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.

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.

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.

The foothill areas of Canterbury consist of a large portion of the province, extending from the Conway River in the north to the Waitaki River in the south, a distance of some 230 miles. This same area varies in width from a few miles behind Methven, and Mayfield to some 80 miles in a part of North Canterbury, with much variation between these limits. Except in parts of North Canterbury, the climate generally is more severe and the rainfall higher than on the Plains. There is, of course, much variation. The soil, in general, is second class, but much variation exists, so that good rich pockets and small flats are not uncommon. Large areas of tussock and also of third-class land-poor, clay, scrub country-are prominent in certain districts. A rough estimate of the area of ‘the foothill, farms in Canterbury is 2,000,000 acres. A typical farm or small sheep-run in this area consists of some medium flat land, a fair proportion of rolling downs with steep gullies, and possibly, an unploughable tussock or scrub area. The total ploughable area varies considerably between properties, but on an average might be one-half to three-quarters of the area of the farm, the total area of which might be 1,200 acres. The average carrying capacity would be one to one and a half sheep per acre, and a few cattle would be carried. The sheep, in the main; are half-breds, but in many of the wetter and colder districts and on the sour, clay soils Romney sheep are preferred. Corriedales constitute a fair proportion of the sheep of North Canterbury. Ewe hoggets are kept each year for flock maintenance. Surplus four and five year old breeding ewes, fat and store lambs, some fat ewes, store wethers, cull ewe lambs, and cull two-tooth ewes, together with wool and some cattle, constitute the main source of farm income. In recent times a few specially favoured properties with some suitable land have grown small areas of wheat and rye-grass seed. The production of these crops, however, is a precarious undertaking on account of the risks of winter flooding and strong winds and wet weather at harvest.