CEKEAL INVESTIGATIONS AT THE NEPHI SUBSTATION. 15 



The wheat work at Nephi has been confined almost entirely to the 

 testing of winter varieties. A rather detailed report of the results 

 obtained is given on the following pages. 



Winter Wheat. 



Of the 68 varieties and strains of winter wheat tested, 57 have 

 been introduced since cooperation began on July 1, 1907. Previous 

 to that time only 11 varieties were under test. The 3 best known 

 and highest yielding varieties of the 11 originally tested were Gold 

 Coin, Koffoid, and Turkey. These were later given the Cereal Inves- 

 tigation numbers 2996, 2997, and 2998, respectively. The average 

 yields of these varieties for 1904 to 1906, inclusive, were 15.09, 18.25, 

 and 24.96 bushels per acre, respectively. 1 



The 57 winter-wheat varieties which were introduced after coopera- 

 tion began were obtained from the following places in quantities 

 sufficient to sow a tenth-acre plat: 



Varieties. 



McPherson, Kans. , C. I. Experiment Farm, 1907 42 



Modesto, Cal., Cooperative Farm, 1907 6 



Bellefourche, S. Dak., Bellefourche Experiment Farm, 1907 1 



Alberta, Canada, Lethbridge Experiment Station, 1907 1 



Mona, Utah, farmer, 1907 1 



Rieti, Italy, through the Office of Seed and Plant Introduction, 1908 1 



Salina, Kans., through Intermountain Milling Co., 1908 1 



Montana, through Farmers' Cash-Buyers' "Union, 1908 1 



Newton, Utah, farmer, 1911 1 



Worland, Wyo., Prof. B. C. Buffum, 1911 2 



Total 57 



GRAIN YIELDS OF WINTER WHEAT. 



The average yield in bushels per acre of all the varieties of winter 

 wheat tested at Nephi in 1908 was 25.4; in 1909, 11.1; in 1910,-11.6; 

 in 1911, 23.1; and in 1912, 18.3. This wide variation is due to the 

 influence of the physical factors which already have been discussed. 

 When there was considerable precipitation in the fall so that the crops 

 were up and well prepared for entering the winter, when snow pro- 

 tected them from winterkilling, and when the stands were thick enough 

 to keep out weeds, the yields were much higher than when the oppo- 

 site conditions existed. 



After obtaining the yields of 1911 the varieties were all ranked 

 according to their average actual and average computed yields for 

 four years, 1908 to 1911, inclusive. It was believed that they had 

 been given a fair test, and it was time to begin discarding the inferior 

 varieties in order to make room for a more thorough test of the supe- 

 rior ones. The rank of the varieties based on their average actual 



1 Jardine, W. M. Arid farming investigations. Utah Agricultural Experiment Station, Bulletin 100. 



