Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1916-05-11
Eugenics In The Barley Field. 4


Adozen years ago, explains the Worlds
Work, practically all that was known
about barley was that il might have two,
four, or six rows of grain 10 head; that
If was sometimes bearded and sometimes
beardless that some kinds had hulls,
and some did not. Sut when il came 10
telling the difference between good barley
and bad barley, nobody knew how. Bar
ley was barley, and that was all there was
to il.
One result OF this failure 10 discriminate
between different kinds of barley was
that every kind was grown at once in
almost every field, and as the different
kinds ripened at different periods after
sowing, the farmer was obliged TO har-
vest his barley crop too late TO save the
early ripening grains, and too early to get
a full crop from the later maturing ones.
Then nearly half the grain used for pearl
barley turned blue in the course OF the
process, and these discolored grains had
to be picked out by hand at considerable
trouble and expense.
II was, therefore, worth while for Pro-
fessor Moore of the Wisconsin Agricul-
tural College to educate barley to better
habits. In 1899 he began with Canadian
Oderbrucker, the Wisconsin Manshufy,
and several miscellaneous assortments OF
barley from other sources. For three
years he gave these grains OF barley a
thorough trial. He planted and cultivated
each variety separately and at the end OF
the third year reduced the number to
Oderbrucker, Manshury, Golden Queen,
and Silver King. He selected three thou
sand grains of each for the next crop, and
watched the growing grain very carefully.
He reserved hundred plants from each
group for further seed, and at the end OF
the fourth year he narrowed the field still
further by discarding all the two-rowed
and four-rowed, hulled, and beardless
barleys. That left the Oderbrucker and
Manshury varieties at the top of the list.
The experiments had resulted in get
ting barley that had uniform period OF
ripening, that produced strong straw
and full head, that gefminated evenly,
and that gave clear white kernels after
the process OF pearling.
Owing TO the limited area OF the ex-
pertinent farm, only twenty acres could
be used for raising this superior seed. and
Professor Moore solicited the CO. opera
tionsoi the Wisconsin Agricultural Ex-
pertinent Association in producing "ped-
igreed'' barley for the entire State. He
had the members Of the association sup
piled with samples for seed purposes,
and the members agreed TO plant and
cultivate the barley under careful test
conditions.
One thousand members OF the expert
ment association each planted pedigreed
barley in 1910. Practically all The crop
was saved for seed. and when the barley
crop OF 1911 was harvested, there was
enough of The pedigreed grain on hand
not only to plant three quarters OF mil
lion acres that Wisconsin devoteS to the
crop, but to furnish a considerable pro-
portion OF the seed for the rest OF the
world.
And the rest of the world learned about
the new barley very quickly. II was the
first barley that would germinate evenly
without loss. II was the first barley thai
farmers had been able 10 plant with the
certainty that they would get full CROP
of more than thirty-six bushels to the
acre, all ripening at the same time. so tha
there was no loss in harvesting. And j
was the first barley that the miller could
use for pearling without any ofthe grain:
turning blue.