450 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts , and Letters. 
ment was more extensive than was the case in cylinder Y and 
VI where there was much deeper water tables. There is how¬ 
ever a marked uniformity in the root development in cylinders 
II, III, IY, Y and YI irrespective of the wide differences in 
the water level. 
In cylinder I all the plants made a dense mat like growth of 
roots in the surface two inches of soil below which' there was 
relatively little root growth. While red top and blue joint sent 
roots down into the water to a depth of 17 and 20 inches these 
roots did not branch much. In the other cylinders there was 
no marked zonal distribution of the roots although there were 
relatively more roots in the upper layers. 
While removing the baskets it was noted that the soil in cylin¬ 
der Y had a poorer consistency (structure) than did that of the 
other cylinders. The soil was mk>re compact and broke up into 
hard compact chunks. In this regard the conditions were more 
unfavorable for root development in this cylinder. In all other 
cylinders the soil was loose and granular in texture. 
The greatest differences between the four species in any one 
cylinder was seen in Ho. I. Th blue joint and red top showed 
a marked ability to develop with the water level at the surface 
hut this was unfavorable for their best development. 
In cylinder YI none of the roots extended to the water level 
which was 2 y 2 feet below the surface and the growth that each 
species here made was surpassed in at least one other cylinder. 
This indicates that the water level suitable for the maximum 
development has been passed and that no better growth can be 
expected with a still lower water table. 
Ten Eyck (20) (1904) has studied the root development of 
' a number of grasses grown in the field. He was not concerned 
with the influence of various water levels and he did not exam¬ 
ine any of the species tested here. He found that each species 
which he studied has a specific and characteristic root develop¬ 
ment and that the perennial grasses produce as a rule a large 
number of fibrous roots near the surface while at the same time 
the root system penetrates to a considerable depth, as for ex¬ 
ample, Kentucky blue grass, 4 feet; Andropogon furcatus, 6^ 
