F I V E HUN D RED V.A R Let I E S of HERBAGE and FODDER PLANTS
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F I V E HUN. D RED V.A R lET I E S OF HERBAGE AND FODDER PLANTS Edited by M. HALL Bulletin 39 of the Commonwealth Bureau of Pastures and Field Crops Aberystwyth, Great Britain. First published 1948 Printed by the Cambrian News (Aberystwyth), Ltd. CONTENTS Page Introduction v Part 1. Information received from Correspondents. 2 Part 2. Index of references to varieties in Herbage Abstracts, Vols. 1-17. (Compiled by Mrs. I. Troke). 298 Advertisements. Page DUNNS FARM SEB[jS LTD., Salisbury 318 EASTES AND LOUD LTD., Ashford, Kent 319 G. GASCOYNE AND Co." LTD., ~orcester 322 J. P. HARVEY AND. Co., LTD., I{idderminster 323 HASLER AND CO., LTD., Dunmow, Essex 323 HURST AND SoN., LTD., Houndsditch, London, E.C.3. 320-21 W. W. JOHNSON AND SON, LTD., Boston, Lines. 324 T. B. LoCK AND SONS, LTD., Yeovil, Somerset 325 SAMUEL MCCAUSLAND, LTD., Belfast. ,.... 326 TwvFORD MILL LTD., Adderbury, Banbury, Oxfordshire 327 WOODS, SAOD, MOORE AND CO., LTD., Norwich, Norfolk 328 ~t7!'i" -n.~:\t •.. ...,... ' . l61-'Od Com~ .. V ~.~ (~Se D.o. INTRODUCTION It is fully expected that this attempt to bring under one cover for the first time all relevant data concerning a great number of varieties of plants used in one way or another as animal fodder will be open to criticism because of lack of uniformity in treatment, variations in standards of natp.ing and certification of varieties, and the frequent use of synonyms. The object is to provide as much informatiotl as could be collected for this first edition and at the same time to draw attention to the general problem and to the need for action in variou~ degrees and directions 'as far as recognition and naming of varieties, reduction in the number of synonyms, anel other aspects are cOIJ.cerned. For many of the varieties listed the data are complete and the varietal names and characteristics are fully recognized and ac<;epted; for many others the data are scanty and can be regarded as only provisional in this edition. Countries differ widely in the degree of authenticity which they require for their recognized varieties. ' Many varieties from certain large countries and regions are not represented in the main part of this catalogue, but appear only in the index of references to varietal names compiled from Herbage Abstracts. For example, there is no direct contribution from the U.S.S.R., in spite of the attempts of our Corresponding Editor for that country to send us the necessary published' works; difficulties of transmittal were too great. There exists in the Soviet Union a Government Commission for Seed Testing, which publishes annually a list of crop varieties recommended for all regional soil types, and also a statement of the yields and other qualities of varieties being tested, as compared with yields of standard varieties. It is hoped that these published lists will be available when the next edition is prepared. Neither does this publication contain any direct contribution from the United States of America, as the staff of the Division of Forage Crops and Diseases had not the time to devote to the great amount of work which would be involved. Denmark is another obvious omission, but it is likely that this gap will be filled later. The very helpful and valuable information made available by corres pondents in many countries during the compilation of this work has been greatly appreciated, although in certain cases it has not been possible to include all the information which was provided. Grateful acknowledge ment is made to all the Bureau's Official Correspondents and to the many specialists in the British Commonwealth who sent information through their own Official Correspondent, and also to the follolVing : . Dr. O. S. Aamodt, Bureau of Plant Industry, Beltsville, Marylaiid, U.S.A.; Dr. C. K. van Daalen, Soestdijkscheweg 35 Noord, Bilthoven. Netherlands; v Director Ir. J. K. Groenewolt, Het Instituut voor Rassenonderzoek van Landbouwgewassen, Wageningen, Holland; Mrs. AlIi Heikinheimo, Plant Breeding Station, Tammisto, Malmi, Finland; Dr. August jantti, Maaninka, Vainikkalo, Finland; Dr. G. julen, Sveriges UtsadesfOrening, Sval6f, Sweden; I. S. Travin, Institute for Fodder Research, Lugovaya, Moscow Region, U.S.S.R. ; H. Wexelsen, Felleskjf6pets Stamsaedgard, Vidarshov, Hjellum, Norway. It is hoped that this publication will in itself be of some interest and value to research and advisory workers, to the Seed Trade and other people concerned, and that readers will feel no hesitation in writing to criticize the content and presentation of the list, and to indicate gaps which might be filled in later editions. It will be noted that some varieties and strains have not been given any special name, and the· words "Selection," "Selected," or "Un named" appear occasionally in place of the varietal