THE ROOT SYSTEMS OF CEREALS. 113 



described. At the time of examination the plants averaged 3.5 feet in 

 height and were just entering the dough stage. Soil-type and soil- 

 moisture were practically identical with those in the adjacent fields. 

 This is true also for a field of barley where roots were excavated. Many 

 rye roots were found at.a depth of 5 feet, the working depth being about 

 4.3 feet. The maximum depth attained by several roots was 6 feet. 



A field of barley, Hordeum vulgare, of an undetermined variety, was 

 next examined. It also was growing on land which had raised but two 

 preceding crops, sorghum and rye. On June 29, the crop, drilled late in 

 April, averaged 2.5 feet in height and was in the dough stage. The 

 average working depth of the roots was 4.2 feet and the maximum root 

 depth 5.7 feet, which was slightly greater than that of oats or wheat. 

 The roots were well-branched and spread to 12 inches laterally in the 

 surface 2 to 4 inches of soil. 



At Colby, 50 miles east of the Colorado-Kansas State line, wheat, 

 oats and rye were examined at the Colby Experiment Station. Here 

 the surface 2 feet of soil was the fine, fertile Colby silt-loam underlaid 

 with a light-colored clay. Mechanical analysis shows that it is rather 

 uniform at all depths reached by crop plants. From the rather limited 

 examination of the vegetation, it is believed that this station lies in the 

 short-grass plains, although near their eastern boundary. Bouteloua 

 gracilis and Bulbilis predominate and are accompanied by Schedon- 

 nardus paniculatus, Festuca octoflora, Aristida purpurea, Psoralea 

 tenuiflora, etc. The short-grasses form a close sod. Agropyrum 

 glaucum occurs in moist ravines and often in disturbed areas, as along 

 roadsides. The excellent development of grama giass, which was 1.5 

 to 1.7 feet in height, together with the fine growth of wheat-grass 

 (2.5 to 3 feet high) and the luxuriance of the weeds, were indicative of 

 the favorable season for growth. 



A field of oats (variety unknown) was examined growing on land 

 which, as in the other field, had been broken for a number of years. 

 It was planted on April 17, at the rate of 32 pounds per acre (the 

 preceding crop being barley), and harvested for hay on July 12. The 

 stand was quite thick, and the average height about 2.8 feet. The roots 

 were examined on August 7. In digging the trench a harder soil layer 

 was found extending from 1.9 to 2.6 feet in depth. Below this the dry, 

 mellow, light-colored clay subsoil occurred. Only the surface 2 feet of 

 soil were quite moist, The roots leached a working depth of 2.5 feet; 

 they were quite abundant to 2.8 feet, while the maximum depth of 

 penetration was 3 feet. 



Less than half a mile away, in this level area, the roots of winter 

 wheat were excavated. It was a variety of Turkey Red known as 

 Kansas Red or Kanred. It had been planted, following a crop of wheat, 

 on September 12 and harvested on July 4, the plants reaching an 

 average height of about 3.2 feet. The rich black loam extended to a 



