Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1913-01-18

so far superior in productiveness (objcc'
Of the early cXaminatiOns) that all Tho
others were disqualified. Then. in 1902
the real college training Of the barley be.
gan.
There were exactly 5000 grains of eaci
variety in the class when the college yeai
opened. They had been selected from
the heads that had shown up best in the
preparatory course. These 5000 grains
of barley we're carefully planted. exactly
four inches apart, surrounded by border
rows OF the discarded grains. Each stalk
was given individual and personal atten-
ton by Professor Moore and his assist
ants, and those showing special qualiti
cations as to rapidity Of growth. length
and uprightness Of straw, quick filling
out Of the head, II general vigor. were
paced on the honor roll and designated
by rods planted beside them.
out Of a hundred or more plants in
each group that took honors during the
first year, only twenty wore PASSED. The
beads Of each Of these twenty plants
were cut off and carefully weighed. The
~ 'S'tN'' w. tltlt VIZ WI
heaviest saved for tho next year.
The second years course began with
the planting of the grains from these ten
heads Of each variety in "ccntgcncr
bc3s'-fiots marked off into squares, In
each Of which was planted Il grain Of bar
ley. one hundred grains to the bed, eX-
elusive of border rows. The lnal exam
Inn flo of thn second ypnt. cpnsietpl IF
selecting the ten best heads from each
ccntgencr bed and placing each head in
a separate envelope for the third years
course. which was a duplicate of the Sec
onl years, ccntgcner beds and all, tic
ten best heads from each bed being ad-
, vunced to the fourth year.
.\long with this testing out of indi-
vidral grains of barley for productive
ness, quality Of straw, rapidly Of growth.
etc. careful tests had been made up to
this point Of the different varieties as to
uniformity of the, period Of ripening and
Of termination in the mailing process.
by the beginning Of the fourth year all
the 2-rowed and 4-rowed barleys, the
hrllcss and the bcardless varieties, had
been eliminated because Of defects in
one or another Of these qualities, and
the classes for this year were limited to
siX varieties Of 6-rowed, bearded barley.
While the fourth year tests were under
way. Il young man from the academic de-
artment of the university called on Pro-
lessor Moore Ind said he wanted to
know all there was to be known about
larlcy. lie was going to take charge,
eventually, of his fathers business,
which was that of manufacturing pearl
barlcy"--thc barley you buy in the gro
Gerry to use in soup. and which has been
Put through Il process Of hulling and pol
ishing. This suggested to Professor
Moore some tests which had not thereto
fore been thought Of.
please find out from your father what
qualities in barley best adapt 1t to the
'pcarling' process asli.i Professor
Moore, land ask him, what special diff
crltics he has to overcome in the barley
he now gets" ~
The student brought back the surpris-
lnT information that about 20 per cent.
Of the barley bought in the open market
turned blue in the pearling process. and
these discolored grains had to be picked
out by hand at considerable trouble and
expense. Professor Moore sent samples
Ct the six varieties remaining in his
! classes to be tested as to their pearl
ing qualities. and the result was anoth-
err surprise. Every rain Of two varieties
turned blue and not a single grain Of the
other four kinds was discolored. Unin-
tnntinnn11r tbn nrpoaCS IF Animation and
selection had accomplished the very re-
suit desired. The two varieties that turn
cd blue were discarded, and the fifth
year began with "Oderbruckcr,'' Man.
shury,'' Golden Queen and Silver
King the sole survivors. \ square rod
was sown with each Of these. The sixth
year there was enough seed, selected
from the best heads Of the fifth year crop.
to SOW Il tenth Of an acre. The seventh
year an acre Of each was OWL and the
eighth year twenty acres.
Here was a seed supply that needed 4
thousand acres to be properly utilized,
and the university had not enough land
on which to carry the test farther. To
throw such a comparatively small amount
Of seed into the open market, however,
would mean that it would inevitably be-
come mixed with poorer barley and rap
idly lose the valuable characteristics that
had been bred into it. What was needed
was an organization having limitless ac-
|rcage under its control, that could take
the crop from the universities twenty ac-
res and from it grow seed enough to sup
tply the whole state. Professor Moore
had sucl, an organization ready for this
work of growing a seed crop. @
A Seed Spreading Organization
Very soon after beginning. his expert
tmcnts in the Improvement Of seed grains
for alongside the barley classes he had
been c%ondusting similar work with corn.
winter wheat. oats, rye and, latterly,
buck wheat. soy beans, and field beans
lie had foreseen the ultimate need Of
such a seed growing and seed distribut-
ing organizations; and in 1901 he had
formed the Wisconsin Agricultural EX-
a few graduates of the Short course
in the Agricultural college-practical
farmers, every one Of them. and intense.
~ Interested in the problem of better
seed.
The association grew rapidly. AS soon
as any variety Of grain was demonstrated
to he better than other. kinds, even
though its education had not been COM
lleted, Professor Moore had the menu
hers OF the association supplied with
samples for seed PURPOSES. the members