6 SUGGESTIONS TO SETTLERS OX BELLE FOUKCHE PEOJECT, 



be deep. "Wheat, oats, barley, rye. and peas should be put in about 

 3 inches deep, and a press-wheel attachment on the grain drill should 

 be used to ]Dack the soil around the seeds, insuring an even germina- 

 tion and stand. 



CROP VARIETIES. 



The varieties of grain best adapted to the region have not yet been 

 as definitely determined as is desirable, but a few varieties have 

 shown themselves sufficiently well adapted to be recommended. The 

 Kubanka variety of durum (macaroni) wheat is well suited to the 

 dry lands. Fife and Bluestem wheats also do well as spring wheats 

 and should have the preference over the durum varieties on the irri- 

 gated land. Three varieties of oats, Kherson, Sixty-Day, and 

 Swedish Select, are among the best so far known. For dry-land 

 areas the preference seems to be in favor of Kherson or Sixtj^-Day 

 oats, but the Swedish Select variety would probably be better for 

 irrigated land, though, as it produces considerable straw, irrigation 

 should be used rather sparingly. Among the winter wheats, Turkey 

 Bed and Kharkof, are the best for the area. If soil conditions are 

 right, fall seeding can be done from the first part of September to the 

 middle or even the latter part of October. 



Among the various barleys grown. Hanna Xo. 24 has proved a 

 good two-rowed variety. Of corn varieties so far tested, Minnesota 

 No. 13 has been the best. For land which for any reason can not 

 be seeded in early spring, proso is a good, quick-maturing catch 

 crop which may be planted as late as June 5 to 15. 



Potatoes should be given a place on ever}^ farm. A number of 

 varieties are now grown on the project. Among them the Early 

 Eose, the Early Ohio, and the Blue-Pitted varieties seem to be 

 among the best. The quality of potatoes raised on the project is 

 good and the crop should be given considerable emphasis. 



ALFALFA AND GRASS CROPS. 



In favorable situations on the project hay can be made from the 

 native grasses, but as the land is settled the supply from this source 

 will decrease and the increased demand for hay will need to be met by 

 cultivated hay crops. Of the possible hay crops alfalfa appears to be 

 the most promising. Very little has yet been done on the project 

 in the way of alfalfa production. It has been shown, however, that 

 alfalfa is a success on the lighter soil types under irrigation. It is 

 doubtful if it would succeed on the heavy upland gumbo without 

 irrigation, or even with irrigation unless the subsoil is somewhat 

 open. Alfalfa is a deep-rooted plant, and on much of the heavier 

 Belle Fourche land the subsoil is undecomposed shale, which often 



[Cir. 83] 



