UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
BULLETIN No. 270 (&N, 
Contribution from the Bureau of Plant Industry 
WM. A. TAYLOR, Chief 
Washington, D. C. Vv July 29, 1915. 
CEREAL EXPERIMENTS AT THE WILLISTON 
SUBSTATION.’ 
By F. Ray Bascocx, 
Scientific Assistant, Office of Cereal Investigations. 
(In cooperation with the North Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station.) 
CONTENTS. 
Page. Page. 
NETO GITCTIONS yaa ee eee ene Mae tea Aire 1 | Experiments with barley.........2.......... 28 
Description of the substation....-.......---- 2 | Experiments with flax..............-.....-. 33 
Hxperimentalmethods 222-2. se eS 8 | Experiments with minor cereals..........:-- 33 
Experiments with wheat........-...-- Ie RoES Sia | eS WIM TN ays eres ve ee eo are is che Uaioe espera area oe 34 
Experiments: wathioatSeencee ieee. 2 essence 24 
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 substation was established in 1908 by the North Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station 
and has since been operated as one of the several “subexperiment stations”’ located at various points in the 
State. President J. H. Worst, of the North Dakota Agricultural College, was director of the State station 
from the time the Williston substation was established until January 1, 1914, when Mr. Thomas P. Cooper 
was appointed director. Prof. J. H. Shepperd has been vice director of the station during the entire 
period. Mr. E. G. Schollander was superintendent of the Williston substation from the first year of its 
operation, 1998, until April 1, 1914. Upon his resignation, Mr. Charles H. Ruzicka took charge. In 1908 
the writer was appointed special agent in the Office of Cereal Investigations to take charge of the coopera- 
tive cereal work and in 1914 was appointed scientific assistant. 
Notre.—This bulletin presents the results of varietal tests with cereals which have been conducted at 
Williston, N. Dak., from 1908 to 1914, in cooperation with the North Dakota Agricultural Experiment 
Station. The subject is of interest to experimenters throughout the Great Plains area, and especially in 
western North Dakota and eastern Montana. 
95887°—Bull. 270—15——1 
