Cereal experiments at Chico, California

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TINTED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

DEPARTMENT BULLETIN No. 1172

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| Washington, D. C. 2 August, 1923

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CEREAL EXPERIMENTS AT CHICO, CALIFORNIA
:

By

; VICTOR H. FLORELL

Assistant Agronomist, Office of Cereal Investigations
; Bureau of Plant Industry

CONTENTS
Page Page
I Glas OS a els us 6 6 ce i} Expesmanial Data: . . ccc ow Go One 11
The Sacramento Valley ........... 1 Wheat Experiments. . . . - 0. sic ss 0 12
The Plant Introduction Station ....... 6 Parley .Expermments <1)... 0 as). 2 te veceee 24
Experimentai Methods ...........- 9 Gal Experiments: 5) 636. setae Bb iaicts 29
Preparation of the Land. ........ 9 Miscellaneous Experiments and Notes . . 31
SS eee eee ee 10 eee Eee Sa A eo a 32
Nursery Experiments. ......... 10
A
WASHINGTON
GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
1923

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Washington, D. C. August, 1923

CEREAL EXPERIMENTS AT CHICO, CALIFORNIA

By Victor H. FLoret., Assistant Agronomist, Office of Cereal Investigations,
Bureau of Plant Industry. |

CONTENTS.
Page. Page
MICO es =22) 2-2. 2: 5. tk. Se = ae eo tei Esperinental datass-ss5.2c.,.. 2 22.2 feeeece
Bee emcrientp Valley _.-. 2 osha. S- 1 Wheat experiments << 32-22 sc ea shss cle 12
The Plant Introduction Station.............. 6 Barley experiments...................--- 24
msxperimental methods ...........-..----:-.- 9 Ont experiments £. 5.8) 5522258 3c estes 29
Preparatzon of the land... -.........-..... 9 Miscellaneous experiments and notes... .- 31
PRMMCRBELMIMCHIS. 2-52. DSS es BOD SUUIMIMaTye Soe tt ee 32
Re seras experiments > Po. os 3c ace 10 |
INTRODUCTION.

Experiments with cereals under dry-land conditions in the Sacra-
mento Valley have been conducted since 1910 at the Plant Introduc-
tion Station, Chico, Calif., in cooperation with the Office of Foreign
Seed and Plant Introduction of the Bureau of Plant Industry. At
the end of the crop season of 1921 the investigations were trans-
ferred to the University Farm, Davis, Calif., where they will be
conducted in cooperation with the California Agricultural Experi-

_ ment Station. The results obtained at Chico in the principal lines

> of experimentation during this period are presented in this bulletin.

~ The more important lines of investigation have been varietal experi-
ments with wheat, barley, and oats and breeding and classification
studies with wheat.

Chico is located in the northern third of the Sacramento Valley,
~ about 100 miles north of Sacramento, and its soil and climate are
_ fairly representative of conditions which prevail over most of the
district.

THE SACRAMENTO VALLEY.

The Sacramento Valley lies in the middle of the north-central
part of California. (Fig.1.) It parallels approximately the eastern
> and western boundaries of the State and extends from Redding in

the north, where the Sacramento River emerges from the Sacra-
mento Canyon, to the union of the Sacramento and San Joaquin

Rivers in the south. It is traversed longitudinally by the Sacra-

mento River and is inclosed by the Sierra Nevada Mountains on the

east and the Coast Range on the west.
48604—23—1

2 BULLETIN 1172, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.

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Fia. 1—Sketch map of the northern half of California, showing the location of the Sacramento Valley and
of the Plant Introduction Station at Chico, the Rice Field Station at Biggs, the California University
Farm at Davis, and the California Agricultural Experiment Station at Berkeley.

CEREAL EXPERIMENTS AT CHICO, CALIF. 3

TOPOGRAPHY.

The valley lies in a troughlike depression which is believed once to
have been an arm of the sea and which later was filled to its present
level by material transported by the streams from the inclosing
mountain ranges. The result is a broad, flat valley, varying in
~ width from only a few miles in the extreme north to about 40 miles
at Sacramento. The wide portion of the valley begins a short dis-
tance north of Chico. The altitude of the valley floor’ ranges from a
- few feet above sea level at its mouth to about 500 feet in the north,
with the Sierras on the east rising to elevations of 6,000 to 8,000
feet and the Coast Range on the west to elevations of 2,000 feet in
- the south to 6,000 feet in the north.

' For the most part, the valley floor is quite level, although in
several sections it is gently rollmg to somewhat hilly. South of
Chico the lands along certain portions of the Sacramento River are
higher than those more distant from the river, due to the deposition
of sediment during times of flood.

SOIL.

_ Many varieties of soil are found in the Sacramento Valley. While
most of these are of sedimentary origin, a few are residual and yet
_ others of miscellaneous origin. The alluvial soils comprise the most
fertile and most highly developed lands of the valley. While there
- are large areas of these lands they are often interspersed by undiffer-
-entiated soil types. The alluvial soils usually are about 6 feet
deep,’ although both deeper and shallower strata occur. These soil
_ types are underlain by undifferentiated material of varying structure.
_ The adobe or clay soils, which are very heavy in character, comprise

another large group, of which there are several large areas as well as
numerous smaller ones. These soils usually are from 2 to 3 feet
deep and generally are underlain by a clay or hardpan subsoil.
The lighter, shallower soil types usually are found toward the outer
_ edges of the valley and on the gentle foothill slopes.

= CLIMATE.

? Climatic conditions in the Sacramento Valley are marked by
two distinct seasons. The wet, or rainy, season occurs in winter
and the dry, or rainless, season in summer.
In general, the rainfall increases gradually from south to north,
though there are some exceptions, as noted later. It ranges from
about 15 inches annually in the southern portion of the valley to 25
“inches at Red Bluff on the northern border. The greater part of
_ this precipitation falls in the four coldest months, while the summer
months are practically rainless. Snow rarely occurs except in the
extreme northern portion, where it usually melts within a few hours,
r at the most in a few days, after it falls. Thunderstorms and
ee orms rarely occur. Rainstorms usually are gentle in character,
although heavy rains sometimes occur. A rainstorm generally lasts
two or three days. During especially wet seasons they may last for
8 week to 10 days.

- _ 1Holmes, L. C., Nelson, J. W.,et al. Reconnaissance Soil Survey of the Sacramento Valley, California,
3 U.S. Dept. Agr., Bur. Soils, Advance Sheets, Field Oper., 1913, 148 p., 1 fig., 3 pl., map. 1915

4. BULLETIN 1172, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.

Precipitation is lighter in the middle of the valley than at the —
margins on either side. On the east side of the Sacramento River
the precipitation increases from south to north, but on the west side |
it decreases slowly to the northward as far as Williams and then ~
increases again toward the north. ;

Summer in the Sacramento Valley is marked by a long period of —
high temperatures by day. These, however, are moderated by —
comparatively low night temperatures. The difference between day —
and night temperatures averages about 40° F. The maximum tem-
perature at Red Bluff in summer in a 33-year period was 114° F., ©
while the maximum at Sacramento in summer in a 62-year period ~
was 110° F: Sea breezes from San Francisco Bay moderate the ©
temperatures in the south. The winters, on the other hand, are
mild with no low temperatures. At Red Bluff in the period stated —
the minimum was 18° F., and at Sacramento in the 62-year period ©
it was 19° F. Usually only thin films of ice form in winter during
the occasional cold periods. .

In general, the Sacramento Valley is an area of comparatively
low wind movement. However, at certain seasons of the year
moderately strong winds frequently occur. The prevailing winds
are from the south and are strongest in the middle of the valley
and at its south end. In spring and early summer north winds are
not infrequent. Strong drying winds of three or more days duration, —
locally known as ‘‘northers,’”’ are not uncommon and frequently —
become destructive by reducing the moisture supply in growing >
grain or other crops or by shattering ripened grain.

In the winter or rainy season the humidity is high and evaporation
low; during the cloudless days of spring and summer the reverse
conditions obtain and evaporation is correspondingly high. Evapora-
tion is greatly increased during a ‘‘norther.’’

CEREAL PRODUCTION.

The principal dry-land cereals grown in California are wheat and
barley. The industry began about 1850 and reached its maximum
about 1880, when California was one of the leading wheat-producing
States in the Union. Since that date the more fertile grain lands@
have been devoted to fruit growing, and the acreage and production
of cereals have decreased steadily except for a few years during and
after the World War, when high prices greatly stimulated wheat

roduction. Barley also has largely displaced wheat on the lighter
ands, so that now it is a more important crop than wheat.

TaBLE 1.—Comparison of acreage and production of wheat, barley, and oats vn the
Sacramento Valley and in the State of California in the year 1919.

Area grown. | Production.
Crop. i ; |
In the In the Part of In the In the Part of .
| valley. State. total. | valley. State. total.
|
| Acres. Acres. | Percent.| Bushels.. | Bushels. Per cent.
Wheate ts. sate eee eet erass | 385,816 | 1,086,428 | 35.5 | 6,611, 868 16, 866, 882 39. 2
Barley. -22..cet suerte cecae ar oe 339, 927 987, 068 34.4 | 8,381,245 21, 897, 283 38. 3
Oats aos Osea nck ene ota cet 49,376 146, 889 | 33.6 788, 857 2, 966, 776 26.6

CEREAL EXPERIMENTS AT CHICO, CALIF. 5

Table 1 shows the acreage and production of wheat, barley, and |

oats in the Sacramento Valley and in the entire State in the year

1919, and the percentage of each crop produced in the valley. Al-
though the production of wheat was abnormally large in that year,

_ the relative production in the Sacramento Valley and in the State

then and at the present time should be about the same.
WEEDS.

Most of the weeds of economic importance infesting grain fields in

_ the Sacramento Valley have been introduced. Only two or three of

them are native. Those responsible for causing the greatest injury
to grain production include wild oats (Avena fatua and Avena bar-
bata), star thistle (Centaurea solstitialis), Napa thistle (Centaurea
melitensis), wild mustard (Brassica nigra), buckthorn (Amsinckia
intermedia), bur clover (Medicago hispida), and morning-glory
(Convolvulus arvensis). Those of lesser importance are cheat (Bromus
hordeaceus), broncho grass (Bromus villosus), canary grass (Phalaris
spp.), wild radish (Raphanus sativus and R. raphanistrum), filaree
(EHrodium spp.), California poppy (schscholtzia crocea), and a
number of others.

The wild oat flourishes on all types of soil and probably causes .
more reduction in grain yields than any other weed. It grows
naturally on practically all uncultivated land in the Sacramento
Valley. It is used extensively for hay and is not considered objec-
tionable except on cultivated land. It is hard to eradicate because
in most seasons the seeds when plowed under remain dormant in the
soil during the average dry season and are thus carried over to grow
another year. When a wet season occurs, an abundance of wild oat
appears, and such a season is known by farmers as an “oat year.”’
The wild oat is not considered particularly objectionable as a weed
in grainfields so far as producing mixed grain is concerned, as it
nearly always matures and shatters out before the grain is harvested.
It greatly reduces yields, however, if abundant, and grainfields
badly infested with wild oat usually are cut for hay.

The star thistle is found on the lower lands and where it gains a
foothold is very destructive. It begins to develop rapidly about the
time the grain ripens and frequently interferes seriously with har-
vesting operations. Napa thistle grows on a greater variety of
soils but is not so destructive as the former. Wild mustard, wild
radish, buckthorn, broncho grass, and the California poppy usually

_ are found on the loam soils, while bur clover, cheat, and canary

grass are most abundant on the heavy wet soils. Morning-glory
once established is difficult to control and most often is found on the
richer soils. Of those listed only the California poppy, buckthorn,
and a few of the canary grasses are native.

CEREAL DISEASES.

The principal cereal disease of eConomic importance in the Sacra-
mento Valley is bunt, or stinking smut. Seed treatment is a neces-
sary precautionary measure. Stem-rust infection usually is very
light. In some seasons, however, it causes severe damage on the
low lands along the Sacramento River. Light infections of yellow
rust or stripe rust usually may be seen on susceptible varieties.

|

6 BULLETIN 1172, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.

THE PLANT INTRODUCTION STATION.

The Plant Introduction Station comprises approximately 210 acres —
of land located about 4 miles southeast of Chico at the edge of the
valley floor and about 1 mile from the foothills of the Sierra Nevada
Mountains. Its altitude is approximately 189 feet. It is traversed
from east to west by a dry stream bed, which is bordered by a fringe
of woods consisting principally of valley oak. This channel, which
is used to conduct irrigation water from Butte Creek, a perpetual
stream lying to the southeast of the station, is believed to have been
at one time the old bed of that stream. With the exception of a
small area extending into the foothill slopes, the topography of the
station is quite level, with good drainage.

SOIL.

The soil is an alluvial silt loam. The type, which is known as Vina
loam, comprises some of the most fertile lands of the valley. When
farther removed from the foothills, this soil is usually 6 or more feet
in depth and usually underlain by gravel. At the Plant Introduction
Station the soil varies from the maximum depth to very shallow and
is underlain by gravel or various undifferentiated soil materials.
In general, it may be described as consisting of irregular bodies of
deep soil interspersed with shallower areas and shallow spots, with
an occasional gravel outcrop. The nonuniform condition has been
a very disturbing factor in comparative experiments with cereals.
The poorer spots manifest themselves principally in shorter, lighter
straw and reduced yields. Many of the discrepancies in recorded
data are due to this condition. |

CLIMATE.

The climate at Chico is similar to that of other places in this
portion of the valley. Its precipitation is somewhat greater than in
places farther south or more nearly in the middle of the valley.
Wind velocities also are lower than farther out in the valley or toward
its southern end. The average temperatures usually are several
degrees higher than at places in the southern extremity of the area.

Precipitation.

The average monthly, seasonal, and annual precipitation at Chico
in the 51-year period? from 1871 to 1921, inclusive, is shown in
Table 2. The average annual precipitation for the period was 23.69
inches, and the average seasonal precipitation (September to May)
was 23.24 inches, which is but 0.45 of an inch less than the annual.
The season from September to May includes the time when the
first fall rains come to the end of growth and maturity of cereal
crops. When sufficient rain falls in September, plowing for grain is
begun and the summer fallow prepared for seeding during that month.
With no early rains, plowing is delayed until rain falls, although the
preparation of a seed bed on summer fallow may proceed.

3 United States Department of Agriculture. Weather Bureau. Summaries of Climatological Data.
Section 15—Northeastern California [1871-1910]. U.S. Dept. Agr., Weather Bur., Bul. W, v. 1, sect. 15.

912.
United States Department of Agriculture. Weather Bureau. Climatological Data, California Section.
v. 1-25. 1897-1921.

CEREAL EXPERIMENTS AT CHICO, CALIF. 7

| : June, July, August, and frequently also September are prac-—
tically rainless. Table 2 shows the number of times each month was
_ rainless during the 51-year period from 1871 to 1921.

a

_ TaBLe 2.—Average monthly, seasonal, and annual precipitation and number of times
each month was rainless at Chico, Calif., during the 51-year period from 1871 to 1921.

| |

Month. Sea- |
*| sonal | :
Character of data. | | | | | \(Sept.| vual.