name. Special comment is necessaIY in this connexion as far as New Zealand is con cerned, and some explanatory notes are necessary regarding Swedish varieties. New Zealand. Our Official Correspondent draws attention to the fact that strains are being bred in New Zealand to cater specifically for the main agricultural rotational systllms. The N .Z. strains are selected firstly to be of real value to New Zealand, and secondly to have the maximum agronomic value in at least all mesophytic and temperate climates of the world. The aim is to standardize the nomenclature of each species and to eliminate as far as possible pet names or numbers which must in the end lead to much confusion, both in the trade and in the minds of the con suming farmer. Bred strains. must ultimately fit into specific farming systems, and purposeful breeding, to comply with the demands of those systems, must tend to keep the work strictly utilitarian. Thus we have short leys up to 1 year; temporary pastures up to 2 years; short rotation pastures up to 4 years; long rotation pastures up to 9 years; and truly permanent pastures. It is conceivable that each country may breed types climatically and edaphically attuned within specific geographical boundaries and that some of those types may have very local application. They should nevertheless fit into a farming system within those geograph ical boundaries. The thesis that " Home grown seeds are best" is based on this conception, but the fact remains that there are vast potentialities for betterment of cropping or for pasture formation by exploiting the possibilities latent in bred strain~ within a reasonable climatic and edaphic range irrespective of whether those strains are produced in U.S.A., Canada, Great Britain, Russia, Africa, Australia, New Zealand or elsewhere. Within mesophytic and temperate climates, the N.Z. bred strains have a wide general application. vi Sweden. While collecting and compiling the Swedish contribution, Dr. Gosta J uIen of Svalof made the following notes. In Sweden all seed testing work is carried out by the State Central Seed Testing Station, Stockholm 19, its branch station in Akarp, and five local State subsidized seed testing stations. There are different kinds of certificates. Common State sealing and State sealing of qualified seed include a guarantee of a certain germination, ability, purity, content of weed seeds, lOOO-grain weight, and water content according to regulations made by the Royal Agricultural Chamber. For most crops also the name of the respective variety must be given (and for red Glover the type: late, medium-late or early) and this is controlled by the Central Seed Testing Station by control growing in the field afterwards. The difference between common State sealing and State sealing of qualified seed concerns a difference as to general quality of the seed (according to the above-mentioned characters) and also as to purity of variety. The two highest forms of Sta,te sealing are that with certificate of control growing and that with certificate of original seed, and both are carried out by the Central Station only. They both include control growing the year before the sealing and field inspect ions and give the best guarantee of varietal purity of all sealings. The last form of sea,ling is used only for seed grown for the breeder or his representative and for varieties approved by a special Governmental committee. A spedal State sealing for local registered red clover strains was introduced in 1946. , Swedish Local Strains. It is well known that there are a great number of iocal strains of Trifolium pratense in Sweden. Most of them are adapted only to the rather small district in which they were developed by natural selection. A few-mentioned below-seem to have a wider range of adaptation than others. Concerning all Qf them (except Offer on one hand, and Ultuna, Harrie and Karaby which have been placed on the market, the former by the General Swedish Seed Co., Svalof, the latter by both this seed firm and W. Weibull Co.) the seed supply is rather small and certified seed very scarce. From 1946 on, a special form of State sealing for local strains of so-called registered red clover strains was introduced. A few of the best bred strains which had been tested in a sufficient number of trials were selected for this registration. They are now taken over by the Seed Growers' Associations and propagated under State control at special farms, which have contracted not to grow any other red clover strains than the one in question. Only seed grown under control on those farms and certified by the Central State Seed Testing Station has the right to be called registered seed of the respective strain. Loc;:al strains of Trifolium hybridum are not so numerous as those of red clover. Under the name of Ostgota are sold several rather similar strains from the province of Ostergotland.