21 



the soil, although continued cropping on one soil, even with fertilizers, 

 appears from the experiments of Lawes and Gilbert to somewhat di- 

 minish the percentage of nitrogen. Another year's crop will furnish in- 

 teresting data upon this subject, no doubt confirming the views of the 

 experimenters just mentioned that season has a greater effect upon 

 grain than any other condition. 



Among these analyses are found samples of wheat which have the 

 greatest weight per bushel and per hundred grains of any which have 

 been examined. These extremes are not, however, coincident, as may 

 be seen from the following figures : 



Extremes among Colorado wheats of 1884. 



'Highest. Number. Lowest. Number 



Yield per acre bushels. . 86 



Weight per bushel pounds.. 68.6 



Weight per 100 grains grams . . 6. 200 



Albuminoids per cent.. 14. 88 



3560 21 



3576 62. 2 

 3569 3. 160 

 3559 9. 45 



3575 

 3534 

 3526 

 3524 



The weight per bushel is dependent on various causes. High weight 

 is almost, if not always, an evidence of high quality, but not always of 

 a large, plump, well-ma* ured grain. The hard red spring wheat of the 

 Northwest, which is small in size, and not well matured in the sense 

 of having a plump berry, with its usual amount of starch, is very heavy 

 in its weight per bushel, while the large full wheat of Oregon, which 

 is very starchy, is light in weight. 



The following data show the variation : 



Weight per bushel, $-c., of hard, soft, and immature wheats. 

 HARD RED SPRING WHEAT. 



SOFT WHITE OREGON WHEATS. 



772 Oregon 



773 ...do 



57.2 

 59.8 



4.253 

 5. 144 



Extra, . 



...do 



8.58 

 8.05 



IMPORTED SOFT WHEAT. 



779 



62.2 4.710 Extra 



10.33 