‘Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr.|May.| June. July.|Aug.. Sept. | Oct. | Nov.|Dec. May)

| ii |

<>, —— | |- | | ——t =

Precipitation: | | | |
i | 5.00} 3.79) 3.22) 1.58) 1.00} 0.39) 0.04) 0.02) 0.60) 1. 18| 2.67| 4.20] 23. 24 23. 69

i fees ~

|

Times rainless.......) 6 0 is 8| 25| 46| 42 7 Vie 3 | | BN FS ale

Table 3 shows the monthly, annual, and seasonal precipitation,
with averages and maxima and minima in the 12-year period from
~ 1910 to 1921, inclusive. The average annual precipitation was 24.62
_ inches and the seasonal 24.61 inches in the 11 years, which are approxi-
mately 1 inch greater than the corresponding averages for the 51-
year period. Frequently very heavy monthly rainfall is recorded
during the wet season. Im 1911, 1914, and 1916 the January rain-
fall was 11.39, 10.51, and 12.48 inches, respectively, and in November,
1920, it was 10.68 inches. All but one of these seasons of excessive
monthly rainfall have been reflected in reduced yields. On adobe
_ lands during such seasons there is much drowning of grain, owing to
_ poor soil drainage and standing water.

_ Tasre 3.—WMonthly, annual, and seasonal precipitation at Chico, Calif., in the 12-year
sf, period from 1910 to 1921, inclusive.

[Precipitation data in inches. T=trace. The seasonal averages are for the period from September to May,
inclusive, for the 11 years shown.]

| | I | | |
| | : | | | | A = =
Year. | Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May. June.) July. weaigk: Oct. |Nov.| Dee. Soe dpe

| | |
Lr | 3.77 | 2.49 | 3.62 | 0.23 | 0.06 | 0.05 | 0 0 0. 72-1 0. 50.) 0: 868|. 1.77 14.06: he: ..-
Lt ae 11.39 | 2.04 5.86 1.43 me lf -20-| 0 0 cL Ok -10 | 2.01 |23.63 | 24.73
eee) Ofer bee 69! 370 |} 2204 | 1.80 oY fing a | 4.84-| 1.23 | 3.14 | 1.02 |21.95 | 14,14
Se eee te eee |e 4Y | £6 112039 | 1.01 -09 | 0 0 | 0 7.27 | 9.42 |28.10 | 20.54
J Sa ee 10.51 | 6.27 550 |) 1283 son. |. Sr 10 0 | 0 | .88| .53 | 5.55 |28.37 | 36.23
oo eee eee 9.15 10.33 | 2.14 .93 | 3.22 | 0 0 0 Tet 1.02461. 85+), 6.85: (3449-32-73
ea ee 12,48 | 3.28 | 1.91 74 feel aS”. SY Ve B53 -40 | 2.10 | 2.09 | 4.94 (29.85 | 28.11
_. ae 3.18.|-4.75 | 1628 | 1.97 | 2.64) 0 10 LOR 2827} | 1.58 | 1.77 17.61 | 23.35
J = 1.01 | 4.74 | 5.41 °90; | 270 Ak 0 AW 3.49 .88 | 2.48 | 1.82 (21.43 | 16.45
See 3.98 | 4.00 | 3.37 18 -10 | 0 0 0 -90 508 ) 2 7f-| 4.72. 21.74 | 23.66
i ee AT 2286.) 5-06} 1287 |- FE . 09 LF -07 | 0 1.90 |10.68 | 7.67 |30.68 | 17.01
| 21 ee 7.91 | 1.84 2.24 £55 .94 Tt 0 0 eB -96 | 2.69 | 6.43 |23.57 | 33.71
Average-....| 5.92 |.3.96.! 3.13 | 1.17 | 1.07 35 .05 -014 .90 -76 | 2.84 | 4,50 |24.62 | 24.61
Maximum .. 12.48 |10.33 5.86 2.14 | 3.22 | 1.87 B43 -10 | 4.84 | 2.10 |10.68 | 9.42 |34. 49 | 36. 23
Minimum... .47) .69 or 33 i bal 8, 0 10 | 0 | 0 | .10 | 1.02 |14.06 ; 14.14
Temperature.

» * Mean, maximum, and minimum temperatures at Chico from 1910
_ to 1921 are shown in Table 4. The period of growth and ripening of

cereals extends from about the aaa of March to early in June.
eas usually remain cool through April and part of May,
but late in May they generally rise rapidly, causing grain to ripen
_ quickly. Midseason varieties of wheat and barley usually ripen in
6 to 8 days, and early varieties in 10 to 12 days. Unusually high

8 BULLETIN 1172, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.

temperatures accompanied by a ‘‘norther’”’ sometimes ripen grain in
from 3 to 5 days. The highest mean and also the extreme tempera-
tures occur in June, July, and August. During the 12-year period
the maximum temperature recorded was 112° F., and the minimum
was 13° F.

Table 5 contains the average monthly and annual mean tempera-
tures in the 46-year period, 1871 to 1916, inclusive, and the monthly
maximum and minimum temperatures in a 38-year period.

TABLE 4.—Mean, maximum, and minimum temperatures at Chico, Calif., by months,
for the 12-year period from 1910 to 1921, inclusive.

[Data in degrees F.]

Year. Jan. | Feb. | Mar. | Apr. | May.| June.| July. | Aug. | Sept. |. Oct. | Nov.! Dec. oe
Mean: |
11 1) gel 43.1 | 47.9 | 57.0 | 61.0 | 68.8 | 72.6 | 80.2| 77.2| 70.1 | 64.8.) 53.4 | 48.0] 62.0
PGT Jee er | 46.4 | 45.8 | 55.7 | 56.8 | 61.4] 74.0] 79.4] 74.8} 66.6 | 62.0 | 52.8 | 45.2] 60:1
TID. a 3s 47.2 | 51.4 | 50.8 | 54.2 | 64.3] 72.9| 78.0| 76.2| 69.4] 59.1 | 51.4 | 45.71{. 60.0
OTs oe ose 42.3 | 48.9 | 51.1 | 57.4 | 66.2 | 72.5| 82.2] 74.8] 74.8] 65.7 | 52.4] 44.4] 61.4
ce ee ell 47.8 | 49.6 | 58.0 | 59.2 66.8] 71.5| 77.7} 77.2| 69.6 | 60.8| 54.2 | 43.2| 61.3
1915. 43.7 | 49.6 | 57.2 | 59.0 | 61.6 | 73.6 | 79.4] 79.2] 71.2] 65.2 | 52.4] 44.6] 61.4
11 ee ea 43.0 | 53.1 | 56.2 | 61.4 | 63.6] 71.4| 75.6 | 75.9] ‘71.1 | 59.0 | 48.4 | 43.8] 59.4
POU 9 cake or ee. 42.1 | 49.5 | 49.2 | 56.4 161.6 | 74.0] 82.0] 79.2] 72.0] 680 | 53.4/|58.6| 62.2
TOES ata 46.2 | 47.5 | 52.0 | 57.6 | 63.8| 79.2| 76.6! 76.4] 69.9 | 62.8 | 49.8 | 43.5] 60.4
Ts Nee oe 45.8 | 47.7 | 50.8 | 59.9) 69.2 | 72.4 | 79.2| 76.7] 70.6 | 59.0 | 51.3 | 43.5 | 60.5
LOM 2 ae 46.7 | 50.8 | 50.5 | 57.5 | 62.8] 72.6] 75.6] 78.0|° 70.2 | 58.3 | 50.3 | 45.6] 59.9
POI. Fit et 45.1 | 51.4 | 54.5 | 57.41 63.2 | 75.2| 78.5] 73.9] 700 | 64.3 | 53.4 | 47.5| 61.2
Average...| 45.0 | 49.4 | 53.6 | 58.2 | 64.4] 73.5] 78.5] 77.2] 70.5 | 62.4.| 51.9 | 46.1 | 60.5
Maximum: | |
1910... 63 163 | 80 | 92 104 109 | 110 | 106 99°7 [94 S76 ha a eee
WOire oa See 74). 1.65-— | 88/85. 4N938 102 | 110 | 102 98 217927) /.82) zen tees
Ui i eee ee 6a S874. | 76 7G: Ne ORee te id 110 | 106 Of =--/"88 "| "70: 172 wee
1913s. 2275. 169 |74 |79 | 86 {100 98 | 109 | 112 106 98 | 72> (NGO
1014 eS: 64 | 70 | 90 | 82 |99 | 110 | 109 | 106 98° 5-| DOs) 80— 164 a eee
1015." Sac. 62°) 68 [e841 86g] 92 Le TID, oh iO 96. -9)/ 945 +) 78-~ | OOeieoeee
1916 65S 58 | 76 |8 |85 |90 | 103 | 102 | 105 | 100 | 82 | 73 | 62 -|.....-
Ls ieee 6375 70" A789 | S62 1 Sa Soe) SE 207 | 102 *|102>) 82 gom aeeeee
TOG Set 72 CST. FRE OO 4°03 119906? | 110 98-0. I) igato Gg natae rs ae
$GIG. nS: | 67 | 63 78 | 86 105 109 110 112 104 91 83 Be ee
Toe poe Th. | RE 6 89 100 108 | 105 111 101 ee ee ee ee
R528 | 57 7a ae tae 92 108 | 109 | 105 | 100 | 92 | 81 | 64 |......
Average..-| 65.8 | 71.2 | 80.8 | 86.2 | 96.1 | 106.4 | 108.4 | 107.7 | 99.3 | 91.8 | 77.8 | 65.1 |-..-.--
Minimum:
191055 55-282 1S,” 21 349 OT 1933 40 48 50 AD. = 40- S528 1 D6. sees
ih ae een 56 i) 230) ee 6 49 46 50 42° 1°38 6 2600") 22 es
1912 pe” ete et i” a Det 48 52 48 45-1934 Wh 220 eee
ok eee 13-3) 2 2. at 40 45 50 50 45 {}.40.. 4598-2 |, 96) aaa
10] © ae ee 2% | 2 136: 134 “)42 46 52 48 44 | 36 | 26 | 24 |......
IOI S230 es 22 4 | SBteiese’ ¥) SB 4640 50 50 52 AA 4.38 ° 428’ _ico9- eee
W916 > oaks koe SS itr 3h 20". | 33% a9 45 53 43 45.1035 GE 20L: | cs. eae
Aten Oe =e. 13> A227 Oars | Darra 45 52 51 42° | 36- 432. | 225) eee
Ts aaa Oh WV OROE Diet 190" AF 46 50 51 47. 135 124 - 205s
$010; 2 19... (29. | 99° 1.32. } 48 fae cL oay, | ap eas coy. oi” oie eee
1920 pe ear es G | Ma ey ce Be 46 50 52 42» 33. 29 30 eee
1921 Opes 1 Sain) ee tae 44 50 47 43.) 638.222) 20 eee Z
Average...| 22.6 | 25.9 | 30.6 | 32.2 | 38.1] 45.5] 50.0] 48.9] 43.7 | 35. 82126; 8 | 2430s

TABLE 5.—Average monthly and annual mean temperatures at Chico, Calif., during the
46-year period from 1871 to 1916, inclusive.

[Data in degrees F, The average monthly maximum and minimum temperatures shown are for a38-year {

period.]
| | |
Kind. | Jan. | Feb. Mar. | Apr. |May. | June.) July. | Aug. Sept.| Oct. | Nov. | Dee. a
ghar | pe Us y | Ae ee eee
MeaTI sc Sees ates | 46.9 | 50.3 | 55.6 | 61.6 | 68.4 | 77.1 83.9 | 81.5 | 74.6 | 64.4 | 53.8 | 47.5 | 63.8
Maximinm’ 53 sae | 78 | 84 90 | 97 107. —s-_ 114 U7 7 S16 109 103 88 78 117
Minimums 83 cen. oe jes ~~]. 20 25. | 30 33 40 46 48 40 34 21 22 | 13

CEREAL EXPERIMENTS AT CHICO, CALIF. 9
Wind.

Wind velocities at Chico are exceptionally low. No wind data are
available for Chico, but those recorded at the Biggs Rice Field
Station, Biggs, Calif., during the eight-year period from 1914 to 1921
show that the maximum wind velocity seldom exceeds 12 miles per
hour, while the average hourly velocity ranges from 2.4 miles in
October to 4.2 miles in March.¢ The Biggs Rice Field Station is
located about 20 miles south of Chico, in more open country, but the
conditions at the two points are very similar.

Evaporation.

‘Evaporation data from a free water surface were recorded at the
_ Biggs Rice Field Station, Biggs, Calif., for the seven months from April
_ to October, inclusive, in the eight-year period from 1914 to 1921, in-
clusive.? The amount of evaporation at this station closely approxi-
_ mates what would be likely to occur at Chico, although the presence
_ of irrigation water in the rice fields throughout the summer at Biggs
_ probably results in reduced evaporation. The data show the highest
_ rate of evaporation to be in June and July, when the average daily
_ evaporation was 0.29 inch. The average total evaporation during
_ the seven months was 45.36 inches.
| One of the most important factors conducive to this large evapora-

tion is the great number of clear sunny days. Table 6 shows the
_ annual and average number of clear, partly clear, and cloudy days
_ at Chico in the 12-year period from 1910 to 1921, inclusive. The
_ heavy draft on soil moisture by growing crops and evaporation durin
_ the long dry season leaves the soil dry and hard and well deplete
of soil moisture.

_ Tasre 6.—Annual and average number of clear, parily clear, and cloudy days at Chico,
Calif., in the 12-year period from 1910 to 1921, inclusive.

|

Number of days. Number of days.
: Year. = ee | Year. | i Pee
: Clear. Partly cloud te Clear. | P@TY cloud igs
cloudy y zoe. | eloudyd ooo oe |
3 2 Se es 1 252 27 86 South. i eee ree 245 63 57 | Southeast.
ee 259 26 | 80 | fe) tals a; Sr | 224 83 58 Do.
me 1912... ....) 218 32 | -116 Do 1 a eee 257 53 55:| Do.
Eee 235 21 | 109 Do 1920. 2 we ee 239 76 51
7 240 24 101; Do 1921 S250 5S26 234 58 73
ae 24| 29 102) Do. |
3 . Sea | - 217 | 65 84 | Southeast. | Average.| 237.8 46.4 81
u |

EXPERIMENTAL METHODS.
PREPARATION OF THE LAND.

The customary method of soil preparation for a crop of grain is to
summer-fallow or to plow as early as possible after the first fall rains.
} The roper time to plow is early in spring, usually the latter part of
~ March or 3 when weeds and other vegetation may be turned
under and the soil is in proper condition for plowing. Tillage to
keep down weeds usually is not required during the dry summer

@ Jones, Jenkin W. Rice Experiments at the Biggs Rice Field Station in California. U.S. Dept.
Agr. Bul. 1155, 60 p., 15. fig. 1923.

48604—23——2

EE EE —

10 BULLETIN 1172, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.

dis at aha

season. In the fall the land ordinarily is double-disked and har- 4

rowed a short time before seeding.

