THE purpose of this paper is to set forth some results obtained in certain crosses between the hull-less types of oats and some of the hulled forms. The hull-less types belong to the species Avena nuda. The origin of these forms is not definitely known, although, according to Carleton,2 they appear to have come from central and eastern Asia. Reports are to the effect that a certain form of this oat has been cultivated in China for a thousand years or longer. These types are not generally cultivated in any other countries and perhaps due to this fact little study has been made of the various hull-less types and their possible origin. From some observations made on our material it seems quite possible that these hull-less forms may have originated through putative changes. For example, in a pure line of the variety Sixty Day certain spikelets suddenly appeared which were very similar to the true hull-less forms in having the caryopsis loosely held in the glumes and an increased number of flowers per spikelet. These seeds were tested, but did not reproduce this hull-less tendency. A large number of similar cases have been observed particularly with hybrids, although none of these

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Various concentrations of indolyl- and naphthylacetic acids were applied to ten varieties of winter wheat prior to planting in a replicated field trial, one-half of each plot receiving seed dusted with Ceresan plus phytohormone, and the other half receiving an equal quantity of seed of the same variety dusted with Ceresan only.Some differences between the hormone-treated and untreated sub-plots in respect of early growth and subsequent density of stand were apparent to visual inspection. There were also statistically significant differences in respect of straw production, and of yield, weight per bushel, and nitrogen content of grain. The effects on grain yield were complicated by the differential response of varieties to the same treatment, and at the higher concentrations some depressions of yield resulted. On the average both chemicals tended slightly to reduce the nitrogen content of the grain produced.The results as a whole seem to demonstrate the physiological activity of both substances tested when applied in this way. Further investigation of dosages, varietal characteristics, and seasonal effects, however, will be required before general conclusions can be reached.