738 



EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



tioned, placing the different countries in the order of decreasing grain 

 weights, the results being as follows: 



Average grain vreighis of cereals from different countries. 



Italy 



Spain 



Great Britain 



Denmark 



France 



Netherlands. 

 Belgium 



Country. 



Sweden 



Germany 



Prussia.. 



Norway 



United States 

 Russia 



Number 

 of sam- 

 ples. 



83 

 109 



Weight 

 of 10.000 

 kernels. 



Gravis. 



329 

 325 

 317 

 306 

 285 

 25C 



The countries mentioned were placed in groups, according to their 

 climatic characteristics, Russia, with strongly marked continental cli- 

 mate and warm summers, forming Group I; and Italy, Spain, and 

 France, with insular and coast climate and warm summers, forming 

 Group VI. The different groups furnish the following avera,ge data 

 as to grain weights of the leading cereals: 



Grain veighfs according to climatic conditions. 



The results of the investigation plainly show that the grain weights 

 of cereals decrease in the same ratio as the continental character of 

 the country becomes more marked and vice versa. The grain weight 

 increases as the country has insular or coast climate and, in connection 

 Avith such climate, it also increases with increasing temperature within 

 the limits included by the material at hand. The different kinds of 

 grain samples from each country were mixed and sown on experi- 

 mental plats the following spring. Examinations of the grain weights 

 of the oats and the barley harvested showed that the percentage 

 increa.se in the grain weight was largest in case of the samples of 

 Group I, viz, 12 and 20 per cent for barley and oats, respectively, and 

 decreased almost regularly till Group YI was reached, which showed 

 a percentage increase of and 2 per cent for barley and oats, respec- 

 tively. The cause of the increase in the grain weights of groups IV 

 to Vi is found in the favorable conditions of heat and rain in Denmark 

 during the season when the crops were grown. — f. w. woll. 



