REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE. 



the wheat plant is in any way injured the grain especially suffers most. The foliage, 

 if anything, rather flourishes, or, in other words, grows more vigorously and rank. 

 The sap is more abundant, and the grain producing elements much less. 



Second. Last year up to August we had much more rain than ever before. Fre- 

 quent showers, followed by hot suns and damp, sultry air, made many of my wheats 

 rust. Those injured and put back by hail suffered most from rust. 



I am satisfied these are the causes of deterioration noticed in the analyses. The 

 difference in the two seasons was as great as that between ours generally and that of 

 Iowa. I think this year will bring out my hybrids with a better showing. 

 Very truly, yours, 



A. E. BLOUNT. 



Clifford Richardson, Esq., 



Assistant Chemist. 



Professor Blount's conclusions are interesting and undoubtedly cor- 

 rect, and show how sensitive wheat is to causes affecting its develop- 

 ment. 



Arrested development may apparently produce two results, according 

 to the period in the growth of the plant at which it occurs. In the 

 Colorado specimens, as Professor Blount remarks, the supply of nitro- 

 gen w T as probably cut off by the injury done by storms. In the cases 

 of the Ohio wheats, whicli owed their small size and shriveled ap- 

 pearance to wet weather just before harvesting, the check to develop- 

 ment came after the nitrogenous portion of the seed had been stored up 

 and prevented the accumulation of the starch which was necessary to 

 make a plump grain. 



Professor Blount proposes to continue his experiments, and it will be 

 very interesting to observe the quality and composition of succeeding 

 crops. 



In 1882 the product of several seed wheats sent to Colorado in 1881 

 was found to be much richer in albuminoids than the original seed, and 

 in our previous bulletin attention was called to this fact. Of the last 

 year's crop eight varieties were from seed sent to Professor Blount from 

 Washington. 



A comparison of the analyses will show the changes during the past 

 unfavorable season : 



Comparison of Dcjiarimcnt seed and Colorado crops, 1882- '83. 



Serial number. 



Weight of 100 

 grain a. 



Water. 



Ash. 



Albuminoids. 



Nitrogen. 



Seed. 



Crops. 



Seed. 



Crops. 



Seed. 



Crops. 



Seed. 



Crops. 



Seed. 



Crops. 



2173 



Grains. 

 4. 152 



Grams. 



Per ct. 

 9.84 



Per ct. 



Per ct. 

 1. 73 



Per ct. 



Per ct. 

 9.98 



Per ct. 



Per ct. 

 1.C0 



Per ct. 



2174 



4.182 



9.69 



2.19 



11. 20 



1.79 



2175 



3. G50 



9.40 



1.94 



11. 73 



1.88 



217G 



3. 650 



9. 50 



2. 10 



13. 65 



2. 18 



2177 



2. 820 



9. 74 



1. 94 



12. GO 

 "io.33 



2. 02 

 "i.65 



2178 



4. 594 



9. 55 



1. 95 



12. 95 



2. 07 



2179 



4. 336 



9. 90 



1.80 

 " " 1. 75 



2180 



4. 957 



10. 25 



"ii.'ii' 



2.10 



12. 43 



1.99 



2181 



2.612 



11.35 



12. 60 



2. 02 





2. 04 



12. 60 



2. 02 



21815 



4.084 





10. 50 



1. 95 



9. 80 



1. 57 



2184 



3. 818 



9.41 



"0.21 



2. 17 



"a." 04 



11.38 



1. 82 



2185 



3. 062 



10. 38 



1.89 



1. 62 



2186 



2. 879 



30. 33 



1.65 



2187 



3. 138 



9. 48 



2. 56 



16. 45 



2. 63 



2188 



4. 064 



9. 92 



2. 20 



14.53 



2. 32 



Average 



Gain 











3. 482 



3. 922 



10. 07 



9. 83 



1.55 



2. 10 



11.71 12.38 



1.88 



1.98 



6 

 2 





3 

 5 





7 

 1 





7 

 1 





7 

 1 



Loss 

























