A Study ot Colorado Wheat 
3 i 
further, for herein lies, I am fully persuaded, the explanation for 
the variations in the total, as zvell as in the nitric nitrogen present 
in the soil from foot to foot, and also one of the causes of varia¬ 
tion in the composition and quality of the zvheat produced. 
These statements are made with a full knowledge and appre¬ 
ciation of the important influence attributed to “climatic con¬ 
ditions.” While there can be no question about the importance 
of the factors, designated by this term, uniformity of climatic con¬ 
ditions does not mean uniformity in characteristic properties of the 
same variety of wheat. On the contrary, given uniformity of 
climatic conditions, we can influence both the physical properties 
and chemical composition of the wheat kernel by varying the rela¬ 
tive amounts of the individual substances necessary for plant 
growth. We can, by supplying nitrogen, cause the kernel to be 
small, maybe shrunken, flinty, high in nitrogen and difficult to 
crush; or by increasing the potassium in the soil, we can cause it 
to be large, plump, high in starch, correspondingly low in nitrogen 
and easy to crush. These properties constitute those groups 
which, so far as I can gather, are characteristic of the two classes 
of wheat usually designated as “hard” and “soft” wheats. In 
making these statements at this time I disclaim the expression of 
any opinion concerning strong and weak flours; this is a matter for 
future consideration. 
NITROGENOUS COMPOUNDS IN THE DEVELOPING PLANTS. 
In our study of the sugar beet* we found it comparatively easy 
to follow the development and disappearance of the various forms 
of nitrogen in the blades of the leaves, the petioles and in the root. 
We made the attempt to follow the development of the nitrogenous 
compounds in the wheat plant from the time of blooming till the 
plant was mature. The same methods were used in this as in the 
former case except that we made no attempt to determine the 
animo-group and we used only the stems, leaves and heads of the 
plants. The sheaths for the most part were taken with the stems. 
The plants came into bloom about 7 July, a few anthers appeared 
6 July and they had practically all disappeared by 10 July, so I take 
it that the period of full bloom was from 6 to 8 July. 
RATIOS OF LEAVES, STEMS AND HEADS. 
The effects of the individual fertilizers applied to the different 
plots were not discernible in the growth or color of the various 
plots of wheat except in the case of those to which sodic nitrate 
had been applied. These plots were decidedly greener, leafier and 
a little taller than the others. We could not detect any difference 
between the other plots. We took three sets of samples from two 
♦Bulletin 183, Colo. Exp. Sta. 
