FIELD CROPS. 129 



FIELD CROPS. 



Arid agriculture, B. C. Buffum {[WorUiiid, Wijo.], 1909, pp. J/Ji-S, figs. 

 61). — This book discusses tlie approved agricultural methods practiced in the 

 arid region of this country. The contents are devoted to a description of this 

 region, to a consideration of dry farming, and to discussions on irrigation, crops 

 and crop culture, crop destroyers, live stock, and home building in the arid 

 sections. 



Crop production in western Nebraska, W. P. Snyder and W. W. Burr 

 yXcbraska Sta. Bid. 109, pp. .J-.J.7. figs. /.>).— This bulletin describes the substa- 

 tion farm at North Platte, discusses the climatic conditions of Nebraska and 

 more especially of the western part of the State, presents the records of pre- 

 cipitation made at North Platte since 1875, reports the results of experiments in 

 crop production, and considers the principles of cultivation entering into dry 

 farming. 



Four crops of winter wheat have been grown at the substation. In 190.5 ex- 

 cessive rains caused such a rank growth on summer-tilled land that the crop 

 lodged and was not harvested. A field of heavy sod plowed in June, 190.5, and 

 cultivated the remainder of the season gave an average yield of 42 bu. per aci'e, 

 the range being from 31 to 45.7 bu. Five acres of new bench land broken in 

 1905 yielded 41 bu. per acre in 190G. In 1907 the test plats, aggregating 4J 

 acres of summer-tilled land, gave an average yield per acre of 59 bu., as com- 

 pared with 24.4 bu. on table-land not summer tilled. This table-land field 

 plowed and planted to coi*n did not yield ov/er 5 bu. per acre, due to lack of 

 moisture. In 1908, 8 acres of winter wheat in ^-acre plats on sumniei'-tilled 

 bench land gave an average yield of 57 bu. per acre, the highest yield being 00.9 

 bu. and the lowest 53 bu. The field of summer-tilled land producing 59 bu. per 

 aci'e in 1907 was plowed in the fall and again sown to winter wheat, but the 

 j-ield per acre in 1908 was only 20.86 bu. The marked influence of the lack of 

 summer tillage was also shown on a 5-acre field of bench laud, which produced 

 41 bu. per acre of winter wheat in 190G and a crop of oats in 1907, yielded an 

 average of only 29.6 bu. per acre in 1908. Of a number of new varieties tested 

 only No. 1435, which came up to Turkey Red in yield, was retained for farther 

 trial. These tests, as well as others, indicate that Turkey Red and Kharkov 

 are the best varieties for western Nebraska. 



The average results of seeding experiments conducted with Turkey Red for 3 

 years and with Kharkov for 2 years show but little difference in yield from 2, 

 4, or 5 pk. of seed per acre. The average yield per acre was 54.84 bu. from 2 

 pk.,. 55.48 bu. from 4 pk., and 56.24 bu. from 5 pk. Experience has taught that 

 it is advisable to sow winter wheat before September 15 in order to secure a 

 sufBciently strong growth in the fall. 



In work with sirring wheats it was found that the durum varieties are likely 

 to be more satisfactory than local varieties. In 190S the yield of 4 durum 

 wheats ranged from 30.3 to 32.5 bu. per acre, while 2 semihard local varieties 

 gave 22.0 and 25.9 bu. This crop was grown on cornstalk ground double disked 

 three times and seeded with a press drill at the rate of 5 pk. per acre. A com- 

 parison of four methods of preparing the seed bed for spring wheat in 1907 and 

 1908 resulted in the lowest average yield on spring-plowed wheat stubble, fol- 

 lowed in the order of increasing yield by disked corn stubble, fall-plowed wheat 

 stubble, and summer tillage alternating with wheat. The yields in 1907 varied 

 from 24.5 to 31.8 bu. and in 1908 from 22.7 to 40.5 bu. per acre. 



During 4 years' experiments with oats Kherson has given the best yields. In 

 1908 on fall-plowed land after winter wheat the yields i)er acre from the differ- 

 ent varieties were as follows : Kherson 50.9 bu., Texas Red 40.7 bu.. Black 



