The nature of the genetic variation associated with a cross involving winter and spring wheat parents for four quality factors was evaluated. Yamhill, a soft white winter wheat, and Inia 66, a hard red spring wheat, were selected as parents for this study. They represented distinctly different phenotypes for the attributes measured. Parents, F1, F2 and reciprocal backcrosses were examined for protein and lysine content, kernel hardness, and sedimentation value. Significant differences were observed between the two parents for protein content. The F1 mean was lower than the low protein parent with the F2 mean intermediate between the two parents. This latter factor plus a high narrow sense heritability estimate suggest that the genetic variation associated with protein content was largely due to genes which act in an additive manner. Backcrosses to either parent shifted the population toward the mean of the recurrent parent. Transgressive segregation was observed in the F2 for both low and high protein content suggesting that selection for this trait should be effective in early generations. Parents differed significantly for lysine content with the winter parent, Yamhill displaying lysine values approaching the highest previously reported for wheat. Intermediate F1 and F2 population means and a high narrow sense heritability estimate suggest the genes involved function in an additive manner. The backcross progeny to Yamhill had a mean value approaching that of the recurrent parent. No transgressive segregation was observed in the F2 for lysine content higher than Yamhill. It appears that lysine content in this cross is qualitatively inherited and that selection for improved lysine content above Yamhill appears limited. The genetic variation associated with kernel hardness appears to be largely additive with F1 and F2 means intermediate between the two parents and a high narrow sense heritability estimate. Transgressive segregation was observed in the F2 generation for both soft and hard kernel types. Selection for this trait should be effective in early generations. Significant differences were observed for the parental types for sedimentation value. The F1 and F2 means were below the midparent value. No transgressive segregation was observed in the F2 for either low or high sedimentation value. One backcross to the low sedimentation parent brought the population back to the low parent mean. One backcross to the high sedimentation parent shifted the population toward the recurrent parent but no individuals were recovered that approached the high parent. From this study it appears that selection for high sedimentation value types would be very difficult. Evidence provided in this study supports the concept that winter x spring crosses can provide useable genetic variation for desirable quality factors.