The studies described in this paper were undertaken to find the refractive indices of expressed juice as one of the physico-chemical characters of wheat seedlings. The results obtained may be summarized as follows: 1. With respect to the relation between the refractive index and the winter and spring growing habit, the refractive indices of the winter varieties were greater than those of the spring varieties, on an average, when they are exposed to low temperature conditions before measurement. 2. In comparison between the three different temperature cultures, the lower the temperature the greater was the refractive index, thus indicating that the refractive indices of expressed juice are greatly affected by environmental factors. 3. With regard to the relationship between the refractive index and winter hardiness, the hardy varieties had greater refractive indices in general than the nonhardy varieties under hardened conditions. 4. Greater refractive indices were always observed in the juice from unfrozen plants as compared with that from frozen plants. 5. Within the limits of the present varietal investigations, an accurate correlation was not observed between the content of total solids in expressed juice estimated by the refractometer and the mono-saccharide content in seedling tissues obtained by chemical analysis.

Studies have been conducted at the Kansas Experiment Station to determine the effect on the soil nitrogen and organic carbon of the following crops and cropping systems: Wheat continuous, alfalfa continuous, a 3-year rotation of corn, cowpeas (or soybeans), and wheat, and a 16-year rotation in which alfalfa is grown for 4 years and a 3-year rotation of corn, wheat, and wheat takes up the remaining 12 years. Corn was indicated to be much more destructive of nitrogen and carbon than any other crop or cropping system. Both alfalfa and cowpeas appear to have added to the soils nitrogen supply, but the latter was more destructive of carbon than the former. Continuous wheat produced about the same effect as each of the two rotations. Total crop production over a period of 25 years and total nitrogen of the soil were shown to be highly and positively correlated. Manure applications failed to produce significant increases of nitrogen or carbon which could be attributed to the manure and not to increased crop residues. The nitrogen of the soil of the experimental plats studied appears to be definitely approaching an equilibrium characteristic of the crop or cropping system employed.

In presenting a regional land use program for the hard red winter wheat belt the following points have been considered: 1. The region is adapted to extensive farming which encourages a speculative type of agriculture. 2. The program on land use should plan to conserve the soil and water resources and aid in stabilizing the agriculture of the region. 3. The area under cultivation in the five leading hard red winter wheat states increased from 56,100,000 acres in 1900 to more than 97,400,000 acres by 1930. The area devoted to wheat increased from 9,300,000 acres in 1900 to 24,900,000 acres in 1930. 4. Much land that is too rolling, too sandy, or located in regions too deficient in rainfall for successful crop production has been placed under cultivation. 5. For the welfare of the agriculture of the region, it appears that the total wheat area should be reduced by approximately 5,000,000 acres or about 20%. 6. The land removed from wheat production should be used for soil-binding and soil-improving crops, pasture crops, and feed crops in the eastern portion of the region. In the central portion it should be used for increasing the acreage of feed crops and for summer fallow, In the western portion it should be used for a material increase in the acreage of sorghums and other row crops and for summer fallow. 7. One of the greatest needs of the region is the development or introduction of a grass or of grasses that may be used to re-establish sod on the sandy areas and on the sloping and rolling lands.

A total of 250 wheat varieties, including common, club, durum, emmer, poulard, Polish, and wheat X rye, were tested in 1934 at Pendleton, Ore., for resistance to a local and a Northwest composite of bunt collections differing distinctly in pathogenicity. Hussar X Hohenheimer selection (C. I. 10069-1) was the most resistant variety in these trials. Oro, Yogo, Ashkof, and Ridit were the most resistant varieties among the hard red winter wheats grown commercially in the United States. Several other varieties were highly resistant to the local composite. The infection in Minturki was 2.1% with the local composite and 61.3% with the Northwest composite. Ruby and Gamet proved most resistant of the commercial varieties of hard red spring and Berkeley Rock and Odessa of the soft red winter varieties. None of the commercial varieties of white wheat was highly resistant but Quality, White Odessa, and Axminster were the least susceptible. Albit and Hymar were the only commercial clubwheats not highly susceptible to all bunt collections. Golden Ball and Marouani showed more resistance than the other durum varieties. Vernal (emmer) appeared slightly resistant, but Alaska (poulard) and White Polish (Polish) were highly susceptible. The hard red winter and durum wheats were more resistant to bunt than the other classes of wheat, although resistant varieties created exceptions within each class. The greatest number of highly resistant varieties was found in the hard red winter and soft red winter groups. Unseasonably warm spring temperatures stimulated a second growth of tillers in the durum wheats. Most of the late tillers produced bunted heads, although the heads on early tillers were free from disease. The tendency for late tillers to be bunted also was observed in other moderately resistant wheats.

Exceptionally large increase in the durum components of durumhard red spring wheat mixtures were observed. Likewise, the barley components of various combinations of oats and barley increased materially over the percentage of barley planted. These larger-than-to-be-expected changes in mixture components were explained by the particular growing conditions and by the occurrence of one of the most severe stem rust epidemics on record in the northern portion of the Great Plains area.