Fortuna matures late and has stiff straw. It yields well in Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas. It was selected at Crowley from seed brought by the Department from Formosa. Fortuna resists white tip and several forms of the narrow brown leaf spot. Arkansas Fortuna, selected at the Rice Branch Experiment Station at Stuttgart, Ark., is from 7 to 10 days earlier than Fortuna. It is better adapted to the shorter seasons in Arkansas. Fortuna and Arkansas Fortuna thresh easily, a characteristic appreciated growers who harvest with combines.

Texas Patna was selected at the Texas Substation No. 4 at Beaumont from the cross Rexoro X C. I. 5094—"C. L" referring to the accession number of the Division of Cereal Crops and Diseases. It is a long, slender grain variety, similar to Rexoro in disease resistance, yield, and table quality, but it matures 10 days earlier. Texas Patna is inclined to lodge more readily than Rexoro on rich land. Its earlier maturity, compared to Rexoro, appeals to growers, and the acreage sown to Texas Patna has increased in Louisiana and Texas.

Nira is late maturing and has long, slender grain. It yields and mills reasonably well. It was selected at Crowley from a variety brought from the Philippines. Nira is resistant to white tip and narrow brown leaf spot, and is of good table quality. It is the tallest variety grown commercially in the South, and although it does not tiller freely, it usually yields well in the South on old rice lands.

Bluebonnet, a midseason type with long, slender grain, was selected from the cross Rexoro X Fortuna at Beaumont. Bluebonnet tillers freely, matures quickly and evenly, threshes easily, and yields well. It resembles Rexoro and Texas Patna in table quality and in resistance to white tip and to narrow brown leaf spot, but it matures much earlier. Bluebonnet is well suited for harvesting by the combine-drier method.

Prelude is an early-maturing variety selected at Stuttgart from the cross Improved Blue Rose X Fortuna. It grows vigorously, has stiff straw, and withstands white tip and narrow brown leaf spot better than the older Edith and Lady Wright. Prelude produces much higher yields in Arkansas than Lady Wright, and has much better table quality.

Of the improved medium-grain varieties, Zenith was grown on 16 percent of the total rice acreage in 1946. Blue Rose 41, Arkrose, and Blue Rose were grown on 12 percent of the acreage. Calady 40 occupied a small part of the acreage in California.

Zenith, selected from Blue Rose, was tested and increased at Stuttgart. It is more uniform in heading and in ripening, and also is more resistant than Early Prolific and Blue Rose to white tip, the narrow brown leaf spot, and blast diseases. The kernels of Zenith are smaller, clearer, and of better quality than those of Early Prolific.

Blue Rose 41 was selected at Crowley from Blue Rose. It resists one form of the narrow brown leaf spot disease and white tip, and resembles its parent in growth habit, grain type, maturity, and milling and table qualities. Its resistance to diseases, however, makes it preferable to Blue Rose in the South.

Arkrose, a late-maturing variety, was produced from the cross Caloro X Blue Rose at Stuttgart. It is prey to the narrow brown leaf spot diseases and white tip, which do not, however, reduce its yield or affect its quality as much as they do that of Blue Rose. In grain shape and quality, Arkrose is like Blue Rose, but in Arkansas it produces higher yields.

Calady 40 was selected from the cross Caloro X Lady Wright at Biggs. A late-maturing, high-yielding variety, Calady 40 has stiff straw, a rather compact head, a clear, medium grain, and good milling quality. In California it yields as well as Caloro and is of better quality.

Plant breeders think the improved varieties described are pretty good, all factors considered. But that does not mean the breeder's job is completed, for new diseases or new races of old diseases appear unexpectedly. Methods of tillage and processing change, and changes in market demands create new problems.