WINTER WHEAT IN WESTERN SOUTH DAKOTA, 9 



the moisture. Whether the difference in jaeld will pay for the labor 

 involved is an open question. More experimental data arc required 

 before it can definite!}' be stated when and under what conditions 

 harrowin<]j will be found beneficial. It will probably be of most value 

 on soils likely to crust and in seasons when a heavy precipitation in 

 the winter and early spring is followed by drought. On soils likely to 

 blow, harrowmg should not be done until this danger is past. 



Where a field is badly damaged by winterkilling, good judgment 

 should be exercised in deciding whether the crop should remain or the 

 fiehl be disked for spring grain. Undoubtedly many fields have been 

 reseeded that would have made good jaelds had they been left in 

 winter wheat. The ability of the Kharkof and Turkey wheats to 

 recover is great, and, because of stooling, a uniform, tliin stand in the 

 spring will usually result in a good stand by harvest. The slowness 

 of winter wheat to start growth in the spring after a hard winter is 

 likely to mislead the farmer. In this connection it may be noted 

 ,that clean land, free from weeds, is essential. Otherwise, after a 

 severe winter the weeds may get the start of the wheat and greatly 

 reduce the yield. 



SUMMARY. 



Wliere successfully grown, winter wheat possesses many advantages 

 over spring wheat, such as better distribution of labor, earlier maturity, 

 greater drought resistance, and larger j^ields. There is apparently 

 no reason why it should not be growoi successfully in western South 

 Dakota. 



The principal difficulties likely to be encountered are winterkilling 

 and the blowing of the soil. The loss from winterkilling can be 

 greatly reduced by growing the best varieties and by proper prepara- 

 tion of the seed and soil. Much damage from blowing can be pre- 

 vented by selecting fields for winter wheat which, because of their 

 location, are more or less protected from the wind. Implements 

 which fine the soil more than necessary should not be used. 



From the small amount of data available, it seems that summer- 

 fallowing is probably the best method of preparing the soil for winter 

 wheat. When other methods are used, the germination and gi-c^-th 

 of the wheat are uncertain because of the low average autunm rain- 

 fall. In seasons when the precipitation in the summer and early fall 

 Ls heavy it may be advisable to increase the winter-wheat acreage by 

 seeding on corn ground or on early fall plowing. 



The general belief that winter wheat must be sown early is not sup- 

 ported by the results obtained at the Bellefourche Expermient Farm. 

 It seenLs of much more importance to prepare a good seed bed, to use 

 good varieties, and to sow when moisture, temperature, and soil con- 

 ditions are best than to seed at any specified time. Early seeding is 



[Clr. 79.] 