At the Plant Introduction Station most of the plat experiments :

have been conducted on fall-plowed land. Owing to the limited
area it has not been possible to follow a systematic rotation. In 7
of the 12 years the cereal experiments followed corn. The summer
irrigation of this crop did not greatly affect soil-moisture conditions
in the fall, as the moisture was fairly well exhausted by the growing
crop and by rapid evaporation. Where the cereals followed corn,
the land was plowed in the fall, usually in October or November.
For the 1920 crop the corn stubble was dry-worked in October and
November. In 1910 the cereals were grown on land fall-sown to
wheat, which was plowed under in December; in 1911 and 1917 they
followed alfalfa and in 1913 chick-peas. In 1921 they were sown on
summetr-fallowed land which was double-disked and harrowed before
seeding. Most of the cereal nurseries have been grown on summer
fallow or on cultivated areas previously used for tree nurseries.

\
PLAT EXPERIMENTS.

Two general methods of conducting experiments with cereals have
been used. Up to 1916 the varieties were grown in single plats both
with and without check plats. During this early period the plats
used varied in size. In 1916 the replication of plats was begun but
without check plats. From three to five replications have been

used, but four has been the most common number. The 1/50-acre

unit was used in most cases.

NURSERY EXPERIMENTS.

Nursery experiments have comprised a large part of the cereal
investigations at Chico. Up to and including 1914 a limited amount
of this work was done, consisting principally of varietal comparisons
with wheat, barley, and oats. In 1915 the first wheat-classification
nursery was grown, and in the following year a wheat-hybrid nursery
was added. In 1918 large numbers of pure-line head selections of
wheat and barley were grown, and in 1920 the dormancy experiment
with barley and the date-of-seeding experiments with wheat, barley,
oats, and flax were begun.

Table 7 lists the different kinds of material of each cereal which
were grown and the number of individuals of each with the approxi-
mate number of rows (including replications) grown annually.

The nursery experiments may be divided into two general classes,
comparative experiments and miscellaneous experiments. The com-
parative experiments have included comparisons of varieties, pure-
line selections, and dates of seeding.

In the comparative experiments the rows were sown 1 foot apart
and of varying length. During the early years the row was either
1, 2, or 8 rods long for all cereals. During the later years the length
of the row depended upon the cereal used. For wheat it was 16 feet;
for barley, 20 feet; for oats, 15 feet; and for flax, 17 feet. These
lengths were chosen so that the following simple rule could be applied
in calculating yields in bushels per acre when they were recorded in
grams per row: For wheat, barley, and flax multiply the yield in
grams by one-tenth or move the decimal point one place to the left.
For oats, multiply by two and point off one place to the left.

f

iia aed +e

CEREAL EXPERIMENTS AT CHICO, CALIF. 11

TABLE 7.—Number of varieties and strains and approximate total number of rows grown
annually in the various nursery experiments at the Plant Introduction Station, Chico,
Calif., in the 12-year period from 1910 to 1921, inclusive.

Crop and experiment. | 1910 | 1911 | 1912 | 1913 | 1914 | 1915 | 1916 | 1917 | 1918 | 1919 } 1920 | 1921
aaa |} | |
Wheat: |

Varietal experiments...; 100 134 Oo Ween se 63°) 25 81 | 144] 232 |- 226 | 297 | 42

Pure-line selections... - EERE ME Breer bie yee eee bi Bee Ure 170 | 158] 149 22

Increase. for seed re- | |

Id St San iano S2eRs2 eee eee Sele ee ene lccen fe ee SO Peery ee ero eee
MANEIOS 2 = [ORC ESES SY Gye Acie) ES tlle alge] (Poa Sy aga gaia al | 509 | 230) 733 |1,€09 |1, 680 | 1,922

Classification nursery ..|......|-.-.-.|-.---- ees | 146} 790} 902 | 957 | 721 |1,421 | 309
Barley:

Varietal experiments.... 70 79 ....-. | 90] 20/ 93] 242] 266] 181 |. 210] 208 27

Pure-line selections... .. epee) See (09 (me 02 ee 30 28 28 | 389 | 361 361 45

Hybrids and classifica- |

CuI Se eS SS ee eee erin eo enone Ceres jasse- etude s: 2 fee be 2 S283 - | Psy ol Orn | 341

Dormancy experiments.|......|....-.|..-..- Psat Wc saciad pei eat eg a ee la Tex | 154 12%
Oats: | |

Varietal experiments.... 19 Of is eee [na ee Ee = | eee pees S| "40 b +40 11

Pure-line selections.....)....-- [yee oe oo ean es |e Se Be 3e Ss 5 eee es | ee cee ee
Flax:

Warietal experiments. ..|..-.-.]2. 2. 2|....-. ance 23 L67)=- 6h | 30 20'} 20 20 Toesetees
ee (emmer, spelt, | | | | |

ete.): |

Varietal experiments. . - “a ge An Oe in oa Ree ed ee [i pac sh = Ain ages cf ere
Date-of-seeding:

Wheat, barley, oats,

PUG, 125 ee eae gE he 5 Se Ee cece le a Ve Si MO Pk, A a a el ly | 478
Approximate total, |

including replica-

RIORSs eee aoe oc 210 | 230) 165 | 350! 135} 330 |1,680 |2,400 |3,000 4,600 5,400 | 4,000

A uniform weighed quantity of seed was used for seeding each row,
which was sown by hand until 1918, and since that year with a
nursery drill. Up to and including 1918 varieties or selections were
grown mostly in single rows. Since that date they have been grown

- mostly in triplicate, though sometimes with five replications. Agro-

nomic notes have been taken on emergence, heading, ripening, and
yield of grain and also on cereal diseases.

The rows were harvested by hand, and the barleys were bagged to
ent loss through shattering after harvest. Other cereals were

agged in some years. The threshing was done by a specially con-
structed thresher. The weight of grain has been recorded in both
ounces and grams.

The miscellaneous experiments included wheat breeding, wheat
classification, and a dormancy experiment with barley. These ex-
periments have been sown mostly in 5-foot rows 1 foot apart, but

_ wider spacing and longer rows have been used at times. Head selec-
tions or bulk seed have been sown, according to the plan of the ex-

periment. The seed was spaced or sown in drills by hand or with a
nursery drill. Where the grain was desired, the rows were hand-
harvested, bagged where necessary, and threshed with a small cyl-
inder thresher.

It is neither desirable nor possible to present in this bulletin all the
data recorded in the nursery experiments. However, a brief state-

» ment of the general results of the experiments with each cereal will

_ be given.

EXPERIMENTAL DATA.

The object in conducting cereal experiments at Chico has been

cee (1) to determine what varieties of the different cereals are

est adapted to the upper Sacramento Valley and (2) to improve by

12 BULLETIN 1172, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.
selection and breeding the cereals most commonly grown. While a
certain amount of work has been done with the less important
cereals to determine their adaptation, most attention has been given
to wheat and barley, which are best adapted to the section and widely
grown there. The cultivation of oats is limited, particularly on
account of the high temperatures in early summer. |
In determining their adaptation the varieties have been grown in
field plats so as to approach field conditions as nearly as possible.
The plat unit at Chico has varied, but the size used has been uniform
in each year. The measure of adaptability has been the yield of
erain taken in connection with the qualities desired in the cereal in
question. In addition to determining yield careful observations have
been made during the periods of growth and ripening on the habit of
rowth, susceptibility to disease, etc. Although an effort is made to
approach field conditions it is recognized that from such small units

Fig. 2.—Wheat varieties in shock in the plat experiments at the Plant Introduction Station, Chico, Calif.,
in 1911.

the yields are somewhat above normal. This, however, does not
affect the results sought in the experiment, as all varieties are grown
under like conditions and are affected similarly.

Varietal experiments have been conducted also in the nursery,
where large numbers of varieties from many sources have been grown.
From time to time a number of the most promising of these have
been advanced to the plats for comparative study.

WHEAT EXPERIMENTS.

Wheat will continue to be one of the principal grain crops of
California. While increased areas of the more fertile lands are being
converted into orchards, there will yet remain large areas of land
which will be primarily adapted to grain growing. The cool wet
winter season together with the warm early spring temperatures of
the great interior valleys of California is favorable for the production
of the class of wheat known as the soft white wheats. Varieties of

CEREAL EXPERIMENTS AT CHICO, CALIF. 13

this class have been grown in this region since the beginning of the
industry. They were originally introduced from Australia, where
the climate is very similar to that of portions of California.

The soft white wheats are comparatively low in crude-protein
content and high in starch. Their bread-making qualities, however,
are fairly good. Repeated efforts have been made by growers and
experimenters to introduce the superior high-grade hard red milling
wheats from the central and northern United States, but without
much success. The climatic conditions immediately result in in-
ferior quality and usually in lower production than from the com-
_ monly grown white varieties.

In the varietal experiment the effort has been to discover wheats
of better quality and higher yields for California. The varieties
showing greatest promise in this direction are the hard white wheats
of Australian origin. Where productiveness and general adapt-
ability are approximately the same, quality as determined by milling
and baking experiments has been the deciding factor in favor of a
variety in the experiment. The interpretation of results is based on
the varied data recorded and also on observations of varietal behavior
and the effects of soil variation.

TasLe 8.— Yields of 45 varieties of wheat and the average yield of each expressed as a per-
centage of the yield of White Australian, as grown at the Plant Introduction Station,
Chico, Calif., during some or all of the years in the 12-year period from 1910 to 1921,

i er

q inclusive.
ine
= | :
ca Yield per acre (bushels). Per-
& | ee 2 ee cent-
7 | age
= | . | | of
= Class,group,and =§C.I.| | | yield
variety. | No.! | Aon of
om /1910} 1911 | 1912 | 1913 | 1914 | 1915 |1916|1917/1918)/1919 1920 |1921 ° ‘|White
| | age. | Aus.
tra-
Es | lian.
| |
COMMON WHEATS.
|
Soft white spring: |
2 Pacific Bluestem | | Pee ge |
(White Australian)| 3019 (28. 0) 265. 5) 231. 5) 244. 7| 234. 7/¥18. 6 32. 0/43. 9/22. 6/32. 1) 345, 0/18.0} 34.7) 100.0
Pacific Bluestem... .| 2985 |....|..... 22. 5| 46.8) 35.7 23.229. 7/41.2)....)....) ee ore coal eee
Wares rR Oa 5 LU CO | Ss Me Sake Bae ae bE en ee |. esf40s O}215 1/35..2)' 45, OG. 7) .< 22 498.7
Washinton NWO>3622|-4327. | 25.2). -<...|.--.c|2.-2- sos Ol Rt ShO\20 AG Ze eale nc alee cinolls oq =| aetoe 91,2
eilver-inie Ss | 2990). |... 4-2-2. SOKOWAS. Oltees Ole cae 25. Olam las alelacche<swa| > dscns 99.5
= Hudson Purple- | Bae |
nad SUPA Wace. 22S ZALES Hens eee SOLAS SSO! Ol O29: Slat ele eas eis. | tee [onc Baer 95. 0
Hammers mend. 2) 29926 |<. --|_ =. | 32. 5} 43. 3/28. 0) 18. 7/210)... -|oo..|2 =. -)--.2-}- 02. eget ; 88.9
Plephant. = 2. F-. hela: Lelie ie bape ple2 |e 3H bed) fom ec 0) Nee Sse eg al |e ee ee Set [en 5.2
Soft white winter: | |
Probipvion- 222... (SLAC N29 ER Se bee Be ee [ees ce a Teese esc see A ase Se es AT uml Tee
Semihard white spring: | | | | |
Baart _._............| 1697 |39.3)] 90.6] 27.5) 45.7| 30.2) 19.3/27. 5/47. 8/19. 7/22. 9| 39. 6/17.4| 35.6} 102.6
BEBO se as. Se. ee cos | 1970 |27.0| 86.0} 33.7} 45.5] 29.0) 18. 2/29. 7/45. 0/20. 7/35. 0} 35. 0}....].....- 101.6
Oe: eee ae | 1698 36.2) 67.6} 30.0) 40.2) 32.0) 17.0 28 8 Berea ee | as ee 98. 7
Oudebaard.......... ice iis Rnd psa nee ee aS ee Brora cee See eee | 44.6)19.6)...... 101.9
Surprise (California | | |
‘Foust ae ae ers 2 Sie her a 30. 0} 44. 0) 32.0} 22. 0/26. 0)41. 6)19..7/31. 9).....)....]--.--- 95. 0
Katy = 2 3663 BSAC eee al cock olaae el os eee een |....146. 7/30. 7/31. 3] 41.3 oy sees sete) i6s. 5
Salenlose ss >: Pe: . 2398 (27.0) 63.3) 28.5 43.3 Dita N85 395 4125. W220 oo .| 6. | eye eka 86.5
: ay aie eaeaee 1743. 189, 0| 57.3)... lees FT See. 2 Bee fee al le, faa 91.3
Wore ee ee | 3622 veeelnee fciaot He ae 33. 7| 22, 2/25, 9134. 3/18. 7/24. 2)... .. ONO |(eeeee 88. 2
Federation.......... eT noy Siete area el ee tec |. 50 498, 8).81. 2117.3] ..25 2. 112.8
Sanpertae - 5-22 5.-.-.) 4986 3). coco cence (EB ay NS Degen = | aes al a ei Bee |store ct Nod Pa) 92.8

1 Cereal Investigations accession number.

2 Average of two check plats in 1911 and 1915, six in 1912 and 1914, and seven in 1915.
3 Pacific Bluestem (C. I. No. 4067) substituted.

4 Pacific Bluestem (C. I. Nos. 2985 and 4067) combined.

14 BULLETIN 1172, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.

TABLE 8.— Yields of 45 varieties of wheat and the average yield of each expressed as a per-
centage of the yield of White Australian, as grown at the Plant Introduction Station,
Chico, Calif., during some or all of the years in the 12-year period from 1910 to 1921,
inclusive—Continued.

