160 UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS 



must be based sound field practises. Answers to such questions will 

 give us the key to the crop-adaptation puzzle. 



Wheat is our most important small grain ; therefore it is fitting 

 that some time be given to the underlying principles of its management. 

 Turkey Red is the most widely grown of winter wheats. It is a 

 leading wheat for Central Illinois. Our winters are rarely ever 

 severe enough to injure the crop. Red Rock, a much heralded wheat 

 from Michigan, winter-kills about one-half the time. Why this 

 difference in adaptation to climate? At this date, an effort is being 

 made to determine the best moisture and temperature relationship at 

 time of germination, since this is believed to be of large significance 

 in determining how varieties differ. 



The Station has five years of work on the time of seeding spring 

 wheat. The yield from the early March seeding is about twenty 

 bushels, the April seeding is twenty-two bushels per acre. Is it be- 

 cause these spring wheats develop greater vigor by being seeded early, 

 thus at low temperature ? Or is it that the crop seeded early develops 

 its flowers early, thereby avoiding the influence of the hot weather 

 of late June or early July ? We believe it is the former, and not the 

 latter, as we used to believe. Marquis Spring Wheat is a most sat- 

 isfactory wheat for DeKalb, 125 miles north of here. Illinois No. I 

 leads Marquis at Urbana by six bushels per acre. It has been found 

 that Marquis germinates at a lower temperature than Illinois No. I. 

 Here is a suggestion that one fundamental difference is in the tem- 

 perature best for germination, a fact which suggests why Marquis is 

 best for northern Illinois and Illinois No. I is best for central Illinois. 



All of these problems aim at an understanding of the normal life 

 cycle of the crops studied, an understanding of which is necessary be- 

 fore an accurate determination of the adaptability of any crop can 

 be made. 



I feel confident that the outline presented above points to an 

 affirmative answer to President Kinley's question, "Is there any sys- 

 tem which might be adopted whereby the adaptation of different crops 

 to different soils may be more accurately determined, and the use of 

 proper crops on soils be insured?" I believe this plan will give to 

 this great agricultural state a system of crop production that shall re- 

 flect credit upon the institution initiating it, and will add increased 

 wealth and prosperity to the people of Illinois. 



