THE EARTH'S BOUNTY 



varied considerably during different years. 

 The root system of oats was found to be 

 similar to that of wheat, but the roots were 

 longer and more numerous, and extended 

 fully as deep into the ground. The roots of 

 emmer (another variety of wheat often mis- 

 called spelt wheat in this country, where it is 

 used for stock food only, thrives best in hot 

 climates) resembled those of wheat and ex- 

 tended to about the same depth. A sample 

 of winter rye, taken July 7th, showed that 

 the roots had reached a depth of only 3 feet, 

 and their development was smaller than in 

 other samples of cereals generally. It is 

 believed that early in the season the soil in 

 the latitude of the station is too cold below a 

 depth of 3 feet to admit of root growth. At 

 the Kansas Station oats and barley produced 

 a large fibrous growth of roots in the surface 

 soil, but this was not equal to the growth of 

 fibrous roots in the upper soil made by some 

 perennial grasses. 



ROOT SYSTEM OF GRASSES. The North 

 77 