Yield per acre (bushels). | Per-
| cent-
| | age
lpOs
Class, group, and | -Got.l yield
variety. | No. | | A of
11910) 1911 | 1912 | 1913 | 1914 | 1915 1916 1917, 1918)1919 1920 1921) = White
[= | 88¢- | Aus.
| er tra-
| ‘ | lian.
COMMON WHEATS—con. |
Hard white spring:
aMika a. Sceses es | 2227-1126. 0} 85.6} 31.2) 46.8) 38.0! 24.2)294.9)..._|___. Load | ee oe oe | 108. 2
Ey eee ie PACH? |S) Sethe TENS Cae lee leseec|,74.(40, BIDS AIPONG |S oo) (imal ee 100. 0
Hard Pederation< 3-2\ 4980 ghee re Fed ee eee he 45. 113474) .42. Ole les ee
IDG oscars sods 475382. Ae Poon ee i ee Ee So eee a Ee 136. 7| 40. 9113. 8]... - 5115.9
Wiaite-Federation... =| 49815 i). 5 32 8 tes lee scale alt eee Ee ey 50. 0/36. '7| 44. 6/12. 2)..-- -. 121.9
Bunyip.......-..-... BID feeAaN met eee oa Sead (ee aes a Read Mme TRS BLE 2 | 73.9
dbises 1400425 fre Oa | els tee es foes is ape lestclce fet 16, 8)28. Bh. a owa|s<schesees 83.4
Hard red spring: | |
US Saeco! 2227-2)30. 3| 88.0} 36.2! 47.8) 35.7) 27. 7/21. 5/36. 620. 6/34. 6|....- Ls “e)2 aed 107.2
BTOLGS 2. 24. e Feds < 22s | 1596 [26.7|..... 25.0} 46.3) 252) 2S) eae ee i Pee (Be ag Eee | 94.1
ee Se 1506-112 -| gah eed 35.9 18.5:20.843.9|....|....| 29.6|....|-.....|8 928
Lot 2 OR Saas 159622) 2. .|-F& Glee | ee 32.5) 197/26. 3| 2. to. | an ste scale ee
KG0la 2s cosa. shee 2 | | Ra Pe S55 Oh ADs Oeste | eer Forse Waar ae Oe ase ae 110. 2
peace ba eae 2203-2). «|i. 22 eR es es eo 39. 9:30. 6/31.5|.....|.... |-sees 103.4
Aroussi SS ae 2011-2)... | 5126} 40.0) 54, 1) 37.6) 19..2/20, 2/29: 8)12; 5) 21. 2 i? othoeneee 90. 3
Marquis... -------..< 3 Bg eee eae | eee pe nen| ee ee eee 36. 2 30. 5)31.0) 30.016. 4)-....-) 89. 0
Hard red winter: eae
pimnean 02-2 ees 1437 |. | Sree cele ii da) ae a eo | eat hp lier Bee Se 74.7
Kaharkofic- 22.05 222 ZS - | <0 ]* 5553/28. Fe eo) cee a a ee | a eee 86. 6
Woes en ee ib beg ies Bee pace Bee. ee ies 37. 1/25. 0/25. 4|....- 1255 se 85.8
TUIEE GY. x. oo ee oe 1558), (5522), 5623 |oo5s2 ase 150) oe eee pe ba ee ae 8 |e Sete | ls 2
Soft red winter: | |
Mite OMmielen wai te | eos |S. Beare: header Bee, aes fees ae ee 124-6) .325= lotrel ee ee 76.6
CLUB WHEATS. ae | |
White winter: |
ii ybrid 128... 22 -. 2. .: ADIOS ee cae eee Ve ege aca tartec | 16.2} 23. 2/23. 4/47. 830. 3/32. 7| 39.6)... -|----.- 93. 1
White spring: |
Eby pridwll4s: 252.3. AT GO) oi oo- 2] Skeet Woot poe S YAN | Pe pd (ee Pees ee eee ee ee oo 94, 2
Pattie: Clubs: 35s. 4066 3) sel esoes aera Pee Tete 2 eee ee 50;.1132.'8)27.'5) 35. 9116, 1) == 5555 100. 5
Red spring: t !
Jehijcints bibs) eae eee A325 SNE lee eae eee eee 34.0, 24, 0/24. 3/43. 3/28. 8/34. 6]. ...-|....|----.- 102.7
Wnnameds-- 25. 2-2. BYE coal 2 cea (eee Te Oe eee | 26.7; 19.5)24, 2147. 8/24. 1/32, 1) 40.4)....}-..--- 93. 8
DURUM WHEATS. |
Peubarnia 28.46 Je. £ | 2286 IGE FESR. S| So So) oa Sek sce A eee) ree: Lea ee Se 59.9
Yellow Gharnovka...... 12096... 1-9. /G/FS6:61 55. 22/2528 2622) S252 2) ool eae eee be as he ee apes 56. 5
MAT OUST eats ree 11593 Osea) oe) = peewee ee ete g Gl bee roi ns ae ey eee lesa | 48.4
EIA See sce 1440 | 8.5) 29.6)....-| yo Bs pe ais PO el er 34. 7/24. 5 27.9 28.8). <2] <<naieel 65. 1
Be se ee PN. |. D5} S28 ee a oe hea ale | ae | eae ah eo | we lees | 37.2
nnamed= =e yas es }bO5e ease oe PAR ae Hie es | el ere a (se Eesti! 1 occa ie | omens 64.4
PATHATILKA aot cms eek ne ee ed 494 ee eeee ATV Wis | ed! PE) alec I ae | Pee a cine eee cere 68.8
Cavarnn. 23°. oooeo cee Wey Gaara tel PS BO: O)2 2957S oe Seow eee PSs) ate eon ates and sboesces | 78.3
Welvet Dono... ecw 2227. |20..0) 33.3] <.-<- Fenee pace = IG rett tile. etal (ahs | er noe Ree sere!) Ai.
Unnamed................ Den lesa wal aa B48) D7 al] 52 ta) <del ceeds eae ee est: | 78.7
POULARD WHEAT oe
|
2c ae gat) BOS? 1.25 |oeec leon aber a faeerre Katee fen e 21.8/19.8 20.4 ood tee | 62.2
| | |

5 Hard Federation (C. I. No. 4980) and Hard Federation (C. I. No. 4733) combined.
6 Fretes (C. I. Nos. 1596 and 1596-1) combined.

Varietal Comparisons.

PLAT EXPERIMENTS.

A large number of varieties of wheat from various sources have
been compared in the plat experiments at the Plant Introduction
Station. (Fig. 2.) Table 8 shows the annual yields of 45 varieties
of common wheat, 5 of club wheat, 10 of durum wheat, and 1 of
poulard wheat grown during some years in the 12-year period fro,,

fg el dete oe
D> -_ '

re"
4

.
‘
:
;
.

CEREAL EXPERIMENTS AT CHICO, CALIF. 15

1910 to 1921, inclusive, with the average yields of Pacific Bluestem
(White Australian) and Baart (Early Baart) for the entire period
and the average yields of other varieties in terms of percentage of

_ the yield of the White Australian strain of Pacific Bluestem in the

ears when both were grown. This wheat was chosen as a basis
or comparison because it is the leading commercial variety of the

section.

The average annual yield of Pacific Bluestem (White Australian)
wheat for the 12-year period, 1910 to 1921, inclusive, was 34.7

_ bushels per acre and that of Baart 35.6 bushels. This shows a dif-

ference of 0.9 bushel per acre in favor of Baart. In view of the soil

_ yariation the yield of Baart should be discounted when the abnormal
' yield of 90.6 bushels from that variety in 1911 is considered. In

considering quality as well as yield the most promising varieties

have been White Federation, Hard Federation (fig. 3), and Federa-
_ tion, which produced 121.9, 115.9, and 112.8 per cent, respectively,

of the yield of Pneific Bluestem in the same years.

The following varieties of wheat (listed with their respective C. I.
numbers), the results from which are not presented in Table 8, were
also grown in plats for one or more years: Japanese No. 4, 1181-1;
Kurd, 2126-2; Yantagbay, 2404; Kisel, 2405; Ble Violet, 2508-1;
Ble Violet, 2508-2; Ak, 2899; Indian, 4506; Jumbuck, 4608; Bobs,
4710; Comeback, 4991; Firbank, 5013; Boadicea, 6220; Onas, 6221.

Other varieties among the white-kerneled wheats which show
equal or higher yields than the best strain of Pacific Bluestem are
Talimka, Baart, Propo, Oudebaard, which are bearded, and Little
Club, a beardless club; among the hard red spring varieties are
Chul, Koola, and Fretes, which are bearded, and the red club wheat
Hybrid 123, which is beardless. Of these wheats Baart and Little
Club are important commercial varieties in the Sacramento Valley.
Chul was at one time grown scatteringly in California, but on account
of its poor milling and baking qualities it soon almost disappeared
from cultivation. ‘

The soft and hard white common and the white spring club varieties
appear to be best adapted to the Sacramento Valley. A number of
hard red spring common varieties of southern Asian and European

_ origin also have produced well. The hard red winter wheats are not

adapted. They immediately lose their dark-red color and become
more or less starchy and spotted with yellow berry. Their yields
are comparatively low. Practically the same is true of the durum
varieties. Instead of being vitreous the kernels become yellowish
and opaque or spotted with starchy areas. The yields of durum
wheats were in most cases but little more than half those of Pacific
Bluestem. ‘Titanic, or ‘‘Seven-headed” wheat, a poulard variety,
also was inferior in quality and yield.

Spring varieties, or those with an erect habit of growth, are grown
successfully when fall sown in the Sacramento Valley; in fact, the
leading commercial varieties are of the so-called spring wheats.
They are sown throughout the late fall and winter season. During
the winter many spring varieties assume a semispreading habit of
growth. Winter varieties, or those with a prostrate habit of growth,
may not be sown later than midwinter (about February), as they
either fail to develop normally on account of the early dry season
or become prostrate and grasslike as the season advances.

16 BULLETIN 1172, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.
NURSERY EXPERIMENTS.

Large numbers of varieties of both domestic and foreign origin
have been compared in the nursery. In general, the results agree —
fairly well with those from the plat experiments. In the miscellane-
ous group of wheats, which comprises both common and durum
varieties, Chul, Propo, Baart, and Pacific Bluestem (White Aus-
tralian) have been the leading varieties. The Australian group,
consisting of Australian varieties, many of them very high yielders,
has been described in a previous bulletin.t In addition to the
three Federation varieties, Canberra has been a high-yielding variety
in the nursery and has been advanced to the plat experiments.

The early work in selection of pure lines was done primarily to
purify existing varieties, many of which were badly mixed. In 1917
numerous pure lines of Pacific Bluestem were selected from com-
mercial fields in the Sacramento Valley and the adjoining coastal
districts. Apparently these have yielded no better than the unse-
lected variety. Several of the highest yielding selections, however,
are being continued through the season of 1922.

A few hybrids were grown in 1910 from crosses made in 1906. Over
500 rows of hybrid material, developed cooperatively by Dr. C. E.
Leighty, agronomist in charge of eastern wheat investigations,
and Dr. H. H. Love, of the department of plant breeding, Cornell
University Agricultural Experiment Station, were grown in 1916.
This material consisted of intergroup crosses between common,
durum, emmer, and spelt wheats. A smaller series has been grown
in each succeeding year.

Recently an extensive project in producing hybrids has been
inaugurated at Chico. It will be discussed under the heading
“ Hybridization experiments.”’

Extensive wheat-classification nurseries have been grown in the
seven years from 1915 to 1921, inclusive. Chico has been a good place
to grow material for classification studies on account of its favorable
climate, where hardy as well as tender material can be grown equally
well from fall and winter seeding. Detailed agronomic notes on
habits of growth, heading, ripening, disease resistance, etc., have
been taken also on this material. Each year a minute study of the
botanic characters of the mature plants has been made by specialists.
The results are in part the basis for a recent publication.°

Leading Varieties of Wheat.

PACIFIC BLUESTEM.

This variety was introduced into California from Australia in the
early fifties under the name White Australian. It is identical with
a variety known as Pacific Bluestem, which was introduced into
Oregon in the eighties. It, is a tall, moderately strong-strawed
beardless wheat with white chaff and white straw and midsized soft to
semihard white kernels which do not shatter easily. It has maintained
its importance on account of its yielding capacity coupled with fairly
good milling and bread-making qualities. The variety also appears
able to withstand excess moisture during the occasional wet winters.

4 Clark, J. Allen, Stephens, Davil E., and Florell, Victor H. Australian Wheat Varieties in the Pacific
Coast Area. U.S. Dept. Agr., Bul. 877, 25 p.,3 pl. 1920. ea

5 Clark, J. Allen, Martin, John H.,and Ball, Carleton R. The Classification of American Wheat Varieties.
U.S. Dept. Agr., Bul. 1074, 238 p., 76 fig.,60 pl. 1922. Literature cited, p. 219-230.

CEREAL EXPERIMENTS AT CHICO, CALIF. iy

BAART.

|} _ Baart was introduced, under the name Early Baart, from Australia
|) by the United States Department of Agriculture in 1900. It did not
become an important commercial variety in California until 1919,
_ when it was widely distributed. Early Baart is a tall slender-strawed
bearded wheat with white chaff and straw and large semihard kernels.
It is more susceptible to shattering than Pacific Bluestem. In
common with other varieties it does not shatter so readily when
' winter or spring sown as when fall sown. At Chico Baart begins
| heading from 14 to 20 days earlier than Pacific Bluestem, depending
| on the date of seeding, and ripens from 4 to 8 days earlier. The
_ difference in time of maturity decreases with the later sowings. The
"widespread distribution of this variety is due to its improved quality,
its producing capacity, and its earliness, which makes it adapted

to the drier lands.

{
4
if

"3
|

Fic. 3—An increase field of Hard Federation wheat, C. I. No. 4733, showing erect, strong stems 45 inches
tall, at Chico, Calif., in 1920.

THE FEDERATION VARIETIES.

_ The Federation, Hard Federation, and White Federation varieties
_ originated in Australia and are of common ancestry. They are dis-
_ tinct varieties but have a number of characteristics in common.
Hard Federation.—Hard Federation (Fig. 3) is an early short and
strong-strawed beardless wheat with brown glumes and white straw,
small white kernels, and good nonshattering qualities. It matures
from two to four days earlier than Baart. It is a hard wheat with
‘short plump kernels, strongly resembling Marquis in shape. The
_ kernels are uniformly vitreous in texture and usually very free from
_ the whitish starchy spots which are equivalent to yellow berry in the
_ hardred wheats. The variety also shows a curious twisting and curl-

a

= 48604—23-_3

18 BULLETIN 1172, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.

ing of the upper leaves, particularly as it approaches maturity. Hard
Federation is susceptible to the usual cereal diseases. It appears to
have a slightly higher susceptibility to bunt than the average variety.
It also does not appear to produce as well as some varieties after a
wet winter. Hard Federation was distributed for commercial grow-
ing in 1920 on account of its quality and yield. It is a good milling
variety, superior to Baart in most milling and bread-making factors.

White Federation.—White Federation is very similar to Hard
Federation. It is an early short and strong-strawed beardless
variety with small white kernels which do not shatter readily. Like
the Hard Federation it has white straw, but it also has white glumes,
which serve to distinguish the two varieties. The kernels are hard
and vitreous in texture, but starchy spots are more common, and the
color of the kernel is a shade lighter. The shape of the kernel is
practically identical with that of Hard Federation. The variety
matures about two days later than Hard Federation. It also shows
the peculiar curling of the upper leaves. White Federation, like
Hard Federation, appears to possess low resistance to excess moisture.
Although not quite as good a milling variety as Hard Federation, the
White Federation was distributed at the same time on account of
its slightly greater yielding capacity.

Federation.—F ederation is practically identical with Hard Federa-
tion in general appearance except that it has a trifle longer and more
uniform spike, and its glumes are a little darker brown in color. It
begins heading from six to eight days later and matures from three
to five days later than Hard Federation. It has a small soft white
kernel with rounded cheeks. The yields of Federation at Chico -
look promising, and in experiments in adjoining States very good
results have been obtained. In quality it is equal to Pacific Bluestem
and may prove more productive.

BUNYIP.

