^6 DRY-LAND GEAINS IN THE GREAT BASIN. 



very diy and that there are usually lono; dry periods in September 

 and October. With these facts in mind it is plain that the grain 

 should be planted at such a time as to insure the crop against the 

 possible ill effects of the dry spells which can reasonably be expected. 

 The undesirable influences of low and varying temperatures com- 

 mon in the month of November should also be guarded against. The 

 results at Nephi, as previously reported in these pages, for the six 

 years 1904 to 1909, indicate that the middle course — planting from 

 about September 20 to October 20 — is the most favorable. There 

 will undoubtedly be occasional cases in favor of the early or of 

 the late planting, but for a practice to be followed through a series 

 of years the medium dates will likely prove the most dependable. 



TIME OF PLANTING SPRING WHEAT. 



Prior to the inauguration of the cooperative work at Nephi the 

 Utah station attempted to conduct a test with spring wheat to deter- 

 mine the best time of planting." It was found, however, that the 

 weather conditions were so unreliable during the spring season that it 

 was impossible to do the planting on the dates specified in the plan, 

 and the experiment was abandoned. It is usually found satisfactory 

 to plant spring wheat just as soon as possible after the snow is off the 

 ground. Planting when the surface soil is wet, however, should be 

 carefully avoided, particularly on heavy clay soils. 



TIME OP PLANTING SPRING OATS AND BARLEY. 



The same difficulties as are encountered in testing the best time for 

 planting spring wheat operate in connection with oats and barley. 

 These grains can be successfully planted at the same time as wheat. 



RATE OP SEEDING WINTER WHEAT. 



The test to determine the best rate of seeding has not pro- 

 gressed far enough to warrant the use of the results. All the varieties 

 grown at the substation in the variety tests are seeded at the rate 

 of approximately 3 pecks per acre. This rate has produced satis- 

 factory results not only at the substation but also on the farms all 

 over the mountain area. In deciding on the rate at which to seed, 

 the farmer should consider two points, (1) the moisture demands 

 of the crop during the dry season and (2) the danger of weeds. If 

 the stand is too thick, the moisture in the soil will be exhausted 

 before the crop is mature; if it is too thin, weeds are likely to come 

 up and crowd out the wheat plants. The seeding rate that will best 



a See Circular 3, Utah Agricultural Experiment Station. 

 [Cir. 61] 



