730 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



Tri-local experiments on the influence of environment on the composition 

 of wheat, J. A. Le Clerc and S. I.eavitt ( i!7. S. Dept. Agr., Bur. Chcm. Bui. 

 128, pp. 18). — Followinjjc a resiiniu of tlu' results of previous experiments on the 

 effect of environment upon Ihe composition of cereals, analyses are given of the 

 original seed of C'rimeau wheat grown in Kansas in 1905; of the 190G crop in 

 Kansas, California, and Texas from the Ivansas seed; of the 1907-8 crops 

 grown in Kansas, California, and Texas from seed from all three sources; and 

 of the 1909 crop grown in California from Kansas and from California seed. 

 The Texas crop was a failure in 1908 and during the same year the Kansas 

 crop grown from California seed was lost. Similar analyses are given of the 

 original seed of Kubanka wlieat grown in South Dakota in 1905; of the 1906 

 crop grown in Kansas, California, and South Dakota from the South Dakota 

 seed; and of the 1907-8 crops grown in Kansas, California, and South Dakota 

 from seed from all three sources. The analyses show the percentage of i)ro- 

 tein, ash, phosphoric acid, fat, rtber, pentosans, sugars, alcohol-soluble nitrogen, 

 and salt-soluble nitrogen, the weight per thousand grams and per bushel, and the 

 percentage of flinty kernels. ' The greatest variations are in the percentage of 

 nitrogen, the weight per thousand grams and per bushel,' and the percentage of 

 flinty grains. 



The influence of acclimation, heredity, and soil are discussed. Tabulated 

 data show tlie influence of the soil on the composition of acclimated and non- 

 acclimated seed from the same source. It is found not always true that large 

 berries, tliough low in percentage of niti'ogen, contain as much nitrogen per 

 berry as the smaller grains. 



From the data obtained the following conclusions are drawn : 



"Wheat of the same variety obtained from difterent sources and possessing 

 widely different chemical and pliysical characteristics, when grown side by 

 side in one locality, yields crops which are almost the same in appearance and 

 in composition. Wheat of any one variety, from any one source, and absolutely 

 alike in chemical and physical characteristics, when grown in different 

 localities, possessing different climatic conditions, yields crops of very widely 

 different appearance and very diffex'ent in chemical composition. These differ- 

 ences are due for the most part to climatic conditions prevailing at the time 

 of growth. The results so far obtained would seem to indicate that the soil 

 and seed play a relatively small part in iuflueuciug the composition of crops. 

 The practice of trying to improve crops in one locality, which crops are to be 

 grown in another locality of widely different climatic conditions, should be dis- 

 coui'aged. Crops should be improved in the locality in which they are intended 

 to be grown, or the seed should be selected from a region which has similar 

 climatic conditions." 



Wheat hybridization, R. W. Thornton (Agr. Jour. Cape Good Hope, 36 

 {1910), 'No. 1, pp. 15-18, figs. 6). — An account is given of the crosses conducted 

 under the supervision of the manager of the Robertson Experiment Station for 

 the purpose of securing rust resistance, high yield, and good milling quality. 

 The combinations made were Darling X Van Niekerk and Gluyas X DuToit. 

 From each cross .3 promising hybrids were retained for further test. 



Annual variations in the character of Central Provinces wheats, G. Evans 

 (Dept. Agr. Cent. Prov. and Berar [India], Bui. 3, pp. 13). — Irrigation on black 

 soil softened durum and hard bread wheats to a marked degree and therefore 

 probably reduced their strength. The application of farmyard manure had no 

 apparent tendency to change the percentage of hard kernels. A sandy silt soil, 

 even when irrigated 4 times, produced wheat having from 89 to 95 per cent of 

 hard kernels and in only one instance any soft kex'nels whatever, while black 