Bunyip is an early Australian variety with small white semihard
kernels of high quality and is similar in many respects to Hard
Federation. It is short, moderately strong-strawed and beardless,.
with white chaff and straw. It matures from two to four days
earlier than Hard Federation. Bunyip was distributed in 1920 by a
local agency and is grown on a limited acreage in the Sacramento
Valley. It has been grown in both nursery and plat experiments at
Chico, but has not shown outstanding yielding capacity.

SONORA.

Sonora is an early short-strawed beardless variety with white
straw, brown hairy glumes, and small soft white kernels. It is an
important commercial variety in the southern San Joaquin Valley,
but produces yields significantly lower than those of Pacific Blue-
stem. It is not grown commercially in the Sacramento Valley.

LITTLE CLUB.

The club wheats have a place in the wheat culture of this section.
Although low in milling value they yield well and are resistant to
shattering. The nonshattering quality is especially desirable on

OO ae

CEREAL EXPERIMENTS AT CHICO, CALIF. 19

account of the use of the combined harvester in harvesting, which
- necessitates leaving the grain standing in the field until fully mature.
_ A considerable acreage is sown to club varieties. They are grown

mostly on the low fertile soils, where there usually is considerable

- lodging of the common varieties. Little Club is the most important

variety. It is midlate, beardless, with white glumes and straw and
soft white kernels.

Milling and Baking Experiments.

In order to determine the milling value of new varieties, milling
and baking experiments have been conducted in conjunction with the
varietal experiments. This work was begun in 1917, when mulling
and baking tests were made with 12 varieties, which included the

_ best California wheats as well as the leading winter and spring vari-

eties of the Central and Northern States, for comparison. During

subsequent years varieties were added and dropped for various
reasons. In the five years the milling and baking quality of 33 differ-

ent varieties and strains has been tested. During the first three
years these experiments were conducted at Fargo, N. Dak., in coop-
eration with the North Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station
and the Bureau of Markets of the United States Department of

_ Agriculture. For the past two years the experiments have been
conducted in the milling and baking laboratory of the Bureau of

Agricultural Economics (formerly Bureau of Markets) at Washing-
ton, D. C., in cooperation with the Grain Division of that bureau.
The annual yields and data on the most important milling and bak-
ing factors are shown in Table 9 for each of the five years from 1917
to 1921, inclusive. A five-year summary of data on five varieties
and a three-year summary of data on six varieties are presented.
In considering the leading varieties the outstanding features are

_ the consistently high percentages of crude protein, shorts, and water

absorption of Hard Federation with generally high percentages of
flour and good color and volume of loaf. Early Baart is consistently
high in loaf volume and in crude protein and yields a good percentage
of flour. In 1921, the only year the data are comparable, Bunyip
showed itself to be a milling and baking variety of exceptional good
quality. : |

In the summary of Table 9, which gives the five-year average,
Baart is shown as the best milling and bread-making wheat of the.
three important commercial varieties and is particularly superior in
loaf volume. Pacific Bluestem is a fairly good milling and baking

_ variety, although it is low in crude protein, water absorption, and
volume. Little Club is of inferior milling value.

_ Table 9 also gives three-year average data for six varieties, which
include Baart, Pacific Bluestem, the three Federation varieties, and
Sonora. Hard Federation is superior to Baart in all of the important
milling and bread-making qualities except loaf volume, in which

Baart excels. White Federation shows a slightly higher percentage

of flour and loaf volume than Hard Federation. Federation yielded
the largest quantity of flour and shows a loaf volume almost equal
to Hard Federation. Sonora shows itself to be about equal in milling
value to Little Club.

20

TaBLE 9.— Yrelds and results of milling and baking tests of wheat varieties grown at, the
Plant Introduction Station, Chico, Calvf., in the five-year period from 1917 to 1921,

inclusive.

BULLETIN 1172, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.

[Data obtained in cooperation with the Bureau of Agricultural Economics (formerly Bureau of Markets),

United States Department of Agriculture. rote (
a basis 0f 13.5 per cent moisture in the wheat. Abbreviationsin column 4: C=common, Cl=club,

Crude protein (column 6) equals nitrogen < 5.7 computed to

=dark,

Du=durum, H=hard, N=northern, R=red, S=soft, Samp=sample, Sp=spring, Wa=walla, Wh=

white, Wn= winter, Y=yellow.

Those samples marked with a star (*) were smutty.]

| | Milling tests. | Baking tests.
3 31g | = Loaf.
Season and 5 Grade | 2 | i's
variety. % j tel Ea -capaees 7

Seite ae lens : ee ae ae
4 S >) 8 , |S) & s | =
Sh ett eer = UPR, = Soest sO" bel Ba a= alge S| >} Ss ] se
el ac BE Sil ey | i a) Se Se a eee aie
So | ® B1S i]s |e) ee TS eo eae
1 2 3 4 5 Gaulced 8 9 10 11 12 | 18 | 14

|
SEASON OF 1917.

COMMON WHEATS. '

Soft white spring: Bu. Lbs. |\P.ct.|P.ct.|P.ct.|P.ct.|P.ct.| C.c. |@ms.|P.ct.|P. ct:
Dicklow 22222: 3003.44 “AGS User cece cesseeees | 58.0) 8.9) 71.9) 12.4/ 15.1! 55.0) 1,710} 472} 90 | 96
Galgalos......-.. 2398 |), SOL Ale: - ges techn 61.5) 11.2 74.4) 15.7; 10.1) 58.8) 2,000) 499195 | 98
Pacific Bluestem} 4067 | 45.0|--....-....2.-.. 61.0) 10.7, 72.1) 15.5) 11.3) 55.0) 1,810} 482) 92 | 96

Semihard white |

spring :
Baanthe:. = sa. oc 1697 1) 47.8) 55 ones eee 63.0) 11.8) 72.7) 14.6) 11.9 55.5) 2,290) 469) 95 | 97

Hard white spring: |
Malimikae. - ees PAIS! | 40 5) ec wee eee eaae 62.0) 11.6) 74.7) 12.9) 13.8) 60.3) 2,000} 494) 95 | 99

Hard red spring: |

| oh ot Le Pea Se 222 dl HAONO| kai soo Sees 61.0) 10.3) 69.9} 18.7| 13.3) 63.0} 2,050) 498 92 | 99
KOC seo 2208-21 18999). Na Acc neem ene 63.0} 10.9) 73.3) 15.7) 12.7) 59.4) 2,200) 495) 96 {100
Marquise fae. 415899360 Ole sess Sa eects 62.0} 11.2) 73.5} 17.0) 10.1) 58.8) 2,260) 480) 96 | 98

Hard red winter: | | ;
Kibarkof.. 2.2 5k ASO SS Tabb atseoececeeeess 61.0| 10.7, 76.8) 14.8] 10.3) 60.3) 1,880) 483) 92 | 94
CLUB WHEATS. |

White winter: |
Hybrid 128..... 43260-| 41 58\s ee ote ae oee 58.0} 8.0! 71.8} 15.1] 11.1) 55.3) 1,520) 477/ 88 | 92

White spring: ea
Little Club. .... A0GG a ONE Soe ose sees 59.0) 10.4) 72.9) 13.0] 13.0) 55.0) 1,700} 471, 86 | 85

DURUM WHEAT.
Keurbankass: tec T1440 Si) (RANTES ct epgecaaee 62.0) 11.5 74.3 14.1) 11.5, 60.0) 1,630) 478 88 | 99
SEASON OF 1918. | |

COMMON WHEATS. |

Soft white spring: | |
Dicklow, cee. 3663 | 30.7; Samp H Wh..| 57.6) 8.4) 72.4| 10.5) 18.1) 52.9) 1,900] 473) 89 | 84
Galgalos: =. 5>. 2398 | 25.1) *1S Wh:....-| 61.9] 9.1] 72.9] 13.3) 15.2] 58.2) 1,720) 498) 90 | 94
Pacific Bluestem}! 4067 | 21.1) *1 H Wh...... 60.9) 10.3, 70.3) 9.5) 20.1, 55.0] 1,800) 482 88.5) 93
SOmora. =. 5s ie 163622." 1887 eb WinGles. 2 63.0) 10.3) 73.0! 16.5} 10.6) 57.6) 1,850) 479) 86 | 85.5
ve Austra- |3019 ) |-22°6) *2 EU Whee. .: 59.7| 12.8] 75.4) 12.7 11.1) 57.9] 2,100) 480) 87.5) 85.5

ian.

Semihard white

spring
Beant ose.0- oe 607 7) AO.g) +See Whee = 56.9) 11.2) 67.9) 12.8) 13.5) 57.4) 1,710 497) 87.5} 89

Hard white spring: |

earn Federa- | 4980 | 45.1) *2 H Wh...... 58.4) 11.6 74.4) 13.5) 10.6) 60.9) 1,960 497 92 | 91.5
ion.

Malimika. 3: See 2495 ..-\(28.4)) JE Wihzs i. 61.8] 10.7| 74.3) 14.7) 11.7) 57.6) 1,535) 488) 79 | 93.5

White Federa- | 4981 | 50.0) *2H Wh...... 58.7| 10.9) 73.1) 13.9) 10.4) 60.0 1,610 497, 82 | 88.5
tion.

Hard red spring: |

1 01a 8 Spe as ee | 2227-2! 20.6) #2 R Wa. 2. Js. 59.0} 12.9) 70.7| 20.0) 12.0} 63.8 1,780 509; 89 | 80
4) oe 2203-2) 30.6) *2 R Wa...... 61.3, 13.6 69.2| 14.1] 17.7) 58.5] 1,970 502) 92 | 94
Marquis 2.2. 0. A158. W305 5| aN Spit oe-i- oe 62.0) 10.3) 76.4} 12.6) 11.2) 59.1) 2,000 481) 92 | 94

Hard red winter: 2
Kharkoi;. sas 5 1442 | 25.0) 2D H Wn....| 59.4) 14.1) 69.8) 17.0) 11.4) 67.7) 1,860) 514) 87.5) 88
CLUB WHEATS.

White winter:

Hybrid 128..... 4326 | 30.3) *2 WhCl...... 58.1] 8.3) 72.1) 11.8} 16.9} 52.9] 1,770) 488) 89.5) 92.5

White spring:

Little Club..... 4066 | 32.8) 2WhCIl....... 58.9} 8.9).72.7| 11.5} 16.1) 55.3] 1,880) 480) 83 | 86

Red spring: :

Hybrid 123... .. 4511 |..... 59.4] 10.1' 70.5! 14.8! 15.2} 55.3! 1,800! 489] 89 | 81

iy Gi oi ana Par SSP naa 7

OO oe oe Toren ary

ele ee

CEREAL EXPERIMENTS AT CHICO, CALIF. 21

TABLE 9.— Yrelds and results of milling and baking tests of wheat varieties grown at the
Plant Introduction Station, Chico, Calif., in ths five-year period from 1917 to 1921,

inclusive—Continued.

é l Nl l

_ Milling tests. Baking results.

; - 3 | | 43 = = Loaf.

f Season and ao Grade ne S “

variety a | js {ls ES ja :

z c = | = = | oS 5 ~ . oO |

te Z, a = Ps . nm | Pee = = = .

s | a tow PLAS 5 |m@|BI Ss
ts was Boe =e eos Se ee Cae We a
oe | (a lol} fm | a | a |e > (Ele bo

1 2 3 4 ee te | a) |°s | 9 | io: te | 12 re ee

2 SEASON oF 1918—_

Continued. |
: DURUM WHEAT. | |
: Bu. | Lbs.|P. ct.|P.ct.|P.ct.|P.ct.\P.ct.| C.c. |Gms.|P.ct.|P.ct.
DiS) 7 ars 1440 | 24.5) *Samp Du....| 57.3) 15.5) 71.9) 19.6) 9.8) 63.8) 1,950) 514) 93 | 88.5
=
| ~. SEASON oF 1919.
i COMMON WHEATS. |
| |

Soft white spring: |
Wicitow,.2-:-... 31, 3) oS WE 2. = 56.9) 6.8) 69.3, 9.3) 20.4 52.9 1,660 484) 86.5 94.0
Federation. .... | 4734 | 38 & DE Wie 59.4, 7.7| 73.1 14.4) 12.8 53.8) 1,960, 487) 91.0) 93.0

‘ Galgalos.......- [23066 22 Io EE WS | 60. 8) 8.8) 70.7; 11.0) 19.2) 54.4) 1,780 491) 94.0) 94.0

pate Blue- 4067 | 35 2 ay Wares = 50: SI 7.4) 69.2 11.2 18.6 52.9 1,600 478) 92.0) 95.0
m |
Erepole... 55... | 1970 | 35.0} 1S Wh........ | 60.2} 6.8) 71.5) 11.1) 16.9} 55.3) 1,590) 485) 92.0) 95.5
Sonora... ....-| 3622 7/ SG gi Sa gil ee | 63.6 6.5 68.2) 15.9] 17.1) 52.9, 1,710, 484 88,5) 92.0
ao Austra- | 3019. | 32.11 2S Wh.......| 59.5} 7.4) 73.4] 14.0) 12.5] 52.9) 1,920) 483 92. 5) 95.0

Semihard white | | |

spring:
agree: 1697 oF -O EWR: 5. 62.2} 8.2| 74.1) 10.9] 17.1| 54.2) 1,977) 488) 91.7) 93.7
Hard white spring: |
. Hard Federa- 4980 34.4) 1H Wh....... 62.2) 8.9) 72.6 17.2) 11.9) 58.5 1,930 502, 94.0, 97.0
ion. ' reat | } | a
Talimka _.....- Ce ore 60.2) 7.0 70.3 12.4) 18.3 57.4 1,690 500 91.0, 90.0
— Federa- | 4981 | 36.7| 1 H Wh.......| 61.0) 7.7 73.2) 16.0; 10.7 58. 5! 1,920) 508) 93.5) 95.0
on | | | | |

Hard red spring: |
<a igh AeA. G| == -= seeee------| 59.5) 8.0) 73.3) 14.3) 14.0) 55.6) 1,500 496 92.0) 89.5
apis so | po 8) Aj A) ees | 61.1) 8.1 72.8 10.3 17.4, 55.3) 1,920, 489 93.0) 96.5
Marquis..._.... (4158 31.0, 1 R Sp........ 60.1) 7.5) 71.8) 11.5) 19.4) 55.9 1,720 487) 86.0) 89.5

Herd a winter: | |
mharkofs 3 -" | 1442 | 25.4 2Y H Wn....| 59.7| 7.7| 71.6} 13.9} 15 2) 56.5, 1,940 495, 89.5 93.5

4 CLUB WHEATS | | | | |
~~ -White winter: | | eh al ge |
ie 2, see 4326 = 32.7 3 Wh Clhs 2s. 57.1) 7.3) 71.5) 9.0; 20.5) 52.9 1,590, 483) 88.5) 87.0

; spring:

+ Little Clad... .. Atos. "| Jie o. Wi Clea-t-* | 57.5) 7.3) 70.0) 9.0) 20.3) 52.9) 1,850) 480} 89.5) 89.0

d ring:

Hybrid 123..... P4395" 34.67 RR Wa. -222.. 59.0) 7.0} 71.6) 12.1)|.16 7 54.7; 1,720, 491 90. 0! 89.0
| |
_ DURUM WHEAT. | |
Kubanka........... £22 A eee 60.5} 7.9) 75.2) 12.2) 15.3) 54.7/ 1,570, 498) 92.0 90. 0
POULARD WHEAT. |
:

See PuANIC.... =... | 5535 | 19.8 -.-..-: set ee oes | 55.8) 8.0) 73.9) 11.8) 14.5) 55.6) 1,190) 487) 70.0| 85.0
_ SEASON oF 1920, | | | |
COMMON WHEATS.

