32 
Research Bulletin \"o 3 
DETERMINATION OF THE DRY MATTER OF THE CROPS. 
In the case of each cylinder all the thinnings, fallen leaves, 
and dead plants were saved in a covered jar until all the plants 
had been removed. The seeds, if any were present, were counted 
and weighed: the data on the dry matter of these, reported in the 
various tables, were calculated on the assumption that the seed 
contained 10 per cent of water. After removing the seed the rest 
of the crop was dried at 110° C. and weighed. 
PRELIMINARY EXPERIMENT. 
In 1908 two cylinders filled with a semiarid soil were planted 
with Red Fife wheat. Each was 4 feet long and 6 inches in 
diameter, consisting of two lengths of sewer-pipe fastened to- 
gether with cement, the latter. being coated with paraffine as soon 
as dry. The bottom of each, likewise made of cement coated with 
paraffine. carried a one-hole rubber stopper. The cylinders were 
filled with air-dry soil from the H O Ranch, which is located 
at Madrid, Perkins County, near the western border of Nebraska. 
Six bulk lots of soil were used, viz, the first I, the second 4, and 
the third 4 inches of the first foot, and the whole of the second, 
the third, and the fourth foot. 
The soil was placed in the cylinders in its natural order. All 
but the surface inch was added in small portions and tamped with 
a two-inch rubber stopper on the end of a three-eighths inch iron 
gas-pipe. The surface soil was covered with a layer of absorb- 
ent cotton and water added until seepage thru the one-hole rubber 
stopper began. Then the addition of water was discontinued and 
the excess allowed to drain away until seepage ceased, after 
which the hole in the rubber stopper was closed by means of a 
gliiss plug. The absorbent cotton was removed, five sprouted ker- 
nels of Red Fife (spring) wheat, from the Experimental Farm at 
Indian Head, Saskatchewan, were planted one inch deep in the 
moist soil and the surface inch of air-dry soil was added. 
The cylinders were placed in the greenhouse on the day the 
seed was planted, April 15, and given no more water. They were 
not sunken below the level of the floor and so were fully exposed 
to the heat of the sums rays. At the end of ten days the plants 
were thinned to the most vigorous two in each cylinder. These 
developed normally until near the end of May when the plants 
became prostrated. Thinking the experiment a failure no atten- 
tion was paid to the plants until three weeks later, when it was 
found that they had quite recovered and were putting forth heads. 
The whitewash which had been applied to the glass panes shortly 
before the injury was first observed had been largely removed by 
