SEED-BREEDING.

Otago Witness, Issue 2813, 12 February 1908, Page 6

SEED-BREEDING.

Seed-bieeding has become an important industry in many parts of the world, engaging the talents of many \ery eminent scientists. New Zealand farmers are familiar with some of the achievements in this field. Sutton, Garton, Vilmorin, and many others are well known by their works in improving agricultural crops, and there are, even in New Zealand, men who, in a. modest way, are striving to attain certain definite objects by hybridising (or cioss-fertilising) vaiieties which individually possess the desired qualities. Wheat-growing is not popular in New Zealand just now, even the stimulus of assured high prices failing this season to induce farmers to grow enough to provide for the food requirements of the colony, but this renders it all the more necessary that varieties should be discovered, or selected, or bred which will give the largest return upon the cost of growing. Many of the kinds which are most profitable in other countries have pioved unsuited to New Zealand conditions, the famed Manitoba vaiietv being one of these. Great hope is entertained of some of the French wheats, which are giving promising results at Lincoln College ; but there seems to be room for a special New Zealand variety which will yield well, resist wind, and mill well. Whether this can be obtained by selection from an existing -\ariety. by the introduction of a variety from another country, or by breeding, we cannot say, but come it must — it is a pioposition not to be entcitained that we shall not grow enough wheat for our own bread. The repoi'ts of v hat has been done in Canada are very interesting, and should encourage work here along similar lines. The variations which occur as the result of careful selection are bounded by narrow limits, but in crossfertilising the variations are of a much | wider range ; they are, indeed, practically unlimited in both character and number. Many, naturally, are worthless, and are promptly discarded ; those which give promise are retained for further trial, following out the Mendelian system, and very useful results have already be^n realised, while the prospects for further improvement are most hopeful and encouraging. WUlng quality is the essential

which is invariably kept in view ; pro* ductiveness, early ripening, immunity fiom rust, and strength of straw are other important points. Varieties have been bred which h.ive excelled in some of these* points, but have failed in others, and the experimenters are persevering in their effoits to supply the lacking characteristics. The subject is as engrossing as thati of breeding and crossbreeding in the ani- 1 mal kingdom, though the results may not often be so obvious to the general onlooker. There is certa ; nly a large reward! for success in the enterprise indicated, and! a'.EO in other similar endeavours. Many of our native plants even afford scope to the breeder or hybridist who will develop their economic value.