Soft white spring: _ ae oe |
California Gem. 2986 ..... EN Bike 58.0) 7.9) 65.5) 9.4) 22.9) 52.9 1,890, 491) 88.5) 68.0
Federation. . ...| 4734 | 51.2 1S Wh........| 60.0) 9.2) 76.5) 10.9) 13.5) 55.9) 1,980) 493 86.5! 90.0

Oudebaard.....| 6228 | 44.6 Mixed......... | 61.7) 8.1) 72.8) 12.1) 16.7| 55.6) 1,910, 497) 87.5| 92.0

. ponte Blue- | 4067 | 45.0 1S Wh.......; 60.1) 9.2) 70. 3) 14.9 15. 2 57.1) 1,870, 499) 91.0) 92.0

“ m.

ErOpOs. -.- . 2- | 1970 | 35.0: 1S Wh.......| 60.6| 8.1) 72.4) 11 3} 16.7| 56.5) 1,920) 494) 90.5) 97.0
eras oe SB97 |. faye OlSe S 62. 4| 7.6] 66.2} 11.6] 21.7| 58.5} 1,820} 503) 89.5) 82.0

go BULLETIN 1172, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.

TaBLE 9.— Yields and results of milling and baking tests of wheat varieties grown at the
Plant Introduction Station, Chico, Calif., in the five-year period from 1917 to 1921,
inclusive—Continued.

| Milling tests. Baking results.
|
aiaeteul 2
2 =i sabe Loaf.
Season and | 8 Grade 5) 3 5
variety. ex : eel = | a
Fas 5 m ed | A : .
°o for rl for a | SL | oO =] 2
Cag: 2 \3| a2) aja" |S pa ee
ma Be 2 | Be) -| Se nel oy ol ome eee
Oak oe ag Oo |e ml) wa Heo le see
|
| |
|
1 2 3 4 5 Ct 8 OS STOn| etl 12/13) 14
SEASON OF 1920— |
Continued.
| \v
COMMON WHEATS—
continued.
| Semihard white | | | |
spring: | Bu. Lbs.|P.ct.|P. ct.\ P.ct.\P.ct.|P.ct.| C.c. |Gms.|P. ct.| P. cte
| IBAATC IS. ce deities | 1697 | 39.6 get and H 61.5) 10.0) 71.3) 18.3) 16.1) 58.8 2,040; 510} 89.5} 95.0
: |
Hard white spring: |
Hard Federa- | 4733 | 40.9) 1 H Wh....... 61. 8) 10.6) 73.0; 15.5; 12,1) 65.9) 1,900; 519) 87.5) 94.5
tion. }
DOL 2 0ee. 4980" (4259/1 el Whe eens: 61.7; 9.9 75.5) 15.3) 10.6) 63.5 1,990] 513) 86.5) 95.0
| White Federa- | 4981 4456/4085 Whee Sea. 61.3) 9.3) 75.5) 14.2) 11.5) 61.2) 2,010]. 514) 88.5} 95.0
Hl tion. |
Hard red spring:
{ Marqiiisie.- es A158) |F3080) 1G Spree = -a-- 60.9) 7.9] 73.3) 12.3] 16.1) 56.2; 1,800] 500} 88.0} 92.0
4 Hard red winter: ~
: Eureka........- SIT7OF RE eee ee eee 64.0) 11.7) 78.3) 13.4] 13.2) 65.6, 1,890) 516) 88.0} 89.0
i Koh arkolwecaecsis nV Oe ees 1 BOW 62.1) 8.9) 75.4; 11.1) 15.9} 59.1) 1,920) 507; 88.5) 91.5
| CLUB WHEAT. | Vite
White spring: | |
Little Club. .... 4066 3529) 2°Wib CL 2222.2 58. 4 7.7) 73.1} 9.9) 17.3) 52.9, 1,820) 488) 88.5) 87.0
{ SEASON OF 1921. |
COMMON WHEATS. | | ia
| Soft white spring: | |
7 Camberras. 252. | 4986 eee WS *Whese2. 2 | 63.2] 7.7) 72.8; 11.4] 17.7| 55.3) 1,820} 488) 84.0} 88.0
. Federation. .... 4734 | 17.3, 2S Wh.......; 59.7| 7.5) 73.8) 10.9) 18.1 52.9) 1,780) 483) 87.5) 92.0
| Jumpbuck. =... AGO Sinn ee se 1S Wh.......| 63.0} 8.5) 75.5) 17.5) 9.4) 56.8) 1, 550) ; 500)" 90.5) 91.0
f Oudebaard..... 6228 19.6| 1 Mixed....... 63.4| 7.7) 70.3) 11.4] 21.4] 52.9, 1,920] 480} 92.5] 92.5
i) Pacific Blue- | 4067 TG aalpelas Wes see 62.3) 8.8) 74.1) 12.2) 14.6) 54.4' 1,890} 484) 90.5) 90.5
it stem.
| SONGlAe eee. 3622 1950| EL WibiCl ese 63.9] 7.3) 71.9) 14.5) 16.1] 55.6) 1,680) 493) 92.5) 84.0
| ye Austra- | 3019 18.0} 1S Wh.......| 62.2) 7.8) 72.1) 12.1) 17.5) 54.1] 1,720} 484] 93.0) 91.5
i} ian. |
| Semihard white
M spring:
i BUNNY ee esac. 5125 BRS USS) Mylo = 22 62.4] 8.8] 71.5} 16.1} 15.6] 57.1} 2,060) 495) 86.0) 93.0
Comeback...... AGOT. asioe TiSaw he pease 63.5} 8.8] 70.2) 12.6) 20.1) 55.6] 1,920) 496) 87.5) 93.5
TBD EEY AES a ope ne 1697 175A I SELAV tht eee 64.2) 8.7] 70.0) 12.6] 20.4] 52.9] 2,010} 483} 90. 5} 91.5
Onassis eee WEG 2D ieee os TPS Wiis hee 62.0} 7.3) 66.8) 14.3} 20.7] 52.9] 1,880} 484) 92.5) 93.0 |
Hard white spring: | | |
180) 0}: Pa meg ATION Mowe 1S Wh.......| 63.7] 9.5] 74.6) 16.2) 10.9; 60.9] 2,000) 506) 93.0) 92.0
aah Federa- | 4733 | 13.8 Fl SaWibice = ce 62.0) 9.0} 71.1) 17.4 15.3| 58. 8} 1,880) 501) 91.5) 92.5
ion. |
Maite Federa- | 4981 | 12.2} 1S Wh....... 61.8] 7.7| 71.3|-17.3] 13.9} 59.1] 1,930) 497) 87.5) 92.8
ion. |
Hard red spring:
Marquis: o2-5<-- ANSS 604i, Loe SS Dae ieee 61.4) 7.9) 72.3) 16.7| 13.7| 56.8] 1,790] 499) 89.0) 91.5
Hard red winter:
Kharkof-i.../:. 1442 12.5) 1 Y H Wn....} 62.2| 7.9) 73.2} 12.6) 17.5) 56.2) 1,790} 491) 93.0) 93.0
CLUB WHEAT.
White spring:
Little Club..... 4066: | 16:1) 2 WhHCL......: 59.3) 6.9) 74.1) 11.0} 16.8] 51.5} 1,830} 481) 89.5) 87.0

i CEREAL EXPERIMENTS AT CHICO, CALIF. 23

- Tasie 9.— Yields and results of milling and baking tests of wheat varieties grown at the
_ Plant Introduction Station, Chico, Calif., in the five-year period from 1917 to 1921,
inclusive—Continued.

ks SUMMARY OF AVERAGES OF FIVE VARIETIES FOR THE FIVE-YEAR PERIOD.

*

; Milling tests. Baking tests.

{ i
4 y | os

oS | = i Loaf.

i : Season and Ss Grad aia S
= variety. =e 2lis 45
i = So = at al oe ee oem Ar 3)

. Aes a ed pe ene eo = = =
= fea [cope Wy Sed oem. bites | ee ers
; S lh a | o|& | a |e ES) 6) eae
i Pes ae nes eae he Peeing bee a et
-. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Se (9 rie10" | 5 18 190 |, a3: |a04

|
5 =| ees | e+

COMMON WHEATS.

S. P.ct.|P.ct. Pict:|\P cts P.ct.C.¢. \Gms.|P. ct.|\ Pct.

Soft white: : oe b
Pune. Sago.) 4067 »| 32.6.2. -.-25--:--.- | 60. 8) - 93] 71.2) 12.7) 16.0) 54.5) 1,794) 485) 90.8) 93.3
stem. |
| Semihard white: _ | Beech phe
; ei oats apitie Seatearee aL GE? fad (eo So ie eel een 61.7| 10. 0| ron 12.8) 15.8) 55.8) 2, 005) 489 90.8) 93.2
7 Ta rt = | | | | | |
L ws as Tae 4158 Zo Bo ee Sk eee 61. 3 9.0\ 73. 5| 14.0) 14. | 57.4 1,874, 489 90.2, 93.0
i ard red winter: _
{ Mhagkor_- 2:2... Wat oe wad borers aS 60.9) 9.9) 73. 5 13,9} 14. 4 60.0) 1,878) 498) 90.1) 92.0
2 |
CLUB WHEAT. | |
| |
ite: | eae ate
Little Club..... AGG. “ieleue 32 = 2. Set brs 58. 6) 8.2) 72. 6 10. 3 16. 7| 53.5) 1,816; 480) 87. | 86.8

|
‘

SUMMARY OF AVERAGES OF SIX VARIETIES FOR THE YEARS 1919, 1920, AND 1921.

| | |
COMMON WHEATS. | | |

Soft white spring:
Hederation =~~._| 4734. | 35: 8|........-...-...| 59.7) 8.1) 74.5] 12.1) 14.8] 54.2) 1
Pane oPape- | 4067 | 32.3|<. 5. 5.-.4--- ; 60.7, 8.5) 71.2) 12.8).16.1) 54.8) 1

Sonora.....-... 21 jl ae | 63.3| 7.1| 68.8| 14.0] 18.3)-55.7/ 1,
Semihard white | bee
spring: | | |
LTO es Sees LES) ee 9 | 62.8, 9.0) 71.8) 12.3) 17.9) 55.3, 2,009) 494) 90.6) 93.4
Hard white spring: |
5 at Federa- |24980 | 30.0)..............-. 62.0) 9.4 ee 16.7; 12.9 60.7! 1,918) 506) 90.8) 94.8
3 ion. | |
ae Federa- AOS en Olt es soe es A: FP | 61.4) 8.2) 73.3] 15. 8) 12.0} 59.6) 1,953) 506! 89.8! 94.3
a ion. |
3 | a pe yeesies (fet I | |
1 Average forfouryears. * Average of C. I. Nos. 4733 and 4980 used in 1920, and C. I. No. 4733 in 1921.

Hybridization Experiments.

A comprehensive wheat-breeding project, designed to improve
the leading varieties of the principal wheat-producing sections of the
western half of the United States, was begun at Chico in 1919 under
the direction of J. Allen Clark, agronomist in charge of western wheat
investigations, and has been continued during 1920 and 1921. Crosses
designed primarily to improve California wheats also were included
in the crossing program. .

In 1918 hybrid wheat material originated at the Sherman County
Branch Station, Moro, Oreg., in 1916 and 1917, was grown at Chico,
_ and in 1919 material originated at the Cheyenne Experiment Farm,

at Archer, Wyo., was added. The principal object of the crosses
made at Moro was to produce a high-yielding awnless hard red winter
wheat, and of those made at Archer, Wyo., to improve the quality of
Erivan, the highest yielding spring variety at that station.

1

24 BULLETIN 1172, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.

Previous to this time the work in wheat improvement at Chico had
been confined to a limited amount of selection to obtain pure lines. —
Most of the crosses made at Chico to develop improved varieties for —
the great sections which produce winter or spring wheat are now being
grown at various experiment stations throughout those areas.

The objects for which the crosses at Chico have been made are
winter hardiness, rust resistance, smut resistance, earliness, and
quality as well as a number of such factors as stiffness of straw and
nonshattering habit. The leading parent varieties used are as
follows: For winter hardiness, Buftumn No. 17, Minhardi, and Min-
turki; for rust resistance, Kota and Kanred; for smut resistance,
Hussar and Martin; for earliness, Sunset and Hard Federation; and
for high milling quality, Marquis and Hard Federation. A total of
34 different varieties was used in the 66 combinations made.

A total of 8,889 apparently crossed kernels have been harvested.
Less than 1 per cent of the kernels have been found not to be crosses.
Approximately 2,950 florets were emasculated in 1919, 3,000 in 1920,
and 9,816 in 1921, with 1,210, 1,293, and 6,386 kernels, respectively,
harvested in the successive years. The percentages of successful
crosses closely approximate 45, 42.1, and 65.1, respectively, in the
three years. In 1920 the percentage was lowered by a number of
sterile spikelets which had been pollinized in experiments with
stored pollen.

BARLEY EXPERIMENTS.

Barley is the most important grain crop of the Sacramento Valley.
Approximately three times as much barley as wheat is produced
annually. It matures more quickly and yields greater returns than
wheat on a large class of soils. It is the principal grain feed of the
section for horses and mules and is used also to some extent as a hay

crop.

Beting is well adapted to the climate. Its growth and develop-
ment occur during the latter part of the cool wet season, and it
usually reaches maturity before the heat of summer arrives. The
crop is sown in late fall, winter, or early spring. Spring varieties
sown in the fall survive the winter equally as well as winter varieties.

With the exception of Rhynchosporium, or ‘“‘leaf scald,” barley
in the Sacramento Valley is unusually free from plant diseases. Most
varieties are susceptible to the disease. Susceptible plants are
infected in the early as well as in the later stages of growth.

Varietal Comparisons.
PLAT EXPERIMENTS.

Ninety-two varieties of barley have been grown in the plat experi-
ments in one or more years during the 12-year period from 1910 to
1921, inclusive. These have included the principal varieties from
other barley-producing sections in the United States and also many
varieties from other countries. The annual yields of 30 of these
varieties in some or all of the 12 years, with average yields expressed
in percentages of the yield of Coast barley (C. I. No. 690) in the same
years, are given in Table 10. The remaining varieties are listed by
name and number in Table 11.

Coast and Beldi were the only varieties grown in all of the 12 years.
The average acre yield of Coast was 48 bushels and of Beldi 44.9
bushels. Coast, together with several varieties of the Coast type,

CEREAL EXPERIMENTS AT CHICO, CALIF. 25

has been the highest yielder. The percentage average yield of Peru
(C. I. No. 653), a variety almost identical with Coast, was 100.2, while
that of Trebi, also a six-rowed variety, was 102.2.

