Thorough Tillage System eor Plains oe Colorado. 9 
of 1904 and seeded a row to an ear. Marked differences in growing- 
habit were noted, but differences in yield from lowest to highest was 
but a trifle more than eighty per cent—one fifth what it was the 
preceding year. 
“Selection is the process by which new varieties are fixed. Artificial 
crossing may be used to induce variation, with a view to promote the de¬ 
velopment of new forms, but selection is always the final process by which 
new varieties are established and maintained. 
“Three principal factors largely determine the value of a variety of 
any cultivated crop, namely, yield, quality and adaptation—and the last 
named is really the deciding factor which determines whether a variety type 
may be successfully grown in any locality. In no two countries, perhaps 
in no two sections of the same country or state, are the plants subject to 
exactly the same conditions of soil and climate. One section may have a dif¬ 
ferent soil, a little more dry weather, and the plants of this section vary to 
adapt themselves to these conditions. If the plant is removed from its na¬ 
tive habitation and planted in a different part of the world or country, in a 
different soil, surrounded by different conditions to those to which it has 
been accustomed, it is placed at a disadvantage, it is exposed to a new en¬ 
vironment to which it is not suited. Thus we can understand why a good 
variety of fruit or grain does not always give as good results in all places, 
and we should expect a variety of plants originating from the plants of a 
certain region to be best adapted for growing in that region, or such plants 
may be adapted for growing in any region having similar conditions of soil 
and climate. 
“We find a demonstration of this principle in the fact that wheat and 
other grains, brought from the steppes of Russia and Turkey are well adapted 
for growing in the western plains region of the United States, which has a 
climate and soil very similar to that of the countries named. The Turkey Red 
wheat, for instance, has largely replaced all other varieties of winter wheat 
grown in the West, because of its greater hardiness and productiveness, and 
yet some of the varieties which it has succeeded had been grown in the West 
for many years and seemed to be fairly wll adapted to western climatic and 
soil conditions. This superior hardiness and adaptation which the Russian and 
Turkey varieties of grain appear to have in our western country may be 
largely credited to the centuries of training which these varieties have had in 
an environment almost identical with that of similar latitudes in the West, 
while the varieties which the Russan grans succeeded as a rule have been 
those which have been gradually moved from the Eastern and Middle states 
farther west, and although many of these varieties have gradually become 
more or less hardy and fairly well adapted for growing in our western cli¬ 
mate, yet, in the comparatively short period during which they have been 
grown under western conditions, apparently they have not become so hardy 
and well adapted to those conditions as the Russian and Turkey varieties.” 
(Prof. Ten Eyck’s Plant Adaptation.) 
For more than ten years Mr. Robert Gauss of Denver, has 
been growing a certain type of wheat, under drouth conditions with 
results that are in accord with statements made by Prof. Ten Eyck. 
Each year Mr. Gauss has made his seed selections looking toward 
the seeding of wheat for the plains, that has good drouth resisting 
qualities. 
This past season the writer seeded some of this wheat, in May, 
on the very driest seed bed which he has ever used. It was sown 
broadcast, and seed covered with a spike toothed harrow. The 
seeding was done on an experimental plat located on the C. F. & 
I. grounds five miles southwest of Pueblo, Colorado. This wheat 
