a small, but well-eared variety of flint corn has been developed through hybridizing and subsequent selection. The parent stocks used in this breeding work were two strains of pure white flint corn secured from the Bad River Indian Reservation (Ashland County) in northern Wisconsin and the White Earth Reservation in northern Minnesota, where they had each been grown for many years by the Indians on these reservations. This corn is somewhat low in height, ranging from 5 to 62 feet, grows generally two ears to the stalk, the average weight of ears being about two-thirds of that of Wisconsin No. 25. Under good soil conditions the yield of this corn on the Ashland station (heavy red clay) this year was about 80 bushels an acre. While this variety is small for silage purposes, it is suitable for crib corn and is well adapted to be hogged off because of the low height of the ears. For the present we call this variety the Chippewa Flint.

COLD-RESISTANT CORN DISTRIBUTED

Mention was made in last year's report of the work which B. D. Leith (Agronomy) has done in developing a corn which is more resistant to the influence of cold than the ordinary varieties. This corn has been bred from the Wisconsin No. 12 or Golden Glow as a base, and has been produced by selecting ears, the kernels of which have withstood light freezing. The experiments made at Madison, where plots of this grain were compared with ordinary types of corn, indicated that it was able to mature from a week to ten days earlier than the parent varieties, a condition brought about primarily by the fact that this grain will germinate at a somewhat lower temperature than that which is usually needed for corn. This enables the seed to be planted about a week to ten days earlier than the usual corn planting time.

This season seed has been distributed among farmers along the Lake Michigan shore, in the north central and northwestern portions of the state, regions where growers have usually experienced considerable difficulty in maturing the ordinary Golden Glow strain. Instructions given to cooperating farmers were to plant this corn about a week earlier than usual corn-planting time, and at the same time to plant some of the Golden Glow or other customary variety which they were in the habit of using on their farms.

The results of these field trials have shown the superior merits of this cold-resistant strain. W. G. Streiber of Elkhart Lake, Sheboygan County, planted 14 rows of the cold-resistant type in the same field with his own stock of Golden Glow. Observations taken in July showed a better development of this plot in comparison with the ordinary field crop. Not only was it more luxuriant in growth, but it was more vigorous. The difference between these two crops was also confirmed again by examination of the field on August 26, the coldresistant corn being larger, a few days earlier, the stalks a deep green and somewhat heavier in growth.

FIG. 8.-A COLD-RESISTANT CORN DEVELOPED FROM WISCONSIN NO. 12 The large, vigorous stalks and leaves, the early germination of the seed, the rapid growth in cool weather which keeps back ordinary No. 12, are characteristics of the new strain liked by the farmers who have grown it.

Jacobson Brothers of Green Bay grew the corn this year and their statement is that it was more vigorous and deeper green all summer than was the common No. 12 in the same field. During a wet, cold spell which seemed to check the growth of No. 12, this corn continued its growth, and it was mature on August 26 with large stalks and ears. In the field of Frank Muscovitch of Shawano, the "cold" strain had a larger and more vigorous appearance in the field than the common stock of No. 12 and showed a more advanced stage of maturity. W. G. Burkhart of Pembine, Marinette County, says, "I consider the corn of great merit and expect to plant no other next year. It was the best piece of corn that I saw this year, and I was over the county quite a little. Several of my neighbors want seed from it."

Norman J. Hanson, Sparta, states that he is very well satisfied with the corn. "In fact," he says, "I do not think that I could ask for any better."

This season was, of course, particularly favorable for the maturity of all corn, but so far as results have been secured from field observers, no unsatisfactory report has been received, and the only cases where no differences could be noted were where the corn was planted too late to give it a fair chance to demonstrate what it would do if planted at an earlier date.

BREEDING SWEET CORN

The rapid expansion of the canning industry in this state has led the Agronomy Department to undertake experiments to see if it is not possible to improve the type of seed used in sweet corn cultivation. The canning industry in the state has thus far been built up mainly on the pea crop, but it is possible to utilize the canneries further by canning sweet corn, which matures soon after the pea crop is harvested. But little has been done heretofore on the improvement of seed used for this purpose. Varieties have been crossed to such an extent under field conditions that it is hard to secure definite strains of corn for canning purposes.

