UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



4Hfc BULLETIN No. 270 



*^Uui~!«!jg^ Contribution from the Bureau of Plant Industry 



j&jr < &*rt~ 



WM. A. TAYLOR, Chief 



S\JS"S?Wu 



Washington, D. C. 



July 29, 1915. 



CEREAL EXPERIMENTS AT THE WILLISTON 

 SUBSTATION. 1 



By F. Ray Babcock, 



Scientific Assistant, Office of Cereal Investigations. 



(In cooperation with the North Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station.) 



CONTENTS. 



Introduction 1 



Description of the substation 2 



Experimental methods 8 



Experiments with wheat 13 



Experiments with oats 24 



Experiments with barley 28 



Experiments with flax 33 



Experiments with minor cereals 33 



Summary 34 



INTRODUCTION. 



The experiments with cereals at the Williston substation in North 

 Dakota have been conducted cooperatively since 1908 by the Office 

 of Cereal Investigations of the Bureau of Plant Industry and the 

 North Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station. The memorandum 

 of understanding between the two parties specifies that — 



The objects of these cooperative investigations shall be (1) to improve the wheat 

 industry of the northern Plains region by discovering or producing varieties better 

 than those now grown, especially with regard to nitrogen content, yield, earliness, 

 drought resistance, etc.; (2) to conduct similar experiments with oats, barley, and 

 other cereals when it may be desirable; and (3) to determine the effect of changes of 

 environment upon the growth of cereals, particularly the composition of the wheat 

 kernel. 



■ The Williston abstatkra tra e tablished in 1908 by the North Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station 

 and tuu ince been operated aion8oftheseveral"subexperiinentstations"located at various points in the 

 State. Pre IdentJ. S. Worst, of the North Dakota Agricultural College, was director of the State station 

 from the time the Wflliston substation was eslabli tied until January 1, 1914, when Mr. Thomas P.Cooper 

 was appointed director. Prof. J. II. Bhepperd has been vice director of the station during tho entire 

 period. Mr. E. <;. Schollander ■■■■ •■■ uperintendenl ol the Williston substation from the first year of its 

 operation, 1908, untfl April 1,1914. Upon hlsrc i-n >.i ion, Mr. Charles H. Ruzlcka took charge. Inl908 

 the writer m appointed pedal tgenl In the oiiic.. <a ivreai luve ligations to take charge of the coopera- 

 real work and in 1914 was appointed cientiflca i.tani. 

 Nora, i hi. bulletin pre em the results of varietal tests with cereals which have been conducted at 

 Willi. ion, \\ Dak., from 1908 to I'M i, in cooperation with the North Dakota Agricultural Experiment 

 Station. The subject bofmtere i to experimental throughout the <;rcat Main: ana, and especially in 

 i \orih Dakota and ea tern Montana. 

 B68W— Hull. 270— Id 1 



