Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1909-07-02
Making Money
On the Farm
VII. Small Grain
Breeding
By G. v. GREGORY.
Author Of ''Ilome Course In Modern
Agriculture"
Copyriaht. 1909 by American Press
Copyright. 1909. by American Press
Association
CMALL grain breeding is second
u only to corn breeding in impor-
lance. indeed, there is even

~MALL grain breeding is second
only to corn breeding in inpor-
lance. Indeed, there is even
more chance for Improvement
along this line. since SO little has been
done already The average yield Of
oats in Iowa in 1908 was only twenty
three bushels to the acre, while many
fields yielded three times that much.
This is only one instance out Of many
that could be given to show the great
need for improved seed.
With small grain. us with corn. the
work of Improvement must largely be
done for each special locality. Each
type of soil and climate affects the
crops in n different way. and varieties
that yield well in one part of the coun-
try may fail utterly under different
conditions. This makes it necessary
for each locality to have its small
grain breeder. There is no opening
along the line of special farming that
offers greater opportunities to the am
bilious young farmer than this. The
work Is a little more particular than
corn breeding perhaps. but the results
are just as sure and the profits just as
great. Even though you may not care
to take up small grain breeding as a
business, 1t will pay you to carry it on
to limited extent at least to provide
improved seed for your own use.
Selection the Basis of Improvement.
The requirements of the various
grains vary with the use to which they
are to be put, but the yield is an i'm
portant point with all. Selection is
the basis for improvement in yield as
we'll as in the other points that will
be taken up later The first step is to
select the variety that seems to be
doing best in your locality. and use
that as the basis Of Improvement. The
simplest method Of breeding Is to Sc
lect few of the best heads at harvest
time to start with. A great difference
will be observed at this time. Some
heads Of oats, for instance. will con-
tain three times as many berries as
others not Il foot away. The seed
from these large heads, following the
law of like produces like" give lar
ger yields.
The seed from the selected heads is
sown on plot by itself the next
spring Small grain is not like corn in
that it is normally self fertiliZing The
flower is inside the hull. SO that the
pollen cannot get from one to the
other The only way cross pollination
can be accomplished is by hand. Some
improved varieties have been produc-
ed In this way, but the operation is too
delicate and the results too uncertain
for the beginner. Being self fortified,
the only way small grain can be mixed
Is mechanically. by mixing the seed. II
is not necessary that the breeding plot
be considerable distance away from
the other fields. as in the case of corn.
The produce Of this breeding plot
should he thrashed separately and used
for planting larger field the next
year The year after that there will
be enough seed for the entire acreage
OF small grain.
This method is simple and easily
worked out on any farm. The trouble
with it is that the inherited differ