FIELD CROPS. 835 



Seed of the same varieties were grown in various localities, but the author 

 concludes that " there is not the slightest evidence of any relation between 

 the composition of the resultant grain and that of the original seed, either in 

 the direction of a hereditary tendency to high or low protein content, or of a 

 consistent effect of climatic conditions to which the seed grain may have been 

 supposed to have become adapted in each case." 



Investigations on line selection breeding for variation of nitrogen content 

 of wheat are reviewetl and discussed. Tables show the variability in nitrogen 

 content of wheat from various localities, including wheat of different varieties. 

 of different strains of a single variety, of different plants in the same row, of 

 different spikes of the same plant, and of kernels from different parts of the 

 same spike. In experiments in line selection breeding for change of nitrogen 

 content of wheat, selections were made of kernels from the inner and outer 

 rows of the same spike: of seed from different spikelets of the same spikes: 

 of upper, middle, and lower spikes from the same plant; and of high- and low- 

 nitrogen plants. 



From his work along this line the author concludes " that high- or low- 

 nitrogen content is not a property of wheat which can be ' fixed ' by line selec- 

 tion. In other words, the chemical composition of wheat is entirely a matter 

 of environmental influence, as shown in part 1 of this report, and not a 

 hereditary character, which can be varied at will by the plant breeder. 



" It is the writer's opinion that further attempts to improve the chemical 

 comjwsition of Washington wheats by line selection breeding would be abso- 

 lutely useless. This conclusion is in harmony with the opinion of some students 

 of genetics, that it is impossible to establish new strains, or varieties, of self- 

 fertilizing plants, by selection alone: but that there must first be cross- 

 fertilization, either between different plants of the same variety, or plants of 

 different varieties, in order to establish a heterozygotic condition as the first 

 basis for selection of new strains." 



Tri-local soil exchange experiments with wheat, J. A. LeClerc and P. A. 

 YoDicR iOrig. Commun. 8. Internal. Cong. Appl. CJiem. [Washingion and New 

 York]. 26 {1912), Sects. F7o-2T6, App., pp. 137-150).— These experiments were 

 conducted with soils from College Park. Md.. Hays, Kans.. and Davis. Cal.. 

 and were carried on for 3 years in each of these localities with an exchange 

 of soil to the depth of 3 ft. from each place. 



With very few exceptions it was found that the wheats grown in one 

 locality on soils obtained from different sources showed great similarity in 

 composition, indicating that the soil plaj^s only a minor part in affecting either 

 the physical appearance or chemical comiK)sitiou of wheat. On the other hand, 

 the wheats grown on the same soil but in a location with decidedly different 

 climatic conditions varied greatly in composition. 



Tabulated analyses of the wheats grown in the 3 localities are given. 



Wheat culture on moor lands, W. Freckmann and Sobotta {Landw. Jahrb., 

 .'fS (1913), No. 5, pp. 695-709) .—This paper reports results in top-dressing low 

 moor lands with sand, cl^y. and a mixture of the two to a depth of 12 cm. 

 (4.7 in.). 



It was found that winter wheat responded to this method of soil tre.itnient. 

 while spring wheat was not especially benefited. A covering of clay, or at 

 least sand containing clay, favored wheat growth better than pure sand. It is 

 noted that care should be taken that the moor soil has reached a considerable 

 degree of decomposition before a covering of clay is applied. Drainage to allow 

 part of the water to leave the soil was important in all cases. Seeding not 

 later than the end of September and careful hoeing of the crop are also 



