30 



DRY-LAND GRAINS IN THE GREAT BASIN. 



The nature of this test is such that a long series of years wdll be 

 required in which to determine the merits of the various methods. 

 Moisture determinations are made from time to time each season 

 on these plats and will add valuable information in connection with 

 the experiment. The indications to date are against continuous 

 cropping. 



WJieat following intertilled crops. — There is a possibility that the 

 necessity of alternate fallowing may be reduced or avoided by the 

 substitution of intertilled crops. The outline of an experiment 

 which is conducted at the substation for the purpose of studying the 

 question is given here. 



As shown above, the intertilled crops used in the test are corn, pota- 

 toes, and peas. A plat of fallow is carried in connection with the 

 intertilled crops to serve as a check. Hence, each year there is a plat 

 of wheat following fallow, one following corn, one after potatoes, and 

 one after peas. The peas, potatoes, and corn are planted in rows and 

 cultivated during the summer to prevent unnecessary water loss 

 through evaporation. The moisture content of the soil on the plats is 

 determined from time to time during the summer to show the effects 

 of the various crops. As the test was only recently started, it is not 

 known whether the system of growing intertilled crops in place of 

 fallow will be practicable. The behavior of the soil moisture during 

 1908 and 1909 w^as such as to suggest the probability that corn and 

 potatoes can be successfully substituted for the fallow if a variety of 

 corn adapted to the conditions can be found. The results with pota- 

 toes have been particularly promising. This crop will be discussed later. 



SUMMARY. 



In connection with farming methods in grain pi'oduction, as inves- 

 tigated at the substation and observed on farms in various i^arts of 

 the Mountain States, the above discussion seeks to emphasize the 

 following points : 



(1) That fall plowing is generally to be preferred to spring plowing. 



(2) That while subsoiling has shown some indications of being bene- 

 ficial it is not yet known whether the practice will be profitable and 

 that plowing to a depth of 7 to 10 inches will probably give satisfac- 

 tory results. 



[Cir. 61] 