The percentage yield of Maryland Winter in the three years from
1911 to 1913 was 138.2, and that of Wisconsin Winter in the two
years 1911 and 1912, was 107.8. The high yields of the former in
1911 and 1912 and of the latter in 1912 are abnormal and are not
considered comparable with those of other varieties grown in these

years. The highest yielding two-rowed barley was White Smyrna,

whose percentage was 92. Club Mariout has produced a yield of
91.8 per cent of that of Coast in a 10-year period. During the past
four years it has compared very favorably with Coast.

The six-rowed hulled varieties are best adapted to this section,
particularly those of North African origin, which includes the barleys
of the Coast type. The two-rowed hulled barleys yield fairly well
but none has equaled Coast. The six-rowed naked or hull-less
varieties tested have produced about 15 per cent less grain in pounds

er acre than Coast. The hooded varieties have been comparatively
ow in yield.

TABLE 10.— Yields of 30 varvetves of barley grown at the Plant Introduction Station, Chico,
Calaf., in some or all of the years in the 12-year period from 1910 to 1921, inclusive.

: tee : Eee
Yield per acre (bushels). Per-

a cent-
4 pe | age of
Group and variety. | No. | | | | | | Av-| yield
1910 | 1911 1912 | 1913 1914 1915 1916 | 1917 | 1918 | 1919 | 1920} 19£1| er- )
| | | | | age. |Coast.
| | ee
6-rowed, hulled, | | | | |
awned: |
Marsters a oe | 690} 13.3) 66.3, 60.0] 47.4) 48.0) 24.4) 64.8) 54.1] 63.4) 36.5] 62.5) 35.2] 48.0) 100.0
OUT ot Ses Se | 190) 13.8) 58.4) 50.0) 41.3) 47.0} 26.6) 49.3) 52.0) 58.5) 47.7) 65. 7 28.4} 44.9) 93.5
oS eS Sa ees eee 64 he Ol OG: 6 20070\e41e 3140: 3)-23. Ole eae taenl Ss Sc ailc cers |\anc = i'ele'sle sian tee 93.8
PG eee ea os ee 7 43.6| 60.0) 45.0) 31.1] 29.3] 64.6] 55.5) 59.2) 60.4) 52.6) 32.8)_.... 94.9
ip aie to eee 53) 68. 0| 60.0) 51.0)..... DTD [OO EO eee ec ceel a odin se ace ee cel Se sc 100. 2
Arequipa. s..<s<-- ELAS Roe ess te Se Reese eee eee eee eae [Se (ee ats ALS Tone 118.5
Serva t257 2. . (ges Bee ae Baris ae OG SE este ae eat PUR a Me Pel Me 55,2
Prepine Sos cs es ence ee Bei 4 a ie eee eee OP 15 Sesec|'s a5 51.3] 58.8), 30. 8}... 102.2
Club Mariout....-. PN VS.) a2, 4 OOe Late dl sce 2):o case | 48.2) 50.6} 61.8] 58.6] 63.2) 30.2)..... 91.8
California Mariout | | |
€No, 2241); = -22. 1455)... eee Sey Beep Piet g seer eho Wee aaten sere rae Seraiseeice 20 Slwasee 73.3
Hero (awns
smooth)........ 1986/2. °.- ey Gael eee ay a [i Sea tees Sst acrson leapmete -2 3 5, daa 67.3
Oderbrucker-2-5--}- 940)- 2s.) =e lEecc cle. Bee 1a Fa Peg 8 = ee be rey (ee eet awe al Maree yon eT 75. 0
Te gk FG's | i eed Pees ean ea nee er had | (eetinba (Fos ad N Mieo Peoe bis aera tee G57
OU esse sas =e SIGiCo = [eee alee salto cee 32. 3} 23.3) 43.5) 57.0) 48.0) 40.1) 44.5).....)..... i 81.16
Tennessee Winter; 257|..... CIA) eae CPS eee eee pepe 38. 7| 59.1) 31.8) 48.8) 26.3)..... 84.0
Maryland Winter.) 518)..... roe PRIS UU 0 cet as Pate ae Pape aes oo aes (ane em Mcrae Fe sain| Some 138. 2
Wisconsin Winter : one eval ee ee as. | ie eee ol ee w aliet =| sees Speen ee 107.8
Abyssinian....... 215 lear eat | eae 60S 0G64.5\" 6307) 25. 0) 47.4) 25. 3), 30: 0) 24.0). Sc clesec |. Se | $5.3
2-rowed, hulled, | |
awned, Orel.....-... cso 7)4 ] eee leweaaies FSR 1g a cd ae og RE AON sn HARE gyal ie ee rea i ee (ge 86. 4
6-rowed, hulled, hood- | |
ed, Meloy..........- PBLTG| =<. "es Sea S |i Sa e s as Pan a 45.0) -5.5):<-: i
6-rowed, naked, |
hooded, Nepal.....- 37 ee SGA eee eee SYR ARG Ty ae A ell ek ec Sc | eae SS a Yas A | (a 82.0
6-rowed, naked, | ; | |
awned: |
Black Hull-less...| 597|.....)..... Hon eee ah We eaten athe ood. ell Stats a fhte a2 aie (ape | 88.8
Himalaya (Zvol- | | | |
anek’s 6-row | |
Hull-less).....-- 171 Ae ee eee SSS eae Poorer Pi eero cite ee Peeters ahs os 225 8) GL Sho. een 84.9
2-rowed, hulled, | |
awned:
Hannchen........ Pelee aac) Sal Anos Ole xe. 2 ZigSHoa esos OPonsk s0e2| O44 Sel coe 84.8
Invincible........ te BDOO! Sac cele wethn [es aie ZoS Los UPAOA te an| Seco ioes =|. o- 2c | Sees see one 68. 9
Svanhals. 2.6.5 Le ihe s 2a | ae RS ees 28d | toolbar ae RES [ice eae liseccore lars Weis el 59. 4
Heil Hanna, No.2; 678)..... (ees e-35 eae 31.6) 19. 3/5823; 40.8) 44. 9) 34. 9)....2) 00... | eicteral 78.9
Goldtous jo. 5. G28 et ee ae epee leer HAS Gee Ol eek = ees |a ieee) ones «| seen aes ee 66.9
Chevalier......... 268) 2 AA S'OOS Ol SA: Sie. cc abate HoTett aout] 40%) 28. 9) 225. lets. o 2/8 cue 80. 4
White Smyrna 195] 25. 4| 59.2) 56.7) 54.0) 43.5) 21.5) 55.7) 46.4) 48.6} 48.6) 49.4) 20.8] 44.2! 92.0
| | | |

26 BULLETIN 1172, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.

TaBiE 11.—List of varieties of barley grown in plats, but in not enough years or not
sufficiently promising to include in Table 10.

Name, C. I. No. || Name. C.1I. No. || Name. Ic. I. No.
a | =

Nepali. 2#2 sae. 22 1, Chevalier nel") 0. 2, | 156 || Bavarian............... | 159
IPTINIEGESS 2S sien a 193 | Hankau... Sake 197. || Nerchinsk........-.2s.- 216
Nepal = 22... au-2e feck ei\ Coastzs chet 222 a2 BE 216 || Abyssinian..-.....255- 355
ania 2: S22 Soaekee 416 |), Gatamix= =". : ee 575 || Golden Grain_--.2--==| 588
Wesbian.../ 22 43 Se) 647 | Black Hullless... 618 || Virginia Hooded....... 648 -
A byssiniian.<. 24 sds 673 | Franconian.....- 679 || Heil Hanna, No. 1..... 681
WON6bso~. seat 691 | Hansee Hull-less. 7035\| Popeline =. s.-=_ saeco 704
Black Russian.-....... 705 | Black Algerian... 708 | Turkestan Winter.....- 711
WiOpeCK. Suess fee 869 || Black Hull-less......... (304| Proskowetz. 2+. 5--0e. 893
Bums Se See 908 || White Smyrna......... 910 || Mahrische...........-.- 912
paane ss | Sse Se ae 914 || Australian White...... 925 1 Summ ibs Aue ae hose 929
STeiotinisee. can! noe O31 -Odessa: =. 5.2%. +. onto 034) ||"pandrele_- | Sos aces 937
Abyssinian. 22552220 938 || Palestine...-. 939 || Abyssinian ........-2.. 941
Pina eo oat ee ee 942 | Abyssinian 943._||Hollands=2. =. = 252 952
Abyssinian... 222-2222 946 | Abyssinian 950" ||" Rrankishes = ee teases 953
Meatherston 3-2: 32 sicee 954 || Golden Melon. ......... 05871) Alphassgie- Boo See 959
Hanchamont..........- 12 ACD SSIMIANG ss- eee cee T2386) Sarna ee ee ees 1269
Blarhey! ic Le. ee 19081] Hest esis 2 ete 1304 || Loudén_............... 1308
Gest) oy 2306) (Coasts 59) 4. here ic BOT N Adialingy Lae, eared 2308
Hannah ss 7: eke 2309P | “Reries: =e oe See eee 2311 | Coast 238 ee ae 2312

ADYSSINIANSs523 5225-22 - 2313) cA byssinian=. 2525. 3.64 2314 |

NURSERY EXPERIMENTS.

Numerous barleys from various sources have been tested in the
varietal nursery. (Figs. 4 and 5.) The agronomic notes include
special notes on Rhynchosporium infection and types of shattering.
Coast (C. I.-No. 690) has consistently been one of the best varieties.
A few promising varieties have been advanced to the plat experi-
ments. Most barley varieties are not adapted to California conditions.

Fic. 4.—Some of the pure-line selections of barley growing in nursery rows at the Plant Introduction
Station, Chico, Calif., in 1920.

The early work in pure-line selection was primarily to select for
desirable lines from varieties showing variations. From 1915 to 1918
a number of smooth-awned selections were grown. These were origi-
nated by Dr. H. V. Harlan, agronomist in charge of barley investi-
gations, for the purpose of developing smooth-awned sorts of parti-
cular value as hay barleys. The smooth-awned character appeared

&

¥

NEES NEP alo PORN RH se ee

i ahaa At

<

CEREAL EXPERIMENTS AT CHICO, CALIF. it

to be well fixed in most selections, but very few are adapted to the

Sacramento Valley. They do not yield well and shatter easily. Only
one of these selections is of promise. This has Club Mariout as one
parent and has been named Hero. It is now being tested in the plat
experiments.

n an effort to improve the ordinary Coast variety some 360
selections from commercial fields were made in 1917. Coast as com-
mercially grown is a composite variety whose various forms show
considerable variations in yield. The best of these selections are
being continued.

A dormancy experiment with barleys was conducted in 1920 and
1921. Eleven varieties of barley were sown at intervals of two weeks
from autumn until late spring to determine after what date of sowing
in spring a winter variety could not develop normally and produce
heads in the same season. Notes on the first heading of all sowings

Fic. 5.—Harvesting the extensive barley menage the Plant Introduction Station, Chico, Calif.,
in 1920.

were made to secure additional information on dormancy. These
preliminary experiments show that winter varieties can not be safely

sown after midwinter.
Leading Varieties.

COAST.

Coast is the most important barley in the Sacramento Valley
as well as in the entire Pacific coast area. It is a midseason, six-
rowed, hulled variety with midtall strong straw and long stiff awns.
It stands well after maturity and does not shatter easily. Its awns
are strongly barbed, which is objectionable when the barley is cut
for hay. Although the kernels are large, the awns tend to remain
attached to the threshed grain, which often results in low bushel
weights. Coast is best adapted to well-drained soils, where it grows
vigorously and produces large yields under favorable conditions.

28 BULLETIN 1172, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. *

CALIFORNIA MARIOUT.

California Mariout was distributed by the California Agricultural
Experiment Station in 1919. Since then it has become widely
distributed not only throughout the valley but over the entire State.
It was not included in the experiments at Chico until 1921, and then
the unfavorable season resulted in a low yield.

California Mariout is an early six-rowed hulled, moderately long-
awned variety, with medium strong but short straw. Its spikes
are moderately long and somewhat resemble those of Coast, but its
kernels can be distinguished by the hairy or bristly rachilla, which is
smooth in Coast. It is a very early variety, capable of maturing
grain when sown much later in the spring than Coast. The straw is
extremely short except on the more fertile soils, and this sometimes
interferes with harvesting operations. The variety appears to pos-
sess drought resistance to a marked degree. It appearently will
produce good yields on a wide range of soils but may find its best
adaptation on the lighter soils in the interior valleys from Sacramento —
southward and in situations where an early-maturing variety is
desired for late sowing.

CLUB MARIOUT.

Club Mariout (C. I. No. 261) is grown to a limited extent on the
west side of the Sacramento River in the vicinity of Willows. It
was distributed in 1919 by local agencies that secured their supply
of seed from Oregon. This variety, which has been known as
Mariout, was distributed and grown commercially in Oregon before
the California Mariout was distributed. It also has been grown
long at various experiment stations and has been reported upon in a
number of bulletins under the name of Mariout.

In California it has been called Oregon Mariout in order to dis-
tinguish it from the California Mariout. Realizing that these names
would surely result in confusion, the Office of Cereal Investigations
has renamed it Club Mariout, to call attention to its short, compact,
clublike spike. |

Club Mariout is a midseason six-rowed hulled and awned variety
with midtall and strong straw. It has a plump, bright kernel of
excellent quality which does not shatter readily. It usually is a few
inches shorter, matures a few days earlier, and is a little more sus-
ceptible to lodging than Coast.

WHITE SMYRNA.

White Smyrna is an early two-rowed hulled and awned variety
with short, tender straw, which in some seasons has a tendency to
lodge. The kernels, which are among the largest and plumpest
found in any variety, are heavy and resist shattering nearly as well
as those of Coast. White Smyrna has been fairly good in produc-
tivity, but on account of its short straw it probably would not prove
satisfactory on the lighter soils.

NEPAL.

Nepal is an early hooded white-kerneled naked variety with mid-
tall straw and broad leaves. It is subject to drought injury and
does not yield heavily. It is best adapted to the higher elevations
and cooler sections of the West.

CEREAL EXPERIMENTS AT CHICO, CALIF. 29

OTHER VARIETIES CF BARLEY.

There are three types of barley frequently advertised which either
are unsuited to California conditions or are suited only to special
locations or specific purposes. These are the Manchuria-Oder-
brucker, the Horsford, and the Chevalier. The Manchuria-Oder-
brucker is a type of barley which occupies practically the entire
barley acreage of the northern Mississippi Valley. It is a six-rowed
variety with smaller kernels, finer awns, and more lax spikes than
Coast. It is totally unsuited to the interior valleys of California.
It does not yield well and shatters badly.

The Horsford type is the six-rowed hulled hooded form sold
under many names, such as Beardless and Success. For a hay crop
the absence of awns is a great advantage. Most of the Horsford
strains, however, have originated from crosses of the Nepal on the
Manchuria-Oderbrucker type. The spikes are very brittle and the
shattering loss exceedingly large. There are a few varieties resulting
from crosses of Nepal on the ordinary Coast barley. Of these the
Meloy is the best known. ‘These forms are much less brittle, and if
a beardless barley is to be grown effort should be made to secure
seed of the latter type.