E. D. Holden (Agronomy) has undertaken experiments in this direction, working in conjunction with the Columbus Canning Factory. The problems of importance with reference to seed of this type are early maturity, high yields, and good quality of stock. Results have been accumulated on the number of ears to a stalk, a factor which heretofore has not been given much attention. Field experiments were made where selections were secured from 100 hills, lots in which each single stalk bore one and two ears of corn apiece. When these two lots of ears were run through the cutter at the factory, to determine the percentage of corn to cob, it was found that fully twice as much corn was obtained from the two-eared as from the single-eared stalk. This gives a valuable guide to mass field selection of seed. It was noted that stalks bearing two ears were larger and more vigorous than the average. Similar tests made with several varieties of sweet corn, including Country Gentleman and Stowell Evergreen, indicated the desirability of

using as a base for future selection the two-eared type.

Seed has therefore been selected in sufficient quantities this fall (1919) to plant the seed fields for the following year so that selections thus obtained may be used to improve the varieties.

Sweet corn culture is, generally speaking, a side line in the agriculture of the "cannery" districts, but inasmuch as the only portion of the crop which is sold to the cannery is the "snapped off" ears which are hauled to the factory, it is possible to secure from one-half to two-thirds as much silage an acre from the "harvested" sweet corn as is obtained from field silage corn. As no specialized methods are required in the cultivation of this crop, the fact that the roasting ears are capable of being sold at the spot cash market, makes sweet corn cultivation advantageous in those sections where the product can be disposed of at the canneries.

OATS FOR RICH LAND

Many of our soils that are now becoming richer through the development of livestock, or river-bottom lands which are very high in native fertility, present a problem with reference to the growth of oats. Wisconsin Pedigree No. 1 has always shown a most excellent performance with reference to yield. An average for eleven years on our Madison station farm shows a crop of 70.9 bushels. While this oat is more generally adapted to the average Wisconsin condition than any of the other pedigree varieties which the Station has developed, Pedigree No. 7 (Kherson variety) has been tested out by Mr. Leith under the peculiarly adverse conditions above mentioned, and has proved its superiority even over Pedigree No. 1. An 8-year average of Pedigree No. 7 shows a yield of 74.4 bushels. The average yield of the Pedigree No. 1 for these same 8 years was 71.8 bushels.

Special efforts have been made to develop an early oat, as such a type would have a decided advantage over late oats in this section of the state. While early maturity may frequently escape damage from rust and lodging, and where conditions require the late planting of oats, these types have been found to be especially valuable. At present the early varieties of oats are small-kerneled and some of the best of those are yellow in color. Attempts have been made this year to cross strains possessing the desirable quality of earliness with the larger-kerneled varieties of late oats. From over 100 crosses and selections, three promising strains have been selected and have been started with reference to their pedigree history. The two-year average yields of these which we have secured up to the present show a yield from 46 to 51 bushels an acre.

WINTER RYES COMPARED

Of late much attention has been given in the press to the value of Rosen rye, a Russian type which has been introduced especially in Michigan. This new variety of rye has been grown by Mr. Leith for

the last two years, and while the knowledge collected is of short duration compared with that regarding our own pedigree varieties, it is important that the farmers of the state have these results presented to them for their study. While Rosen rye made a favorable growth here at Madison in 1918, the yield was low and quality poor. When compared with Wisconsin Pedigree No. 2, the following results were secured:

ROSEN RYE COMPARED WITH PEDIGREE NO. 2

Pedigree No. 2.
Rosen

Yield

42.1

25.6

Wt. per Bushel

54.0

48.8

These results certainly do not indicate that it would be desirable on the silt loams in the southern part of the state to substitute the Rosen strain for the pedigree varieties that have so far proved successful in this state.

WINTER SAFER THAN SPRING WHEAT

In 1919 spring wheat was almost a total failure due to the effect of the black rust. In general the season was unfavorable for high yields of small grains. The hot, dry spell late in June hastened the early maturity of the kernels before they were fully formed. With the resumption of interest in the matter of wheat culture in the state, it is important to note the relative advantage of winter- and spring-sown grains. The following data prepared by Mr. Leith from our records show the average yields of both spring and winter wheat of the pedigree varieties that have been grown in test plots at Madison.

Of the spring wheat grown, in spite of two years of severe rust outbreaks, Marquis (Wisconsin No. 50) produced 25.3 bushels a year. But the general trend of the data shows conclusively, that the yield of winter wheat is, on the whole, much better than the spring varieties, and as it is less liable to a more or less complete crop failure, it is to be recommended generally in place of spring wheat.