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The first director of the Association was Th. von Neergaard, a mathemati«
cian and chemist from Holstein. He, however, kept the leadership till 1890 only,
when he was succeeded by professor N. Hjalmar Nilsson, who is still director.
In connection with the growth of the Association and its work the staff of trained
botanists has also been increased. There are now 11 specialists at the main
station and eight superintendents of the branch stations as well, and several extra
or temporary assistants.
At first and for a rather long time the plant breeding was limited to wheat,
oats, barley, peas and vetches. As time passed all other agricultural plants grown
in Sweden were subjected to this improvement: rye 1900, forage plants and po«
tatoes 1905, field roots 1914, flax and rape 1918. Certain crops were alotted to
different experts, belonging to the Association, and each one, as director of a
section or assistant is to lead the work and is responsible for the crops or the
group of crops alotted to him. The improvement of wheat and oats was lead by
prof. Hj. Nilsson till 1900. His work was then continued by Nilsson«Ehle till
1915, when it was handed over to Dr. Åke Åkerman. The agronome Pehr Bolin
had the barleys till 1900, when the responsibility therefore was taken by the author,
who since 1892 has been entrusted with the improvement of peas and vetches.
Agronome E. W. Ljung, the secretary of the Association, is responsible for rye,
Mr. Joh. Fr. Lundberg for potatoes, prof. Nilsson and Agronome Gustav Sun«
delin for field roots, and Dr. Nils Sylvén for flax and rape. Dr. Hernfrid
Witte, who hitherto was head of the section for forage plants, has this year
become director of the Swedish Moor Culture Association and a new leader
has not as yet been appointed.
At first the »methodical system of mass selection», a system at that time
commonly followed all over Europé, was adopted. The aim thereof was, by
selection year from year, to change a sort in a certain desired direction. It was also
at that time believed, that correlations between different factors were common
and it was thought, that in these one could find guidance for the selection. It
was thought that a compact head went with stiff straw and that from the diffe«
rent types of the panicles of oats conclusions could be drawn as to their yielding
power. The above mentioned are only a couple of the supposed correlations,
which were thought to be very important for the selection and breeding of plants.
In order ‘to simplify the measuring and weighing of heads, kernels etc., used as
a basis for the selection, some mechanical instruments were devised, such as the
automatic classificator, to determine the density of the heads, the automatie weigh«
ing machine, for the sorting of heads according to their weight and a riddling«
machine, for the controlling of the size of the kernels etc. All these, however,
are now, since many years, only of historical interest.
From the results of the works of the first years, several valuable selections
were made of those sorts of barley and oats, which were subjected to compara«
tive field trials and were then found to be mostly worth eultivating (Probsteier
Oats, Chevalier Barley, Plumage Barley, Printice Barley etc.). As produets of
this »mass selection» may also be mentioned the sorts, which at the same time,
1895, were put forth on the market: Borstlös Propsteierhavre (Awnless Probsteier
Oats), and Renodlad Squareheadvete (Selected Squarehead Wheat). The latter
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