6 WINTER WHEAT IN WESTERN SOUTH DAKOTA. 



ably require several years to solve. Summer-fallowing is the method 

 most mdely advocated in Montana and western Nebraska and will ap- 

 parently give the most satisfactory results in western South Dakota. 



Wlien heavy rains occur in the late summer and early autumn 

 months, it may be found advisable to increase the winter-wheat 

 acreage by seeding on corn ground or on early fall ploA\dng. The 

 former is probably preferable. In either case there should be sufli- 

 cient moisture in the soil to keep the crop in good condition until 

 spring. Otherwise, the plants may die or go into the wdnter in a 

 weakened condition. 



A good summer fallow consists essentially in early plowing and suffi- 

 cient cultivation afterwards to conserve the moisture. A good plan 

 is to plow in the spring as soon as possible after seeding, or earlier 

 if desired. The grovmd may then be worked at once with disk and 

 harrow, or it may be allowed to remain as left by the plow in the 

 expectation of heavy rains in May and June. The method to be fol- 

 lowed depends upon the quantity of moisture in the soil at the time 

 of plowing. In either case cultivation should foUow every rain suffi- 

 ciently heavy to connect with the moisture below or to supply more 

 moisture to the soil than will be lost by the cultivation. A practice 

 sometimes advocated is that of plowing in the fall soon after the crop 

 is removed and allowing the ground to remain rough until spring, 

 when it is cultivated as in the former case. 



No matter by what method winter wheat is growTi, a firm seed bed 

 is essential. This is, perhaps, one of the most important factors con- 

 nected with the preparation of the soil, as upon it depend to a large 

 extent the supply of available moisture and the germination and 



growth of the plant. 



VARIETIES TO GROW. 



The growing of varieties not adapted to the locality is a great 

 drawback to the success of a crop. This fact has been clearly demon- 

 strated by experiments conducted on the Great Plains and by the 

 experience of farmers. Tests of the value of different varieties have 

 been conducted for three years at the Belief ourche Experiment Farm, 

 with the result that no wheat has been i'ound superior to the Rus- 

 sian winter wheats, Kharkof and Turkey. Many other varieties 

 from various parts of the United States and Canada have been grown 

 in comparative tests, but practically all of them wdnterkilled entirely 

 or to such an extent that very low yields were obtained. Only a few 

 were at all promising. These results are so fully substantiated by 

 tests conducted elsewhere that it would seem a waste of time and 

 money to grow any but these varieties, except in an experimental way, 



Home-srown seed or seed raised under conditions similar to those 

 in this region should be used, as only in this way will the best results 

 be obtained. 



[Cir. 79.] 



