF higher gluten. and only taking up such
other work as might incidentally arise in the
course OF this primary investigation. For this
purpose there was asked $500 only, this to be
distributed as follows Five hundred dollars,
as soon as il was possible 10 raise it. TO be
used for equipment. and $3.50 annually for
period OF four years.
With this amount 1t would only be possible
however. Il is thought best TO take up this line
OF investigation a still more extended scale,
usually
attacks problems and include the work in
cross -fertiliZing, a considerably broader fnan-
cial scale would have 10 be adopted. and, as
already has been suggested by certain
persons It might be well to ask the Legisla-
ture for special assistance in this work which
means so much TO our State.
Horace Davis, speaking from the
point Of view Of the practical -four
miller. who supplied many interesting
facts q few weeks ago, when the wheat
topic was originally taken up by the
California State Board of Trade, gave
additional information in the course
Of the discussion before the commit
tee. Among his statements were the
following:
for glutinous contents. The wheat depends
upon the moisture in the air and moisture in
the soil together. Moisture in the air thick
ems the Dren ana makes the wheat dark Tur-
key red milling wheat that we have was raised
in Kansas. Il is a winter wheat and is a
iaVorite wheat in Kansas and we have i'm
ported q great deal OF il. II has strong glu-
tnous contents 10 fortify our California wheats.
Having imported II. have distributed more
CT less OF II Tor seed can fully say that
down at PasO Robes j has been a very
Cessful wheat.
One important question about all these
wheats is whether the straw clasps the berry
strongly enough to keep IL from threshing out.
Under the modern system OF harvesting. after
II is allowed to get very ripe, wheat often has
10 stand for weeks and sometimes for months
DlrlnB lnaL time We are always liable 10 have
those strong northeast winds that thresh the
wheat out and throw II the soils, 30 that
when the harvester comes along the head is
gathered. but the wheat is gone. Sometimes
you hear that farmers lose in one year say
onc-quarter to one half Of the crop. Now they
all tell me that the club wheat is desirable
because II clasps the head strongly: the sheaf
clasps the berry firmly. That is true in Ore
EOn and IN this state, too. II IS q matter OF
great Importance 10 have wheat that does not