The Chevalier is a late two-rowed hulled awned variety originally
from England. It is not suited to the interior valleys of California.
In some of the coastal valleys, such as the Salinas Valley, where a
long, cool ripening season exists, the Chevalier can be grown with
good success and an exceptional quality of grain obtained.

OAT EXPERIMENTS.

A comparatively small acreage of oats is grown in the Sacramento
Valley. Warm temperatures, which often occur in the latter part
of the growing season, are not favorable to the proper development
of oat plants. They shatter quickly if left standing after maturity
and therefore are not well adapted to the method of harvesting
commonly used. The wild oat is a bad weed in cultivated fields and
is difficult to eradicate.

Varietal Comparisons.

Twenty-four varieties of oats, including leading varieties from

_ other oat-growing sections, have been tested in the plat experiments

within the seven-year period from 1910 to 1916, inclusive. The
annual acre yields of eight of these varieties, with the seven-year
average yields expressed in percentages of that of the Red Rust-
proof (California Red) grown in the same years, are given in Table
12. The average acre yield of Sixty-Day in the seven years was

_ 39.1 bushels and that of Red Rustproof 38.3 bushels. Winter Turf

ey yee

(Dewey) yielded practically the same as Red Rustproof. In the
nursery varietal experiments the Fulghum oat has been one of the
best varieties during the past three years. The average acre yield
of four strains of Fulghum in the two years 1919 and 1920 was
26.4 bushels and that of four strains of Red Rustproof in the same
period 22.6 bushels.

Early-maturing varieties of oats are best adapted to the Sacra-
mento Valley. They may be grown successfully if sown on clean
land in the fall and harvested before shattering occurs. Midseason
and late varieties do not mature properly.

30 BULLETIN 1172, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.

The names and Cereal Investigations numbers of other varieties
grown in the varietal plats but not included in Table 12 are given
in Table 13.

TABLE 12.— Yields of eight varieties of oats grown at the Plant Introduction Station:
Chico, Calif., for three or more years in the seven-year period from 1910 to 1916, inclusive.

Yi f Per-

| ield per acre (bushels) ‘centage

Group and variety. pe | l aa
110} 19 | 1912 | 1913 i914 | 1915 | 1916 Aver- | Rust-

proof.

|
|
|
|
|
|

Sixty-Day . S22ce ee 165 | 31.0] 52.3 60.0 143.8 239.2 | 320.9 | 26.3 39.1 102. 1
Early red:
BUT oe oc ee oe 293 | 21.5 |- 57.5 oe OM ne Serce ais ewe el eee ee |coscce|ooscecue 89.5
Red Rustproof (Cali- |
formia Hed). 2.2 ess-- 616 | 24.3 | 465.6 | 3437.5 | 441.8 4543.3 | 27.3 | 28.5 38. 3 100
Algoian . 75) poses. caaen 286 | 16.6 | 58.7 DO. | s-ctSoAae odeecnl se seca |Gsec ao Sobksace 82.7
Midseason white
Danish Island. 22.33 5.2 BOM Sad se | seca 20.0 | 35.3 | 651.4) 24.5 | 20.4 ]........ 85
Silvernine: 4552525-5-52 Se eee 28 eee 25.0 23.0.) {LSSiSat TsO 21S he Steel 70
TRPOW G22 o- eee ee 520 | sosessloes cece | 3050 | - 19,8 |°'8 44, 8°|2919'5 | 244 pce 2s 77.6
Winter: |
Winter Turf (Dewey).-...| 180 |.....- | 88.7 30.0 | $36.9 | 938.7 24.8 23.6 |.......- 99.5
| | |
1 Average of four check plats. 6 Average of selections 519-1 and 519-2 substituted.
2 Average of selections 165-1 and 165-2 substituted. 7 Yield of selection 520-1 substituted.
8 Average of two check plats. 8 Yield of selection 525-1 substituted.
4 “Common oats” substituted. 9 Yield of selection 180-1 substituted.

5 Average of three check plats.

TABLE 13:—List of varieties of oats grown in plats but not included in Table 12.

Name. G. Is No. Name. |C. I. No. Name. C.1. No.

=~ — — — — | }
Snoma (Winter Turf)... 274 || Virginia Gray (Winter | | sohormiiernge: 25 Sits Sane 522
Gnibersonsn sar. s-<s5 8 276 .||° CUE eee eee 427 | Tartar King....--...-.-| 523
English White (Swe- || Panadian' = Se 444 Great Northern........ 524
dish Select).......... 291 || White Tartar...-...... 445 | Gold Finder......-.....- | 526
Appler (Red Rust- || Black Partar 2 = 2* 446 | Abundance...........- 527
DIOL) ee ee 339 | Red Rustproof......... 450 tH: Colossal: - 2225225 s2eer> | 528
Italian Rustproof...... 421 | Bip Fours te 521 || Rulghom.< -.22-225--85 650

A number of the important varieties from the leading oat-produc-
ing sections have been grown in the nursery also. Red Rustproof
(California Red) and Fulghum, both early-maturing oats, have been
among the best varieties.

Leading Varieties.

As a general group the so-called red oats are preferable to all other
types for the peculiarly hot, dry climatic conditions of the Sacra-
mento Valley. Red Rustproof and Fulghum are distinctly warm-
climate varieties and therefore are naturally better adapted than the
common varieties of yellow and white oats as represented by Sixty-
Day, Swedish Select, Silvermine, etc. Owing to the importance
of the red oats as a group in California, descriptions of the Red
Rustproof and Fulghum varieties follow.

RED RUSTPROOF.

The Red Rustproof in California has been known under several
different names, the most usual of which are Common California Red,
California Red, Red Coast, Red Inland, and Red Texas. It is an
early midtall variety with fine to midcoarse but rather stiff straw.

VIP er 7

CEREAL EXPERIMENTS AT CHICO, CALIF. ob

The panicles are not large, but they produce large plump kernels,
ellowish red to light brown in color. The kernels are awned and
ear basal bristles. While the variety possesses considerable rust

- resistance, this character is not important in the interior valleys

where rust infection usually is very light.
FULGHUM.

Fulghum is a comparatively new variety which appears to be well

adapted to parts of the winter-oat belt of the Southern States and the

southern and southwestern portions of the spring-oat sections. In
Kansas a strain called Kanota appears to be of unusual promise.
In the Sacramento Valley of California Fulezhum matures from six to

_ eight days earlier than Red Rustproof and in view of its high yield-

ing capacity should prove valuable there, where earliness is a par-
ticularly important factor. |

Fulghum is slightly taller than Red Rustproof and has stiff and
moderately coarse culms tinged with red and bearing numerous wide
leaves. The panicles are midsized with rather short branches,
which makes them appear very erect. The kernels are somewhat
smaller than those of Red Rustproof and usually are free from the
awns and basal hairs found in that variety. The color of the kernel
of Fulghum is a light yellowish brown.

MISCELLANEOUS EXPERIMENTS AND NOTES.

Under this heading are presented the results of limited experiments
and observations on emmer and spelt, flax, grain sorghums, and the
best dates for seeding cereals.

Emmer and Spelt.

Emmer and spelt probably will never have much economic impor-
tance in the Sacramento Valley. They are not well adapted to the
climate, it is often difficult to secure a stand, and their production

_ usually is lighter than that of the more valuable grain crops, such as

barley and wheat.
Three lots of emmer and one variety of winter spelt were grown in

| plats in 1911, 1913, and 1914. Annual and average acre yields in

pounds are given in Table 14. These yields are light, as they rep-
resent the weight of the kernels wholly or mostly still inclosed in the

hulls‘ after threshing. In 1911 the varieties were grown on single

_ 1/40-acre plats, in 1913 on single 1/25-acre plats, and in 1914 on single
_ 1/50-acre plats.

TaBLeE 14.— Yields of four varieties of spelt and emmer at the Plant Introduction Station,

Chico, Calif., for one or more of the three years 1911, 1913, and 1914.

Yield per acre (pounds).
Crop and variety. | C.1. No. |
| 1911 | 1913 | 1914 | Average.
Mu NN DULCE Gratien. 5.2).) Ps. 2a.2h hi Ae 255; nr P2337 3,480 | 11,625) 11,070 2,058
Beep (ikOm Abyssinia). 2s... ee as-----2-e 2510-1 MOBO oe ww 1,000 1,480
Pemnnteee ce. Sisco oes M282 2 SACRA 2510-2 7 ba) ee ee 910 1,515
ES) | he rr ae a i a ee 1772 Saneaeles, \1,900'|.. 2222... 2,710

1 Average of two plats.

a

———————

32 BULLETIN 1172, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.
Flax.

Representative varieties of flax were sown in single and in repli-
cated rows in some or all of the seven years from 1914 to 1920. In
most cases sowings were made in the fall. In one of the seasons the
crop winterkilled, and in two others very low yields were produced.
Tashkent (C. I. No. 11) and Williston Golden (C. I. No. 25) were the
best varieties in a three-year average of yields of 13 varieties. Flax
is not well adapted to the Sacramento Valley but produces the best
yield as well as quality when sown in the fall.

Grain Sorghums.

Grain sorghums, known locally as “corn,” are grown to some extent
in the Sacramento Valley. They usually are sown on fallow land in
alternation with wheat. The reserve supply of moisture in the fallow
is depended upon to produce the crop.

Grain sorghums were grown in a limited way at the Plant Intro-
duction Station in the seven years 1912 and 1914 to 1917, inclusive.
A varietal experiment was conducted in 1912, and an environmental
experiment to determine the chemical analysis of the kernels in crops
grown from seed raised in different sections of the country was con-
ducted during the longer period. Dwarf milo appears to be the
variety best adapted to the section.

Date-of-Seeding Experiments.

Pacific Bluestem and Baart wheat, Coast and California Mariout
barley, Fulghum and Winter Turf oats, and North Dakota No. 1215
flax were grown in replicated rows in a nursery date-of-seeding
experiment during 1920 and 1921. Sowings were begun in October
and continued at intervals of two weeks for 13 and 14 dates, re-
spectively. The results in these two years agree closely with those
reported by successful commercial growers. The largest yields were
produced from the early sowings in all cases. Observations on the
results of growers as well as on the date-of-seeding experiments
indicate that wheat generally may be sown as late as the middle of
January with fairly good results. Barley may be sown somewhat
later, but oats and flax should be sown before the end of December.

SUMMARY.

Cereal experiments have been conducted at the Plant Introduction
Station, Chico, Calif., in the 12 years 1910 to 1921, inclusive.

The principal lines of investigation have been varietal experiments
with wheat, barley, and oats and breeding and classification studies
with wheat. The most important cereals in the Sacramento Valley
are barley and wheat.

The Plant Introduction Station is located 4 miles southeast of
Chico near the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains at an alti-
tude of 189 feet. The soil is a loam to sandy loam and is fairly
representative of the more fertile soils of the valley.

The average annual precipitation at Chico in the past 51 years
was 23.69 inches. The average seasonal precipitation (September
to May, inclusive) in the same period was 23.24 inches. The summer
months are practically rainless.

CEREAL EXPERIMENTS AT CHICO, CALIF. 33

On the average, high yields of wheat and barley, moderate yields
of oats, and low yields of flax, emmer, and spelt were produced.
The best average yields of wheat were obtained from Pacific Blue-

stem (White Australian) and Baart. Hard Federation, White

_ Federation, and Federation are new promising varieties. The white
common wheats are best adapted to the Sacramento Valley. Durum
wheats are not adapted.

Milling and baking data on 33 varieties of wheat show that Hard .
Federation is superior in most milling and baking factors. Baart
excels in loaf volume. White Federation has a milling and baking
value almost equal to that of Hard Federation. Bunyip has-excellent
milling and bread-making qualities. Pacific Bluestem is a fairly
good bread-making wheat, with Federation slightly superior. Sonora
and Little Club are of inferior value.

Extensive wheat-breeding experiments have been conducted to
produce new productive adapted varieties, resistant to disease and
with other desirable characters.

Varieties of the Coast type of barley are best adapted to this sec-
tion. Coast (C. I. No. 690) has been one of the best varieties. Club
Mariout (C. I. No. 261) has been a high-yielding variety.

Oats are not well adapted to the Sacramento Valley. Red Rust-
proof and Fulghum are two of the best varieties.

Emmer and spelt have not yielded as well as wheat or barley.
Flax is not adapted to the Sacramento Valley. Grain sorghums may
be grown successfully. Dwarf milo is one of the best varieties.

The largest yields of wheat, barley, oats, and flax usually are
obtained when sowing is done before December 31.

—————— 2 eee

ORGANIZATION OF THE
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.

Secretary of Agriculture oS eee ee eee Henry C. WALLACE.

Assistant Secretary. cose. oe as ee ern es C. W. PuasLey.

Director-of Scientific’ Works 23s te = E.-D. Banh.

Director of Regulatory: Work 2200221222342 e:

Weather Bureau. -) 27 Depot’ 2 ere ‘CHARLES F, Marvin, Chief.
Bureau of Agricultural Economics. .....------ Henry C. Taytor, Chief.

Bureau of Anmal. Industry. .2 7 22 42. 5. -3 ee Joun -R. Mouter, Chief.

Bureau of Plant Industty.1 5). 22 ae eee Wruiam A. Taytor, Chief.

B OVESY SEP ULCES a3. 2. AES ee eee W. B. GREELEY, Chief.

Bur eat OF “CNemASEY. fac. ande ne eS WALTER G. CAMPBELL, Acting Chief.
Bure OF SOUS 2 2 ya Sth SeEN. e e eee Mitton Wuirtney, Chief.

Bureau, of Entomologys- ss"): 2- 82-292 21.. bi OF Howarne Chie?

Bureau of Biological Surveys so. ae ah ee EK. W. Netson, Chief.

Bureau of Publie Roads. 2222 Belay ae Tuomas H. MacDona.p, Chief.
Fixed Nitrogen Research Laboratory.......--.- F. G. Corrret., Director.
Division of Accounts and Disbursements........ A. ZAPPONE, Chief.

Dinision of Publications... =: - 2552205 ee ae Epwin C. Powe 11, Acting Chief.
Baran eT 2 oe ee be Sak Ik Sewer Bis eae CLARIBEL R. Barnett, Librarian.
States Relations Service. 22. 2S Oe et A. C. True, Director.

Eederal Horticultural Board-2:) 2 2Ae ee ee C. L. Maruarr, Chairman.
Insecticide and Fungicide Board.......--.-..- J. K. Haywoop, Chairman.
Packers and Stockyards Administration.......-- CHESTER Morri.u, Assistant to the
Grain Future Trading Act Administration. . . . . } Secretary.

Ofiesoy the: SOHO 04.2 S35 veh Paateae oe R. W. Wittams, Solicitor.

This bulletin is a contribution from

Burcat of Plant Industry. 05 2g hg cee tec Wiiu1am A. Taytor, Chief.
Office of Cereal Investigations. .....---.-..-- CARLETON R. Batt, Cerealist in
Charge.
34

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